Years ago, a high school friend asked, “Can homeless people really
change?
The answer to that question is yes.
In our team's combined one hundred years of homeless work, we
have witnessed a whole spectrum of changes in the lives of people
caught in the web of homelessness. Some individuals had dramatic
transformations others were more subtle but either way, a change
took place and the person found freedom in stable housing.
Take Bobby for example. He lived on the streets and pushed
everyone away as he lived in the dilutions of his schizophrenia.
Traumatized in childhood Bobby would become enraged if anyone
approached him. A team member came alongside Bobby and slowly
gained his trust, guiding him into stable housing and the ability to
live past his delusions. Yes, homeless people can change.
Another reality runs parallel to this one: Some people never change.
They either cannot or will not. That saddens us, but it doesn’t stop
us. We will continue to provide a relationship designed to draw them
closer to our Heavenly Father, self-awareness, and others.
None of this happens overnight or fits into a 40-hour work week. It
takes time to understand the core issue of each person’s
homelessness as we help them uncover their unique place in life
and walk beside them as they discover how to live it out.
The Team at Hand Up Housing
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