As the holiday season fast approaches, there’s something that doesn’t change and is actually growing. Homeless persons. Yes, if you think I’m throwing a wet blanket on the holidays, don’t get me wrong. I want to tell you about what 
I’ve experienced here locally.
After working at AIDS Response Effort, Inc. (ARE), doing our outreach to educate those on the street and promote condom usage. We’ve crossed many people who ‘live on the streets’. It happens in every town even in Winchester, Virginia. I was shocked at this fact when we did outreach at a local soup kitchen. We have many, many homeless here and the yet city chooses to ignore them by turning the other way or using police to harass them. Over the years, I’ve gotten to know a number of these homeless person’s and their stories are very sad and touching.
It all leads down to a breakdown in our culture within our society. Something tragic happens in the persons life that they just can’t cope. Drug and alcohol usage begins which spirals into loosing everything from jobs, homes to families. The big area is mental health with these people in need. Many have conditions that require medications that they can’t afford, or have no records, no ID and no insurance. So they just wander without help. The only thing they have is drugs or alcohol. And when they need money, they turn to prostitution or crime to get funds to feed their habit. Its a very sad but vicious cycle that leads these people to getting diseases. We try our best to educate or promote safe sex with persons on the street to give them a ‘chance’.
In the town of Winchester, VA, there is a growing sub-culture of homelessness where they know who to trust and where to go if in trouble. They can communicate very quickly with each other and what areas to avoid. I’ve stat down at lunchtime with homeless and taken surveys. They almost all indicated one way or the other they had issues that would require medications that they either ran out along time ago or not able to get prescriptions.
In light of the recent incidents in this country, my thought goes to mental health. Our country has done a very poor job at not dealing with it and brushing it under the rug. So many fall through the cracks and end up on the streets which makes matters worse. You have many people who need serious assistance with care and medications but are left to wander. Why? Is it better to look away and not see them than to deal with it? We here at ARE do our best to help those on the street from getting HIV/AIDS or other STD’s.
So when you see a homeless person over the holidays…. remember, they are people in need. I’m not saying give them money which is a no-no since the habit take over. Spend time in a soup kitchen, homeless or domestic violence shelter to help your fellow men and women.
Tom Thayer
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