Dear Future President,

I know the odds of you reading this are very slim, but I have a strong feeling that our world needs to do something to help the homeless. They are treated so poorly, and it wouldn’t take much to make their day. We have all received something that made us happy, weather we needed it or not. Imagine how a homeless person would feel if you offered them a pair of socks, or even an extra peanut butter and jelly sandwich you’ve packed. One simple gesture could be so little, but mean so much.

“See kids that’s why you go to college, so you don’t end up like them,” is a statement we have all heard from our parents. I don’t know how everyone reacts to this, but when I hear this I get very upset. I believe that what we should be telling our children is “See kids, that’s why you go to college, so you can help people like them.” Our perspective on homeless people should be changing all over the world.

On any given night, there are approximately 643,067 people experiencing homelessness in America and 238,110 of those people are in families. Around 25% of homeless people suffer from mental illness, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. Approximately 17% are considered chronically homeless, 13% are fleeing domestic violence, and 12% are veterans. So why are they treated so poorly? Some of these people are our veterans; fought for our lives. Why not help them?

I think every state should help to build a home for the homeless to live in. We could hire workers, serve meals, and give them a place to sleep. I know some homeless people may take advantage of this, so we could have a “rule”: the homeless people will have to be willing to change their habits and eventually find a job somewhere. Our perspective on homeless people needs to change all over the world, and we can start here at home.