Forgotten Souls: Care for the Homeless
March 4, 2020
Bum. Street rat. Leper. Alien. Homeless. All of these are names for the impoverished human beings who are living in American streets. According to the most recent national estimate, 553,742 are homeless on any given night. These are living, breathing humans that bleed, hurt, and love like any other person but they are treated like animals at the circus.
America’s homeless population has been a taboo for countless years. It is shameful how often they are mistreated and neglected. These impoverished people also face serious health risks as they are exposed to the elements and have no health care. The general public often relaxes and watches as their fellow men are left to die in the streets. Thankfully, in Portland, there seems to be a beacon of hope for those forgotten souls.
Housecall Providers have started providing healthcare for homeless people. They provide relief for those so ill that they cannot survive the unforgiving street life. Housecall Providers are able to accomplish this through Medicare, Medicaid, or dual eligibility. Medicare and Medicaid are government-issued healthcare programs that cater to the less fortunate(Medicare for those 65 and older, Medicaid being for those below a certain income level).
Housecall Providers helps sick people secure some type of housing and proceeds to provide and/or monitor whatever treatment is necessary. They pride themselves on positive, trusting, strong relationships between the patient and the care provider. Housecall Providers have stepped up to take on a role the general population is too scared to do.
Other states should learn from Portland’s progress. Rather than watch as human beings as mistreated, in pain, harassed, assaulted, we should look with a sympathetic eye and try to aid the less fortunate instead of turning the other cheek. Our government must address the homelessness crisis. It is our duty as Americans and members of the human race to help others.
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Kylee • Mar 4, 2020 at 9:31 am
I agree. To look at someone homeless on the street and not have any remorse is difficult. To think that people make laughs and jokes out of them breaks my heart. Some are veterans which is terrible to even comprehend. It seems that there is a stigma with homeless thinking that they do drugs or they did it to themselves etc. but in my eyes they’re still human. I and believe a human deserves a right to being helped every now And than instead of being tossed like garbage.
lasonio2022 • Mar 4, 2020 at 9:27 am
We need to learn from Portland! I think that California and New York should take a page out of their book too! Do you think America has the biggest population of homeless people?
Kylee • Mar 4, 2020 at 9:24 am
I agree. To look at someone homeless on the street and not have any remorse is difficult. To think that people make laughs and jokes out of them breaks my heart. Some are veterans which is terrible to even comprehend. It seems that there is a stigma with homeless thinking that they do drugs or they did it to themselves etc. but in my eyes they’re still human. I and believe a human deserves a right to being helped every now And than instead of being tossed like garbage.
Joey Striggle • Mar 4, 2020 at 9:22 am
Does Housecall Providers help the homeless people get a job, and provide for themselves?Or do they just provide medical support?
Mike Pollis • Mar 4, 2020 at 8:42 am
I love how you started your piece with intentional fragments. The line “treated like animals at a circus” clearly establishes your perspective as you present facts. “Beacon of hope for forgotten souls” sounds like a fresh new way of attacking this problem. I agree that poverty and homelessness is one of the most important social problems we must tackle. What could we learn from Portland?