For many in Jacksonville, the city’s homeless population is a sore subject.
Homelessness has been on the decline in Jax for a decade, but there are still over 1,600 homeless Jaxsons out there. And while Jax has far less homeless residents than most cities of its size, the strong concentration of resources in one area of the city – the urban core, specifically – brings most of those residents to that area and creates the impression of a downtown homelessness epidemic. Some feel sympathy for those affected, some feel frustration or fear in relation to them, but everyone can agree that ending homeless in Jacksonville is a strong priority.
If you’re feeling compelled to do something about the city’s homeless population – whatever your motivation may be – we’ve put together a few tips for how we can all do something to help our neighbors in need.
If all else fails, here’s a great place to start: treat them like the human beings that they are.
So often, people draw an impenetrable line between the issue of homelessness and homeless people themselves, to the point that they take out their frustration over the existence of homelessness on those who are actually suffering from it. Likewise, some people simply lack perspective and see them as dirty or subhuman, without realizing that most of us are a few bad turns away from being in the same position.
Homeless individuals are one of society’s most vulnerable groups. They’re one of the most common victims of violent crime in urban areas, and many of them suffer from physical and mental health issues that go untreated due to their situation.
A little sympathy can go a long way, especially when dealing with those who so rarely get to experience it.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!