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Dear Editor,
Homelessness is a big problem in Helena, and I believe that the community can do more to help these struggling individuals.
Cold days and even colder nights, not knowing where the next meal is going to come from, feeling worthless and without hope. These are problems that plague many families with financial struggles. Being homeless is a situation that a lot of citizens of Helena cannot even imagine, yet a lot of people within the community are dealing with. I believe that in order to make a change, the population of Helena as a whole should not only support those who are struggling but should come together as a whole to provide these human beings with compassion and care to make a stronger sense of family and love within the community.
Weather in Montana is very unpredictable (I mean snow in October? Come on!). This makes being homeless extremely difficult. In the summer, the blistering heat beats down on the back of the man I see standing outside of Target. In the winter, the unforgiving snow falls on the face of the struggling mother just trying to walk to the store to buy a bag of chips for her two children. These harsh environments cause homeless men and women to do drastic things in order to find shelter and food. For years there have been homeless men, women, and children staying in a camp near Walmart, but recently these people were forced to move elsewhere leaving many more hopeless than ever before. Many homeless seek shelter in places like God's Love which provide beds and food.
God's Love is a non-profit organization that provides many resources for the homeless population, but the problem is that it primarily serves men. According to a recent article by the Helena Independent Record, God’s Love provides 31 beds, but a lot of the times it accommodates up to 50 individuals with many women and children sleeping on the floor. Through fundraising and donations by the community, shelters like the YWMCA (a shelter specifically for homeless women) would have more means to help struggling mothers by providing resources to care for their children and themselves. The only thing children should be worried about is if they will be on Santa’s naughty or nice list, not where their next meal is coming from or where they will be sleeping that night.
Homelessness is not always the stereotypes people often picture, with signs that read “anything helps.” that shouldn’t be deemed as drunks or drug addicts. Homelessness can affect our family, friends, and neighbors. People that are at risk of falling homeless live life not knowing how they will pay the bills, or living paycheck to paycheck, praying that they can make it through the month. These people need to be supported by not only their loved ones but by the community of caring people in Helena. The community can help those at risk by checking in on friends and family that appear to be struggling, donating to churches that hold charity events for less fortunate families, and
In addition to supporting people who are at risk of falling homeless, the community should also be helping those who are in the situation now get out of it. Maybe refer a friend to a job or help cook meals for family or friends who are in unstable financial situations. Many employers shy away from hiring homeless people, and it usually does not help that they don’t have nice clean clothes, or places to carry out regular hygiene. There is a stigma that all homeless people must be addicted to drugs or gambling, but many just simply don’t have the means to have solid incomes which leads many down the path of these dark addictions in order to get money. A research study by The National Coalition for the Homeless found that 38% of homeless individuals were reliant on alcohol and 26% were reliant on other drugs. It was also found that substance abuse was more of a result of being homeless rather than a cause. Holding fundraisers and community events through churches and non-profit organizations will give these people struggling a platform to share their stories and hardships will open the community’s eyes to the reality of living on the streets.
Helena is an amazing town with amazing people. Having the citizens of Helena come together to support people less fortunate will not only shed light on the issue of homelessness, but will also create a bond within the community.
Adyson VanLuchene
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