Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Jobless and Homeless

Around holiday time last Christmas a middle aged man got on the metro train and made his plea.

"Merry Christmas everybody", he said.

"I don't mean no harm, but is anybody hiring?", he asked the crowd of slightly startled metro train riders. "I am willing to do anything."

It was cold outside that afternoon. He wore a black jacket that looked like it had a broken zipper, jeans, and what looked like a short-sleeved pull over shirt. He had no hat, no gloves, and he wore sneakers.

How brave he was, I thought, to get on metro train and reveal this most intimate detail. No job. No home, and willing to do anything by legal means that he could to obtain both.

The man repeated his plight, and after a few minutes of silence he asked the metro customers who may have shared my same sentiment, "Well, can anyone give me a few cents so I can buy some food".

After a few minutes of complete silence, the man, shaking his head, was met with only one person who came forward and offered him some change.

People, we have to do better than this.

When we see our brothers and sisters in need, don't just act like they don't exist. It only takes a simple gesture to help.

What can you do today to help homelessness in the Nation's Capital?

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