William is homeless in Chicago. He is trying to pick himself back up.
William takes full responsibility for his situation, but I can tell you point blank honest that no matter what the reason someone ends up on the streets the homeless services sector does not make it easy for anyone to get off the streets! The amount of bureaucracy is maddening! We must all take responsibly for the continued increase in homelessness!
William didn’t sleep the night before. His eyes are filled with sleep deprivation and pain. Before any of you starts commenting that William is on drugs let me give a little perspective. Maybe he is but SO WHAT! Homeless is hard to do sober. If you’re going to the bathroom behind a McDonald’s dumpster, you might as well have a beer. Please know I have 22 years sober and I am not advocating for alcohol or drug use. The soccer moms hit the bottle to get through the day, lawyer hits the crack pipe or does lines, and postal workers take pills. You probably have someone in your circle of family or friends that drink too much! People use and abuse drugs! Homeless people are trying to escape the pain of homelessness! Homeless SUCKS!
I was one of the worst drug abusers you can imagine. I was able to change my life but I would still be on the streets or dead if I didn’t get the help I needed to affect that change!
If a homeless person is doing drugs we need to be able to help them get into housing and then work to help them with their addiction! Just leaving them on the streets is not a solution!
