I am very grateful for the people I have met in McLean, VA in the past year.
Pam is one of my best customers, stopping by sometimes just to see how I am doing. The people here are very caring and concerned with my well being. They make sure I am okay, and are concerned about the situation homeless are in in general. Some tell me that they didn’t even know that there were homeless people in McLean.
Yet how would you know who is homeless? There are no signs to tell who is homeless and who isn’t.
People ask me what is it they can do to help the homeless. I can’t really answer that completely, but I do have a suggestion. Affordable housing. But that leads to another question. How do you make affordable housing?
I have met some very sincere people here in McLean. I’m not good with names, but I remember their faces well.
It has not been all peaches and cream distributing Street Sense papers in McLean. I’ve encountered a group of kids asking for money for football uniforms when they didn’t even have a football team. I’ve met a guy panhandling money while owning his own house, car and receiving a $2,500 check each month. Every time the police come to the shopping center it’s because he is harassing people. Despite all of this I keep focused on my purpose here. It’s not about the money, it’s about the paper spreading awareness about the homeless and their struggles. I share my homeless experience to show that God will help us if we trust in Him, and in turn He lets me know not to ever give up.
I have spoken on C-SPAN for the homeless.
I have learned a lot by working with Street Sense. It helps me keep my head up and not give up. When the weather is bad and I can’t wash cars at Embassy Autowash in McLean, I come to Chain Bridge Corner where I talk to some of the people and distribute the Street Sense newspapers and let the people know what is being done for the homeless around D.C.
Dealing with Street Sense has taught me how to be my own boss and work my own hours.
It has been hard work, but some of the good people I have met have truly become my friends.
There have been some pretty cold days but they still these friends come by, sometimes buying me coffee or tea or even bringing me hand warmers to keep warm.
Proverb 19:17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.
