No Easy Solution

I helped our teens (church youth group) last night as they served an overflow homeless shelter by serving a hot meal to the men that came in for the night. We served sloppy joes, fruit, mac & cheese, cookies, and drinks. The men were grateful and several came to the window to thank us for what we provided for them.
As I looked over the men who were eating during a lull in the serving, I had to wonder about some of them. One of them said he had been a Marine. Another was rather young…looked like age 30 or less. Some looked as if they had been homeless for years; others looked like they came on hard times in just the last few days or weeks. I don’t know if I can rely on looks and brief conversations to draw any particular conclusions, however.
What I did think about was how these men would get out of the situation they were in. How were they going to find jobs, get to and from work, obtain a vocational education, etc?
Think about it. To get a job today requires (usually) a mailing address or permanent address, email, access to a computer, a telephone number, transportation, clean clothing, neat appearance, a way to create a resume, adequate identification, and decent health. Many employers also check one’s credit report, driver records and other such records. Enrolling in and attending school requires much the same resources in addition to a method of paying for the schooling.
So how are these guys going to make the arrangements for these things? How will they get (and pay for) transportation? Where will they wash their clothes? Where are they going to type out a decent resume? What do they do first? Where do they look? Who do they ask?
Now, I’m not turning into a flaming liberal. I know some of these guys have mental and emotional issues that may preclude them from holding down a job. But that begs the question of how they will obtain treatment for their condition, or will they just continue being unbalanced? Other guys have made poor choices in the past that have worked against them to result in their being in the overflow shelter. I get that. We’ve all made poor choices in life. But that also begs the question of how they are going to get out of the hole they’re in, and the truth that “But for the grace of God go I.”
Maybe I also look at this a little differently than some because my wife and I were homeless for a time not that long ago. Except for the generosity of family who took us in and gave us basic support (computer access, an address, washer and dryer, bathroom, warmth & comfort, and would have provided food, transportation, and clothing if needed), and for a church family who helped with continuing medical insurance and provided other support, we too would have had to go to the overflow shelter for an evening meal and place to sleep.
I am not one who thinks government has the solution to all problems of society. Nor do I think that throwing money at a problem necessarily fixes it or makes it better. I do believe, however, that in general we are woefully ignorant of not only these kinds of societal issues, but we are also woefully ignorant of the complexity of many of these issues and the difficulty in finding an adequate solution or solutions.
I don’t pretend to know the answers. I don’t even know what questions to ask. I do know that I’ll be much more cognizant of some of these issues as I go forward in life, and will continue to “do something” even if I can’t “do everything”. I hope you will too.