Posted on June 11, 2010 - by Brett

Homeless in Tampa

What is the first thing you think of when you think of a homeless person? My first thought use to be a sun-aged old man with a thick beard, a cardboard sign, rugged clothes and a reflector vest (for those in Tampa). Some people feel lead to give them money or food and some people roll their windows up and make sure they don’t make eye contact or else they might actually feel bad for them. Or they’re frustrated that someone is trying to “scam” money out of them. The make assumptions that the person is too lazy to work and they result to just standing on the side of the road for handouts.

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I use to talk to a lot of homeless when I worked for the Tampa Bay Dream Center. I invite you to step in their shoes for a moment for a day. There are 2 major places to stay the night. Salvation Army and Metropolitan Ministries. When staying at Salvation Army “the Sally”, you have to stand in line to get a voucher for the week in order to stay there. If you get in line too late, you cannot stay for the week and must find a different avenue. All walks of life stay at the Sally. It’s not a safe place to be but it’s not on the street. Your personal items being stolen from you is a typical issue when you’re on the street. You have to go find work and be out of the Sally by 6-7am. Where ever you go, you can’t stay there.

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There are places to get day jobs but as you sit and wait for contractors to bus you out to the job, you realize that you might not get work today. If you do end up getting a job, you get paid minimum wage at best and the labor pool that you were hired through takes upwards of 40% for getting you the job and transporting you to your job for the day. So after working 8 hours hard labor, you walk away with $36 in your pocket. You can make more money on the side of the road begging for 8 hours and you’re not doing hard labor, you’re sweltering in the sun. Either option is very taxing on your body for a small amount of pay. During the week, there are certain places that serve free food but you have to make sure you make it there between the hours they are there. Now that you’re on the other side of town, you then have to make it back to the Sally by a certain hour so you’re not locked out and possibly voiding the week long voucher to stay there.

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Let’s change our view now. My wife was working one of her jobs the other day and talking with a girl she’s worked with for quite some time. This girl tells her that she was having troubles with her roommates and had to move out. Lot’s of financial strain has been put on this coworker and she doesn’t have a place to stay. She has a car, has a cell phone and has 2 jobs (maybe 3 actually) but has been living at the Sally until she can afford to rent her own place. My wife had to pick her jaw up off of the floor after hearing this as her heart now pains for this coworker. She says that she could easily pickup and move back with her family in another state but knows that she should be here and stick it out. She’s gone to college and has a degree but doesn’t have a roof over her head to call her own and she’s going to the locations that are handing out food so she’s able to save as much as possible.

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The Sally is not have very good living conditions on the girls side. She said there are holes in the showers and it’s just rough to be there. To see exactly what each person goes through, my wife and I are going to stay a night at the Sally. She’ll experience the girls side and I’ll experience the guys side (they don’t mix the two there for obvious reasons). We will come back with stories from talking to people there and our unfiltered feelings while being there.

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What can be done about people like my wife’s coworker? I’m still trying to figure that out. My first thought is to have a way for people to donate online or donate monthly and 100% of the money goes straight to an apartment complex (not to anyone’s hands) to pay for cheap housing temporarily for those in need. That and also have updates and stories of the people the money would be given to. People have access to food, people are always willing to give food. People aren’t always willing to give a roof nor a job without a roof. Maybe that would be the one step that can be done in the recovery process.