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| Picture by Thomas Hawk |
A recent
local newspaper headline: “City’s 2012 Numbers Up 39%.” That is the homeless
population; Longmont’s homeless population grew 39 percent year to year in the
most recent count.
The Metro
Denver Homeless Initiative released city data last week showing that 883
homeless spent January 23, the date of the census count, in Longmont. That is
compared to 636 the previous year. The annual point-in-time surveys are held in
Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson County.
The county-wide data was released a few months back and showed the total
homeless count for our county (Boulder) at 1,970 which is an 11 percent
increase. In fact, the city of Boulder has seen a decline in homeless, and now
Longmont has a larger population of people on the street than our bigger
neighbor at the other end of the diagonal highway.
I was
involved in the count this year. I’m a former statistical analyst with IBM, and
my input and review was requested. I did not design the survey, but I was
involved in its review and verification. I was very glad to see that the
methodology was the same as in 2011. That is important because if you keep
changing the measurement tool, then the results are not consistent. For the
last several years, the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative changed the counting
process every year. This time they kept it constant, much to my approval.
Some
statistical results: in Longmont, 75 percent of respondents were adults between
25 and 64 years old. About 59 percent were white and 33 percent were Latino.
More than half reported they had been homeless for more than a month but less
than a year. About half had received some money from working in the last month,
and 59 percent received some government benefits.
Sixty-eight
percent reported either staying temporarily with friends and family or living
in transitional housing. Only about 4 percent had spent the night sleeping in
the streets. (Remember, this is January.) A lost job or unable to find work is
still the top reason people listed for their homelessness, followed by high
cost of housing.
Sadly the
number of homeless children is way up from previous years. There was some good
news in the chronically homeless population declined 1 percent and about 20
percent reported being homeless for less than a year. Last year, that number
was 29 percent.
According
to the U.S. Census Bureau, overall, 16% of Longmont residents live in poverty.
Contrast that with the very high average salaries in this high technology
driven city and the high number of college degrees, even Ph. D.’s, in this city
compared to most of the rest of the nation. (Thirty-seven percent of Longmonters have a Bachelor's degree or higher compared with the national average of 27%.) Things are good for most in our
fair town, but it is a short jump from working to poverty to homelessness when
the economy declines.
When my
long-term friend (no one wants to say “old”) wrote today about the tragedy in
Aurora – the shooting, she said she saw a quote on a poster:
–
In other
words, “don’t just stand there – do something.” This means YOU!
One of the
great delights I’ve enjoyed in retirement is the extra time to do something.
I’ve gotten involved in several worthy causes. Every Thursday (when I’m in
town) I drive a large truck picking up donations for Habitat’s Restore. It is
hard and hot work, but I love to drive and meet people, and I get that feeling
I’m helping out. The exercise is good too, and I enjoy the people I meet. More
than taking donations for a worthy cause, we are often helping older people and
people of limited means clear out their homes and dispose of things they don’t
need any more. We also haul away a lot of junk and trash … not exactly our
mission, but it helps too.
I also work
with a homeless outreach, and we provide meals and clothing every day of the
week. We are also there to provide transportation to shelters in the winter and
to drop-in centers for laundry, showers, phone calls, computers, and just some
time watching TV. I’m always floored by the graciousness and gratitude of those
we help.
Every night
at 7:00 PM we’re at the Justice Center giving out free meals … no questions
(other than some demographics) asked. The meals are prepared by a group we call
the “Soup Angels.” Sixty sack meals every night – soup in the winter –
sandwiches in the summer. That, plus water and clothing. Recently there has
been quite an increase in the need. In the past we’ve given out 40 or so meals
and then taken food to a local motel, the Wal-mart parking lot, and to others
who call with requests, and finally delivering the last of the remaining meals
to a local hotel. I don’t know if it is the nice summer weather or a real
change in the number of hungry, but the demand for food is way up. A week ago on Monday, we gave out
every single meal at the first stop. We went back to our main center and
stocked up on what we call “non perishable meals.” That’s tuna or Vienna
sausages with crackers and granola bars.
When we
stopped at the local motel where many people down and out stay – some with
government vouchers – a little girl asked for a meal. She was about 8 years old
and playing in the playground. I asked her where she lived and she indicated a
nearby house trailer. I asked why she needed the meal and she said she had
people staying at their house and there wasn’t enough food. We don’t usually
ask so many questions, but we also have to verify the need. So I gave her a
meal. Later the motel manager told me her story was not true. She had conned
me.
I don’t
really care, and that’s why we don’t usually ask questions. It is not our goal
to judge, just fill a need. What is the harm of giving food to those that don’t
really need it? But, later that night, we got a call from a local church. They
had a homeless man there, and he had slept through the seven o’clock time, and
now he was awake and hungry. We were all out of food at that point, and that
little girl’s trick had literally taken the food out of this man’s mouth.
It is a
complex problem. We try not to judge, but just provide a resource. During the
day there are both government and charity organizations open for the homeless
to use. After five PM, we’re it. We are the evening resource, and we get calls
from the local police dispatch and many other organizations.
The
following Sunday I was on the street again and this time I was approached by a
well-known client of mine while handing out food. I’ll call him “J.” He’s a big
guy, about 6 foot 3 and in his late twenties or early thirties. He asked if he
could have a second meal since he was very hungry. I couldn’t give it to him
for the same reason I questioned the little girl. However, I always carry some
McDonalds coupons. I won’t give people on the street money since I don’t know
what they will do with money, but I will give them food. I can’t give him the
coupons in front of everyone else. That wouldn’t be fair, but I know he’s a big
guy, and I would hate for him to be hungry. He headed up the stairs from the
Justice Center parking lot, and that gave me a chance to follow him and give
him the coupons in private. Twenty dollars at McDonalds can go a long ways if
you are careful. He was very gracious and we hugged. After all, SOMEBODY had to
do something.
I know an
organization that gives out food at Thanksgiving. I think they also provide a
meal at Christmas. That’s wonderful. Every little bit helps. But there are 365
days in a year, and people are not just hungry at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Think about that next time you sit down to a big meal at home or a restaurant.
Think how close we all are to hunger. Let the power go out or the roads be blocked and the grocery
store shelves would be empty in a day or two. We’ve moved a long way away from
the source of our food, and many are not prepared for emergencies.
There is a
long list of the causes of homelessness and some are due to lack of personal
responsibility. Plus, giving help can sometimes become enabling. There are tough
decisions to be made. The goal of the organization that I work with on the
street is not to be judges or even worry if we are enabling some behavior such
as alcoholism or drug use. Even a drunk or a person who is high needs to eat and
have a place to sleep. Those other organizations work on getting people the
proper care, both medical and psychological, counseling, rehab, etc., as well
as work and other needs. We just don’t want anyone dying on the streets because
SOMEBODY didn’t do something.
That wise
and caring friend of mine summed it up in four short phrases from the inspirational video she linked:
I could not
have said it better myself. And you know I’d use a lot more words. Come to
think of it, I did! You are SOMEBODY … please do something.
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