You never know when things can turn

http://cumission.org/snp23-snapshots_details.htm

I didn't know this?!?!

1. Kansas city has the seventh largest population of homeless people per capita in the US

2. On any given day in Kansas City, Missouri, and average of 615 families with 1,511 children are homeless. When annualized, homelessness affects more than 20,000 people in Kansas City; mother and children make up more than 56% of this number.

3. The average age of a homeless person today is 9.

4. Each nigh in America, roughly half of all children seeking shelter do not find it.

the Homeless and Addicted

"the next time you see a homeless person, or an addict, don't be frightened, angry, or filled with pathos. You are looking in the mirror. It is we who are homeless, and addicted. What will it take before we break the habit"
- Dave Pollard


see the entire article here

sometimes all you need is buongiorno

A post by Sally Ebright:

i am studying in Castiglion Fiorentino, Italia this semester... a wonderful place! last sunday we went to an italian mass, so we did not understand much of what was happening. i am here with wonderful friends and i am not lonely, but as i was sitting in the pew, i realized i would really appreciate if someone would make an effort to say hello or welcome me to their church. as we were leaving, i made eye contact with an italian woman who smiled and said "buongiorno" (good morning). i said "buongiorno" back and we both smiled at each other. the next word out of my mouth was "grazie" (thank you) and it came from my heart! i was so thankful... thankful that she acknowledged my existence.

as i walk the streets (particularly in Florence) i am struck by the gypsy women asking for money. they speak in italian so i do not know what they are saying, but i have noticed that most of them don't even look me in the eye as they ask. they are already looking for the next crowd of people, accustomed to being ignored. i cannot imagine living that every day... people brushing past you constantly. i do not know yet how to respond. i wish i could invite one to lunch, but i cannot speak well and i don't know if they would even be interested. so for now i try and acknowledge them and say, "no, grazie. buongiorno."

we ran into the woman who said hello at church the next morning on a walk! her name is Daylia. she was very animated and tried communicating with us for quite a while - very gracious with our terrible italian. i think she may have invited us to breakfast some time, but i am not sure... :)

although we have had many great interactions with people here, this instance is one that i will remember forever. her gesture was so simple, but in that moment i was feeling like an outsider and her smile blessed my heart.

To me, this is a really powerful photo...Who is this man? A father? A grandfather? A war-veteran? How can we pass judgement on people we know nothing about. His face has hundreds of stories to tell, if we could get past the fact that he is on the street begging for some spare change....