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  3. The reality of homelessness landed squarely in my lap one dark December day 10 years ago. Despite all our efforts to prevent it,

The reality of homelessness landed squarely in my lap one dark December day 10 years ago. Despite all our efforts to prevent it,

admin2014-06-13  9
问题     The reality of homelessness landed squarely in my lap one dark December day 10 years ago. Despite all our efforts to prevent it, after three previous attempts, my much-loved 19-year-old son had committed suicide three months before, after suffering from bipolar disease all his life. Homeless people had always seared me. My son Nick was never homeless, but had great compassion for them. 46) Finally , grudgingly and nervously, I embarked on what I hoped would be a one-time mission. Instead, it became a labor of love that changed my life.
    I’ve never spoken publicly about my activities on the streets, and have maintained my anonymity. But as funds for the homeless are cut in many states and cities, their situation is dire, and I want to help them by drawing attention to their plight.
    The most functional homeless people find their way to programs and shelters. 47) But it is those at the bottom of that spectrum who worry me the most, those who are too desperate and disoriented, or too ill physically and emotionally to come in for help. So we go to them. We find them in doorways, cardboard boxes, dumpsters, and along the railroad tracks where they sleep. 48) There are absurd dichotomies in the homeless world you have to arrive promptly at a homeless shelter to get in, and people_who exhibit "bizarre behavior" are not allowed. Once in the shelter, someone who stays there runs the risk of being mugged, robbed, raped and exposed to rampant contagious diseases. Many homeless people are afraid of the very real dangers in the shelters, and prefer to take their chances on the streets. These are the clients my group has served.
People living on the streets are vulnerable to predators and are often the victims of crimes. They are easy prey to a multitude of diseases. Wounds are frequent, infections acute and often untreated, and many people lose limbs. The ratio on the streets seems to be about 10 men to one woman. The incidence of mental illness is extremely high, believed to affect 85 percent of the homeless population. Self-medication in the form of alcohol and street drugs is common. Programs that offer assistance are understaffed and underfunded. 49) And for people already mentally disordered, filling out forms and wading through miles of red tape for benefits is not only daunting, but impossible. It’s a tragic reality on the streets.
    There are no easy solutions to this catastrophic national problem. It’s easy to say " they should clean up and get a job". When was the last time you hired a homeless person, or even stopped to help one? 50) Homelessness is primarily a mental-health issue, of mentally ill people not receiving adequate treatment, and there are not enough in-patient facilities to house and treat them. Dealing with homelessness feels like emptying the ocean with a thimble. But sometimes making a difference in the world, a big difference, happens one person at a time.
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答案最终，我在极不情愿却又忐忑不安的心境下，开始投入了一项我希望只会是一次性的任务。然而，它却成了我为爱而奋斗的开始，并改变了我的生活。
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