By: Chase Merwin
They are more than common, but oftentimes go unnoticed.
Forced to survive in their own world, many homeless men and women across America live without so much as a passing thought from the more-fortunate.
However, this common thread was broken on Nov. 3, when community members had the chance to walk in the shoes of St. Joseph’s homeless. 2017’s “Walk for the Homeless” was the city’s sixth annual event. The walk took participants around downtown St. Joseph on the path that the homeless ordinarily take to receive services from local welfare organizations.
The event was hosted by these local organizations, alongside Missouri Western’s Organization of Student Social Workers, Student Government Association and Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.
According to Geornesha Jefferson, historian for the Organization of Student Social Workers, the walk was meant to raise awareness of the true meaning of homelessness.
“I think people think of homelessness as people, obviously, on the street. But homelessness is as simple as not having a stable home environment,”
Jefferson said. “If you’re sleeping on someone’s couch or going from house-to-house, technically that is homelessness.”Jefferson also said that homelessness was a universal issue, not an esoteric one.
“Homelessness is something that affects over 40 million Americans,” Jefferson said. “It’s not just a poor issue or just a certain population issue… It’s an ‘everyone’ issue.”
Along the walk, 10 stops were made at the various organizations who serve the homeless in downtown.
Considering the number of shelters in downtown St. Joseph, one shelter being at full capacity at all times is astonishing and speaks to the volume of homelessness in the community.
Later on during the walk, the 8th Street Drop-In Center was visited. Event participants met a former homeless man who greatly owed his success to the help of this business.
John Williams, who had been homeless for five years early in his life, shared his experiences from growing up homeless.
“I was a former drug addict and I started at eight-years-old because my stepfather forcibly injected me,” Williams said. “I actually quit doing that stuff here about ten months ago. I haven’t touched it since.”
Williams did not go into detail about his past drug-addiction; however, the sentiment earned great applause from walkers. To sweeten his story further, Williams also shared with participants his current situation to demonstrate how far he has come.
“Currently, I have a home, I have a beautiful wife, a beautiful step-son and I have a 4.5-month-old little girl,” Williams said. “Me and my family survive off of $335 a month. We don’t really have a lot of bus money so I come down here and do whatever I can to help them.”
Williams had major advice for every selfless participant who embarked on the “Walk for the Homeless.”
“There’s a lot of homeless people out there who don’t even have a shower or even a warm meal,” Williams said. “Just understand that it is hard to be out there. Try and do something, okay? Do your part.”
