Look around our city and there is so much growth and expansion, businesses are doing well, things are happening. It’s all good…for the most part. But there is a subset of the population in any city that would be classified as homeless. They are without means, a place to live, and in many cases, depend on others for their survival. We often look upon this class of people as having made bad decisions as the cause of their situation, but in reality, the problem is much more complicated. Mental illness, addiction, alcoholism and a string of ‘bad luck’ are the main causes for the vast majority of people in this category. And helping them can be just as challenging and non-linear as the path that led them there in the first place.
An estimated 78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. Think about that statistic, and then think about the fragility of the financial house of cards that is built upon that foundation. A few bad weeks, an illness, whatever, could cause a great tragedy and could easily put a lot of people in dire straights. Couple that with the stigma of asking for help and it’s a recipe for disaster.
But there is hope. There is always hope. And this group, Fed With Faith, led by Jean Manganaro, is doing their part to assist those who need help and are willing to accept it. Listen to this chat with Jean and their donations coordinator Mick Parsons and learn about what they do and how you can get involved to help. Also, check them out on Facebook. Like their page and share it with your friends. Together, we can all help to better deal with this issue.
