You see a homeless person in the street, what is your first thought? For the most part, society sees homeless people as a plague, therefore, the homeless get treated as one. It is very sad to see how the people in this world operate, because when a homeless person approaches them to ask for food or money they get turned down, and often insulted. It is unbelievable how disrespectful and inconsiderate people can be. Everyone claims to be good and unbiased, when in reality, they are just the opposite. As humans, we should always treat one another with kindness and respect. You never know what the people around you are going through.

Call me dumb or weak, but if I see a person in need, I will help. It is not fair that homeless people get treated so inhumanely, and get disrespected on a daily basis. It has become a habit to bring down the people in need, that it may seem normal. As a child, I remember seeing the homeless and feeling scared, not knowing how a person could be so dirty. As I grew older, my family taught me the morals that I now have. A person cannot be judged just for their looks. Everyone has a different story, and it is our job to place ourselves in their shoes. Now, I am not trying to get everyone to give to the homeless, but the least we can do is give respect. Remember, you get what you give.

We often look at the homeless, and blame them for not having a home. We think that somehow they put themselves in the position that they are in, or that they deserve it. But what if we are looking at this issue through the wrong set of eyes? I mean, we all think that when people become homeless, it is likely that it had to do with drugs or some sort of addiction. Although that may be true, we never think about what caused them to get involved with those things. Think about it this way, what if the homeless guy you see every day became addicted to drugs after someone important in his life passed away? Never thought about it like that, huh? I do not agree with people turning to drugs for comfort, but sometimes people have different ways of coping with certain situations. That is still no excuse to do drugs, but the least we can do is be nice about it and though not everyone thinks the same, I feel like we should give to the homeless.

Very often, people are hesitant when giving to the homeless. They think that the person who is begging for money is not actually in need, or that the person begging may use the money to go buy more drugs. But who said giving money is the only way to help the homeless? If a person in need is asking for money because they need food, you can buy the food and give it to them. If they want a place to stay for the night, you can take them to a hotel and pay for their room. Money is not, and has never been, the only way to help. If, for any reason, the person does not want the help offered, then at least you can go home feeling good because you tried to help.

It is easy to be nice, humble and helpful to the homeless. All you have to do is keep your mind open to any differences there may be. After all, we are all human and need some kind of comfort and respect. Kindness goes a long way, and you never know what impact you can have in someone’s life.