New York City's Homeless Population

Since March I have been working as an Outreach Coordinator at Grand Central Neighbourhood Drop-in Centre for homeless adults. (www.gcncommunity.org) One part of my work is to walk the streets of Mid-town Manhattan, talking to homeless people, listening to their stories and trying to offer them the services they need. Our drop-in centre works with homeless people to get them back into their own permanent housing. That is the main goal. We offer clients a number of services including three meals a day, showers and clothing, a safe place to sleep, help with medical and mental health issues and programs for drug and alcohol addiction. In addition to my work on the streets I do a lot of in-house outreach back at the centre. I run training workshops which equip clients with life skills to help them get back on their feet. I run courses on time management skills, current events, healthy living, resume writing, job search skills, interview techniques and letter writing. I also spend a lot of time listening to the clients about their problems, playing cards or chess and generally trying to keep everyone calm and organized. I really enjoy the work, it is extremely challenging at times but always very rewarding.

The homeless population of New York City amazes me. When I first started work I was a little bit apprehensive to approach people on the streets for fear that they may be aggressive. Nine times out of ten the people who I speak to are friendly, helpful and have very interesting stories to tell. I meet many veterans who have been physically or mentally traumatised at war and have not got their life back together. They seemed to be forgotten and left to rot on the streets. They serve their country, risk their lives and then are left to pick up the pieces. They have been failed.

I also meet a lot of people with severe mental health issues who do not have the skills to live by themselves. I have been told that New York City closed most of its mental health hospitals a few years back, and this is the result. One woman I speak to everyday needs drastic help. She sleeps in the same spot every night, barely moves all day, her legs are swollen and infected, and she defecates and urinates in her clothes. She is living off the few coins that people drop into her cup and she has no ability to care for herself. I offer her help and talk to her about the services we could offer her but she refuses assistance every time. She seems scared.

Other people who I meet seem to have it together. Many homeless people do not want anything to do with the shelters and drop-in centres. Many have had bad experience where they have gone somewhere to be helped only to find the shelter riddled with drugs and violence. Homeless couples know they will be separated when they join a shelter so they stay away as well.

I have a difficult job trying to convince people that they should come to our drop-in centre. That first step is a hard one. The situation seems impossible but it is not all doom and gloom. Many of the clients who I work within our centre do make it back into their own apartments and full time employment. The process can be slow and frustrating but worth it. I work with some wonderful people who inspire me everyday. One thing I think about a lot is that so many of us are only one small step away from being in a similar position. It does not take much to end up on the streets. You loose a job, can't make your rent payments, break up with your spouse and things can quickly spiral down hill. We are lucky if we have friends and family who stop us from falling too far but many of the clients who I work with feel too proud to ask for help. They feel that it is their problem and they have to solve it.

I see the wealthy workers of New York struggle with the fact that there are homeless people littering their streets. They feel guilty and do not know how to help. What most end up doing is giving money to those who are begging on the streets. In my opinion this keeps those people on the streets. When people are cold and hungry they come in to the shelters to get help. If they have a constant income from begging then they can always make it through another day. I believe the best way to help is to make a donation or volunteer at one of the centres or soup kitchens. One of the churches I visit regularly on my round offers breakfast for homeless people once a week. The breakfast is served by lawyers from the neighbouring law firm. They come into work early once a week, and wearing their expensive suits serve a delicious and nutritious breakfast to the homeless people of Manhattan. Not only are they providing food, they are also learning about the homeless population and their problems. This type of situation is bringing two very different groups of people closer together for greater understanding.