A New Perspective on Homelessness
Hi my name is Katie, and I just finished writing my 7th grade "discovery" project on homelessness. I found the topic really interesting, and I am so excited that Massachusetts now has a plan to stop homelessness. I was keen to learn more, so I couldn't wait to go to the Legislative Action Day on homelessness. It was cool to see people at the top of the government so committed to ending homelessness. It was also really interesting to hear people from the commission talk about their ideas to end homelessness, opposed to just reading about it. My favorite part of the whole day though was when a lot of homeless people asked questions to the panel. I found it really touching when the homeless people explained their stories about being on the streets. I really hope that all of the plans really happen this time, and we get enough money to make lots of affordable housing so that the housing first approach can work. Below is a poem that I wrote for the introduction of my school project.
Homelessness
I sit, alone and cold
On a busy road.
It is cold, snow falls.
I stay here though,
I have nowhere else to go.
A person walks by,
Pretends I don’t exist,
Nothing different from the norm.
Nobody dares to look at me.
They just feel sorry,
Afraid,
Judgmental,
Unsure.
The reason?
I don’t have somewhere to go to,
That I call home.
I am homeless.
Hi Katie, Thank you so much
Hi Katie,
Thank you so much for coming to the MA Coalition for the Homeless Legislation Action Day......and for writing such an awesome poem!
Sharing how you feel is so important, we really appreciate you writing about your experience. Please tell your friends and family about how important it is to help the homeless find a home. As you saw during the panel and wrote about in your poem, the homeless need our voices
Stay involved, and keep in touch with our blog.......you rock!
Thank you! It's very
Thank you!
It's very special that you've made the time to do such thorough job of coming to grips with the subject of homelessness. Even more special is your empathy and willingness to give a voice to people that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Katie - Thanks so much for
Katie - Thanks so much for your post and sharing your experience. I loved your poem, too! Liz's comments were right on target. You help us open our eyes! Thank you!
Katie, Thank you so much for
Katie, Thank you so much for this post. I really love your poem. It captures both how homeless people might feel and tells the reader that we should all show empathy for people who find themselves without a home. Everyone deserves to be noticed and valued.
I also thought your comments on the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless's Legislative Action Day were right on. It was wonderful to see policymakers having direct interaction with the people those policies effect. Policymakers need our help to learn about these critical issues and what they can do to make a long term impact on the problems we see in society. I hope all the readers of this blog take your lead in speaking up for what you believe in.
People who are interested can go to www.wheredoivotema.com to find out who their government representatives are. Call them or write to them about what you care about. Tell them we need their help.
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