Columbia's War on Poverty: What would you do?
One of the toughest things about the fight to address (and even end) homelessness is that so many of us find it impossible to imagine ourselves in that situation. You know what, though? Most of the people facing homelessness today felt exactly the same way before it happened to them.
There are so many reasons people end up homeless; the bottom line is that it could happen to pretty much anybody, with just one twist of fate.
What would you do?
Keep in mind that many of the people who are homeless are young women with children. Think about that. You are a young, single mom with one or two or three or more children and you do not have enough money for rent (and you definitely can’t buy a place). This situation happens all the time – like, right this minute – and there really is not a great answer in this situation. The Salvation Army’s Harbor House is the only emergency shelter in Boone County that allows adults with children, and if we are full, that is pretty much it. What would you do in that situation?
What if you or your spouse or your child had a health crisis that did not get covered by insurance? Did you know a 2019 study found that over 60% of bankruptcies relate to a health crisis? Most of us are one really bad health situation away from losing everything, which is why an awful lot of people find themselves unable to pay their bills, unable to find a place they can afford to live, and homeless or even living completely unsheltered. In that situation, what would you do?
Just this week, we saw a woman with a higher degree, a great job, and three kids taking a room at a women’s shelter because her husband is having a mental health crisis. You think she isn’t a step or two away from being without a place to live? Is it her fault? What would you do?
Or what about addiction? What about sudden job loss and inability to find another one?
The list goes on and on and we could do this all day. This is a tricky world and there is just so much that can happen to us, so much over which we have no control, so much that could put almost any of us into a really bad situation, even living on the street, or in a hotel, or on a family member’s couch.
There are just so many situations that could arise, so many things that could happen to any of us, or at least to millions and millions of us around the country. We see it every single day here at The Salvation Army, Love Columbia, Voluntary Action Center, Central Missouri Action Center, Turning Point, Loaves and Fishes, and so many other organizations that deal with people facing the toughest situations any of us can imagine.
None of us knows what we would do. All of us need to do what we can for our neighbors trying to figure it out.
Major Kevin Cedervall is a leader of The Salvation Army in Columbia. The Salvation Army provides a wide range of community services to address poverty and other issues, seeking to rebuild lives and create lasting change.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Columbia's War on Poverty: What would you do?
