The homeless often cannot find food to eat. In most big cities, there are shelters that will serve two hot meals a day. Of course, these meals are on a first come, first served basis, and many go away without any food. Some homeless work specifically for food. They may clean the alley of a restaurant or wash dishes. Still others depend on handouts, which can vary from stale bread to fresh, hot food from a food cart (Baxter 79).

On those cold winter days, when the bitter wind sends freezing chills to the bone, the homeless must still find a place to sleep. A homeless man, Isaac, explains that, “Once you have shelter, then you are able to get yourself together, then you are able to develop the idea of how you can get yourself out of the trouble you are in” (Baxter 48). In order for one to survive, they do not need much more than a warm, waterproof shelter and a minimal amount of food and water.

One fall afternoon, just when the weather was beginning to get bitter cold, I had the privilege to meet a homeless man named, Ed. He made it clear to me that he had made many mistakes in his life, and he blamed no one but himself. As I mentioned previously, alcohol is a struggle for many homeless. Ed told me that he acquired this “really bad habit” when he was serving for the U.S. Navy in Japan. He told me that he and his friends would drink until they, “literally had to carry each other home.” Ed explained to me that he was married, but he managed to get a girl pregnant in Japan, and he and his wife divorced shortly after his return from Japan in the 1970’s.

My friend, Matt, and I would occasionally visit this run-down little gas station, the same place where I met Green-Eye. The station sat on a corner of the part of town with the highest crime rate in Dallas. All the doors and windows of the little brick cell had heavy, black steel bars. Fifty yards behind the gas station there was a ditch where many of our friends would sleep. Some had boxes, and on a good day, when they had received enough money, they could secure a room for the evening.

It is my desire that everyone would have a heart to help those in need, whether it is stopping to help a stranded driver or giving money to the homeless. There are so many ways that we can help others, however the most important thing to remember is to be humble. If you are out on the streets and you spot some people snorting cocaine, it will do absolutely no good to run over to them and scold them. Instead, try to be their friend and

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