Dear Future President,

     Many Americans have a hard time finding a job, getting money, finding shelter, food, and warmth. These people have trouble trying to stay out of the cold rain and trying to find a warm place to sleep. Millions of people in America are homeless and the government doesn’t give them a warm place to stay with food. These people just need some food and a roof over their heads; We are all human, why not help each other?

     Homeless people have little to no food, shelter, or money. This affects everyone including the homeless themselves. Our economy is unbalanced due to the lack of employment, negative attention is drawn to the homeless, and homeless people have poor hygiene and health. In America, 6 in every 100 homeless people are employed versus 70 in every 100 people in the general population. The homeless have a hard time finding a job because of their appearance when taking an interview. Some homeless people have jobs but just not a home and not enough money to buy a home. According to my experience, whenever me and my mom see a homeless person, I would attempt to give them a few bucks but my mom always pulls me back and away from them like they’re dangerous. Both my brother and I feel guilty when we are unable to help the homeless. Some people are like my brother and I, we care about others and especially the homeless. Most people are like my mom, thinking negatively about the homeless and deciding to not help them. Homeless people have the most health issues. According to homeless.org.hk , 72 in every 100 homeless people have mental health issues, 56 in every 100 have long term physical health issues, and 26 in every 100 uses drugs. Most homeless people are unable to take care of their personal hygiene, not just their health issues.

     A way to help the homeless is to make it legal for citizens to feed the homeless. Many cities in America made ‘feeding the homeless’ illegal because the government doesn’t want more homeless in their cities, interfering with business. “More than 50 large U.S. cities have adopted ‘anti-camping’ or ‘anti-food sharing’ laws in recent years, and in many of these cities, the police are strictly enforcing these laws (The Economic Collapse Blog). Police officers in Raleigh prohibited churches from distributing food to those who needed it. A supermarket recently closed down in Georgia and the employees decided to give the food out to the poor, but then the police came and forced them to throw the food out in the dumpster. Many police departments around our country banned our ability to feed the homeless. Why are we getting arrested for giving somebody food?

     A second way we can help the homeless is to donate items we don’t need and donating money. Items we can donate includes some winter clothing, small hygiene items, new underwear and socks, professional clothing for job interviews, first aid items, medical items, bus passes, and linens. Donating money to the poor is the easiest way to help the homeless. We can donate to local organizations, like to the Salvation Army, to help others in need. For more details and information, visit http://m.wikihow.com/Help-the-Homeless.

     Many people live out on the streets with no money, no food, and no warmth nor protection. These people just want some things to survive; We are all human, so why not help out one another? The homeless are still people who are and always will be part of our society, but most people don’t care about helping them at all. I want a change in America, to help those who need it so dearly.

                                                                                                            Sincerely,

                                                                                                                    Charlene