Homelessness.

If there is one thing I have learned in my time here so far it is that homelessness knows no bounds. It doesn't care what age you are, what sex you are, what your sexual orientation is, what ethnicity you are, or what your career choice is. It can affect anyone at any time.

Daily, at the hostel, I encounter 28 people (24 lads and 4 lasses) whose lives have been impacted by being homeless.

Some of them have been homeless for almost all of their days. They've continually slept rough or on the streets, in tents, or from couch to couch. They've encountered their fair share of danger from others and have learned to protect themselves.

Some of them have grown up in "normal" families. They've gone to school and lived "normal" lives.

Some have alcoholism.

Some have addictions.

Some have diseases.

Some are still so young and are trying to get out of broken family situations.
But..
All of them are humans. All of them have strengths. All of them are worthy.

 In my conversations with residents and as I get to know each individual person, I find that these labels they've been given such as those above are gone from my mind. I know them by first and last name. Some of them remind me of those from home and some are like no one I've ever met before.

-He's a man, who has an addiction, who happens to love to fish and the Lord of the Rings. He loves football and hates vegetables. His mom and dad are elders in the church. Her son's birthday was last Thursday. Her family speaks another language fluently and she loves diluting juice. He's an incredible guitar player. Yes, she used to be a heroine addict. Yes, he's been stabbed. Yes, he drinks far too much. She loves cream on her pudding.-

These are just pieces of the things I've been lucky enough to learn about with each of the residents at the hostel. The people I encounter on a daily basis have been through more than I can ever pretend. And yet, here they are. They're still persevering and standing tall. They're still able to laugh. They're still able to stand up for themselves. They're still making bad choices. They're still trying to change.

We live in a world that tells us that what we have is what we're worth. Day in and day out these residents have heard that they don't matter. So, how can we just expect them to go out and automatically thrive? It's a process. Yes, some of them are completely content being homeless. That is their choice and their right. But others want more. And at the hostel, our job is to support and encourage them. To learn their name and acknowledge them.

Homelessness is a sad, sad thing. It's hard to cope with and often I find myself questioning what makes these people so different from I? No, I have not lived a perfect life, but why was I chosen to have a home, good family, and not have to deal with this and so much more like all the residents at the hostel. I cannot answer that. And I cannot dwell on it either. If my social work training has taught me one thing, it is to focus on the strength in the situation. And that's what I do. I can think about each individual in the hostel and see that they've given me so much hope just by being at the hostel and still standing through all life has put them through.

So, though homelessness clouds this situation, finding strength can shed some light. And let me tell you, there are some beautiful souls living in this hostel.