The homeless will always be with us

Palm Coast Observer
Opinion

As I went out to the driveway to haul the recycling bins into my garage on Tuesday night, I took a moment to look at the heavens. I imagined the constellations guiding ancient shepherds and sailors home and thought how peaceful it would be to live without modern distractions.

And then I thought about the people in our community who have no other option but to stare at the stars.

At the Bunnell City Commission meeting on Monday, officials discussed the complaints of some residents who would like to see the First United Methodist Church’s cold weather shelter, and the homeless population in the community, disappear.

I have been to the Sheltering Tree before and seen the volunteers in action as they served food and provided clothing and sleeping arrangements for a room full of men and women. I can also sympathize with the Bunnell residents who live near the church and who are afraid of the ragged and desperate people who share the streets with them.

The consensus from the Bunnell City Commission was that the county government and the other cities should be asked to help. Eventually, perhaps, there can be another location, a permanent location, found for a homeless shelter.

But that wouldn’t solve the problem. The residents around the church might be pleased if the problem is relocated across town, but soon the residents around the new location would create their own petition. The homeless will always be with us.

As it stands now, the homeless are being served, in a small and inspiring way, not by government coalitions but by a community of volunteers who believe that no matter what choices led to his personal catastrophe, the homeless man at the church doors needs to be treated with dignity and that he needs an arm around his shoulders even more than he might need a blanket on the few winter nights when the doors are allowed to open.

What kind of community do we want to live in? One that believes in recovery and redemption for the down-and-out? Or one that fears the unknown and quietly tells the homeless man that he needs to return to his bed of leaves under the sparkling stars?

BOX: Who was the helper?
Florence Howard, 72, was third in line to turn left from Palm Coast Parkway onto Old Kings Road on the afternoon on Saturday, April 6, when a deer crashed into her car.

Howard, who lives in the W-section, was shaking and stunned as she watched the deer totter and die on the road. “I’ve never killed anything in my life,” she said later in a phone call.

As the incident was unfolding, a young man, probably about 25 years old, came to her rescue. He pulled over, called the police and stayed with Howard until help arrived. He directed traffic.

In the coming days, as Howard began dealing with her insurance company to get her car taken care of, one thought kept going through her head: “I was so upset I didn’t think to ask his name.”

And so, if you’re the guy who helped Mrs. Howard, would you mind sending an email to [email protected]? She’d like to say thank you.

The experience was traumatic, but it also was a reminder, she said, that there are so many good people in the world.