I have a heart for the homeless, having been homeless myself when I was a teenager I now support organizations that help those that are homeless.
I found that being homeless made it nearly impossible for me to search for and legally find or keep a job.
Firstly I was too concerned about freezing to death and where my next meal was coming from to even think about a job. Second, not having a permanent address or phone number was a problem when filling out applications.
Here’s an excerpt from the November 2019 Union Gospel Mission (UGM) Mission News “Imagine yourself in these real-life situations.
You’re living in your car because you lost your job and your home. You can’t take a shower, let alone print a resume or get clean clothes for a job interview.
You’re sleeping on a couch in a drug house, just living for your next fix. You’ve tried to quit, but you’ve failed over and over.
You’re afraid to leave your abuser because you don’t know where you could go with your kids and be safe.
If someone said you need to change your life, you’d probably agree. But how? Where do you start?”
I found myself in a similar situation being on the street at fourteen and had no idea where to start. Honestly, I was blessed with having a random stranger help me get off the street back then but I think that was pretty unusual. So what to do?
Get help!
From the UGM Mission News “Before anything deeper can hold their attention, people need to:
- satisfy hunger and thirst.
- be protected from the weather.
- rest and sleep without fear of being harmed or having their possessions stolen.
- separate from relationships and addictions that have led them into desperation.
- have practical opportunities to contribute to the community.
A 2019 IBIS report shows that there are 10,355 community housing and homeless shelters in the United States.
If you are homeless, battling addiction or abuse here are some resources that may help.
List of homeless shelters and other resources:
Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission contact page gives locations for different services https://www.ugm.org/contact/
Spokane Washington and Coeur d’Alene Idaho Union Gospel Mission https://www.uniongospelmission.org/locations
https://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org/
https://www.shelterlistings.org/
You have to scroll down for the directory https://www.tuck.com/sleeping-homeless/
https://nationalhomeless.org/references/directory/
A list of resources for a variety of situations including homelessness https://startsleeping.org/homeless-sleep/
https://www.samhsa.gov/homelessness-programs-resources/hpr-resources/housing-shelter
https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/provide-shelter/
If you have an emergency dial 9-1-1, if you need resources dial 2-1-1.
I will write about additional resources specific to finding and getting a job even if you think your background is creating a barrier.
Check back often and may God be with you.