Quickly I wanted to include this on my 'blog' before I went to sleep. I try to check Kevin's site daily (www.thehomelessguy.net) Yes, he has a great amount of experience as being homeless in Nashville, Tenn. If you want to be shocked by what a homeless person looks like, I suggest you go to his site and look at the picture of the guy behind the computer. If you want to read more about what it is like, go to his site. Occassionally people will write him with questions. This is a recent Q&A:

Hello Kevin,

I have a question. From all the homeless people you have known. What is the main reason that they are homeless ?

Thank you,
Dave

Dear Dave,

Hmm, let me see. One big statement to define all causes of homelessness - like finding the single common denominator among all homeless people - Yes, there is such a thing.

Loss of Hope

Of course a loss of hope can happen many different ways, such as by a loss, or absence of community, (friends and family). This can happen either by the community rejecting the person because of his actions, like having an addiction, or by the person rejecting his/her community, because the community is abusive.

Loss of hope can also happen due to a cloud of despair. Perhaps a divorce, a loss of a meaningful job, or loss of a loved one, perhaps someone's child dies. In such despair a cloud forms, making it impossible for them to see that hope is still there. Once the cloud lifts, hope returns, and they return to society.

This means that to get people off the streets/out of homelessness, hope must be re-instilled. Doing such a thing is more difficult than it sounds.

There is definitely hope though faith, but because of the manner in which Divine hope is displayed in most faith-based homeless facilities, this hope becomes ineffective. Most people working in faith based facilities are too busy trying to get "sinners" to feel condemned, instead of getting sinners to feel the hope available through Divine forgiveness. What they seem to miss is that these sinners already feel condemned, they condemn themselves perpetually. To then hear some preacher reconfirm their own condemnation only deepens their hopelessness. Most people misinterpret the behavior of homeless people, believing that homeless people are actually enjoying themselves in their state of homelessness. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Hope is like faith - it only needs to be the size of a mustard seed. It then needs plenty of sunshine, soil, and water. These components for growing a tree cannot be supplied by the seed. It must come from a source outside itself. Someone must provide the care. That is why the best thing anyone can do for a homeless person is to be a friend. Having a friend, a true friend, instills hope, nurtures hope, allows hope to grow.

thanks for the question, it really got me thinking,

Kevin