Believe it or not, your situation could be a lot worse.
Picture this: A mom and dad with three kids living out of their car, washing up at a store or 24-hour gas station, having to explain to their children that they are homeless.
This is something that my staff and I see constantly at Rescue Outreach Mission. I opened my latest staff meeting with a clip from the movie “The Pursuit of Happy(ness),” which was inspired by a true story about Chris Gardner (played by Will Smith) who was homeless with a young son, Jaden (played by Jaden Smith).
In this particular scene, Gardner and his son were in what looked like a train station. Playing make-believe with his son, Chris pretended to be in a cave. They ran to “the cave,” which was the public restroom, to be safe. Smith’s character is then left holding his son throughout the night on the bathroom floor with tears coming from his eyes. He was probably wondering: “How did I get here?”
When I turned the lights on at our meeting, the room was silent.
Do we have people like this in our community? The answer is yes.
I am reminded every day that there are people who need the help of non-profit organizations more than ever before.
Children are going to school hungry, hoarding food because it might be their only meal of the day. How do we expect children to concentrate when they are not being nourished? I’m a firm believer that not all people want to be homeless, as some may think. Sure, there are people who might not want to help themselves but that is not the case in all situations.
Did you know that on any given night about 730 adults and children are homeless in Seminole County? Only 275 of them are in shelter beds.
About 1,850 people become homeless each year in Seminole County. Who would have thought? There are homeless camps throughout our county and there are more than 1,000 homeless children attending Seminole County Public Schools.
About 45 percent of the homeless are Caucasian, 44 percent black, 17 percent consider themselves Hispanic or Latino, and about 17 percent are veterans that have fought for our country.
Seminole has about 22 percent of the 10,100 homeless population in Central Florida but only has 5 percent of the shelter beds in the region.
As this problem grows, funding becomes more challenging for all of the non-profits in our community. I am blessed to live in the best county in Florida.
There are so many people who are willing to help with so many causes in our community. We know that everyone is in need of money, however money is not the only answer.
Find a way to get involved with an issue that is close to your heart.
Every day is a struggle for most of us. Though we have our trials and tribulations, be thankful that you have food on your table, clothes on your back and a place to rest. Think about the little 5-year-old girl that may sit next to your child at school and might be hungry.
That person could be you, a relative, a friend, or me. Can we go back to the days when we would lend a hand to our fellow neighbor? Let’s be a community that will make a change together.
Please, open your heart to those in need. I helped someone when I was a child in grade school and I am still able to help many now. Have you helped someone lately?
Ernest Hamilton is executive director for Rescue Outreach Mission of Sanford. Comments can be sent to him at ehamilton@rescueoutreachmission.org or Herald publisher Gene Kruckemyer at GKruckemyer@MySanfordHerald.com. Topics for The Sanford Herald’s Centennial Forum opinion series are chosen by the community writers.
Post a Comment