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Letter Re: Consider Volunteering at a Homeless Shelter
Sir;
I once had an opportunity to volunteer at a homeless shelter in Denver, Colorado.
What started as a chance to be of service, turned out to be a lesson in survival.
I was surprised to learn that many of the "guests" at the shelter
had become experts at existing comfortably, on a permanent basis, without benefit
of a home. Here are some of the things I learned:
1) The first lesson is - The quality of your bags determines the quality of
your life. If your possessions are contained in fragile garbage bags, you are
limited in how much can be carried and how far it can be carried. The first
step up is a simple sports bag, and better yet is a backpack. Next up is a
backpack along with a wheeled carry-on bag and collapsible handle. With such
equipment, you stop looking homeless, and if you and your clothes are clean,
hitch hiking is easier. One creative fellow used bungee cords to lash the luggage
handle to his belt, so the luggage became a trailer of sorts.
On another level was a bicycle messenger who equipped his bicycle with a trailer
for his worldly possessions and panniers for making package deliveries. Before
you dismiss such an arrangement, consider this: His vehicle was paid for,
he had
no mortgage or rent to worry him, a steady job, and a large circle of friends
in the shelter community. He always had money, a smile on his face, no stress,
and time to help others. Can many of us say the same?
No doubt many readers of this blog have seen a "Sidewalk Winnebago" as
the homeless sometimes call them. This is a grocery cart filled to overflowing
with everything the user owns. If you can gain the trust of the owner, perhaps
he will show you what is in the bags. It may amaze you how well equipped they
are to survive whatever comes their way.
2) Staying Clean - Walgreen's sells a shower head on a short hose with a rubber
adapter to connect to a faucet. They are meant for cleaning pets or dishes
in the sink, but can also be used to shampoo your hair in a convenience store
bathroom. The homeless man who showed me this trick said that if your hair
is clean, you appear clean. This helped him find temporary jobs.
3) Self Defense - One man carried a sports bag with a Ka-Bar sheath knife inside.
He could hold the sheath through the bag with his left hand, while drawing
the knife through the open top of the bag with his right hand. Yet another
had a Colt .45 in his bag.
4) I was told that a roll of toilet paper soaked in lighter fluid, charcoal
starter, or alcohol makes a good improvised cooking fire.
5) Another guest showed me his cache that was buried by the river. It was a
pair of five gallon plastic buckets, buried by rocks and hidden behind some
trees
in
a remote area. One was filled with food, the other with cooking utensils. I
doubt that this was his only stash.
Consider volunteering at a homeless shelter. You may be surprised what the
residents there can teach you about survival. The most important lesson I learned
is: I should be more grateful for what I have, and I should give thanks more
often. What a precious lesson. - Doc. S.
