It is through friendship. Homelessness is a human issue that requires a human response. Trauma and a catastrophic loss of family/support are the two most prevalent things we've found to be the cause of longterm homelessness. Since we believe poverty stems most fundamentally from broken relationships, we believe the solution to poverty exists most fundamentally in new, healthy relationships. Health
y relationships are not perfect ones; they are just the kind that say, “I will be here, no matter what.”
We go to the same three neighborhoods multiple times a week where hundreds of homeless people live, either in a shelter nearby or an encampment. Since we've been going to the same place for over six years, we are trusted by the community. We host birthday parties, funerals, Street-Side Salons, and art therapy sessions. We take people to the doctor, visit people during cancer treatment, help people get IDs, get housing, go to rehab, or get into addiction recovery. Most often you will find us just sitting with the homeless and talking as friends. Day after day. Week after week. Year after year. We seek to become part of the community. We support our friends as they take steps to deal with the underlying issues that contributed to their homelessness in the first place. Our work doesn't stop when someone leaves the streets. We are in it for the long haul and are still there to support someone through relapse or other obstacles.
