Dear Editor:
In the past two issues of the East Tennessean, there has been a debate about who is to blame for the homeless population. Tommy Birchfield believes it is the Republican Party, while G. Michael Thomas believes it is the homeless individuals themselves.
Whatever your opinion of whose fault it might be, I challenge you with a question that steps outside of placing blame. What can you do to help the homeless?
Mr. Thomas stated “most [homeless people] actually have homes they go to after a long day of panhandling.” This is not true, most are actually genuinely homeless.
Yes, there are people who panhandle and yes there are people who would rather stay homeless than work, but this does not make up the large majority.
What makes me an expert? I do not claim to be an expert, I have never been homeless. However, I have conducted a needs assessment of the homeless in Johnson City, worked for the Day Center, and currently intern as a case manager for the mentally ill (57 percent of the homeless individuals in this area are mentally ill according to ARCH’s last count). I have learned from these experiences that most of the homeless individuals in the area want to help themselves, they have merely lost hope.
I also learned that there are over 500 homeless people in this area, all of whom need assistance. Not every one can “pull themselves up by their boot straps,” some people need help.
I am not asking you to empty out your pocket book, but I am asking you to look at the other side of the story. I challenge you to spend a day at The Melting Pot, The Day Center, The Salvation Army or another community organization and talk to the staff and the homeless individuals. Find out what is that you can do to help the homeless population. I challenge you to stop worrying about who is to blame and start making a difference.
-Allison Faehl

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