When
we did the homeless count this year in Pasadena, I noticed that seven homeless
people were sleeping in front of the posh SPCA Animal Shelter near Central
Park. It seemed ironic that animals were being sheltered in a warm, safe place
while human beings were out in the cold. What’s wrong with this picture?
During
a recent meeting of my interfaith spiritual practice group, we talked about how
people are more likely to take in stray animals than stray people. You often
hear heart-warming stories of families who’ve provided a home for dogs or cats
that have been abused, or are starving. Seldom do we hear stories of Americans
opening their homes to homeless people.
My
wife and I are the exception: we took in a stray kitten and homeless person,
and we feel very fortunate and blessed to have done so. The kitten turned out to be an
excellent mouser (we call her Dr Pepper) and she keeps our yard and house mouse-free. The homeless man who
now resides with us was sleeping in his car and almost died of pneumonia two
years ago. We invited him to recuperate and he now lives in our back house. He is an excellent handyman and does
odd jobs for us (for which we pay him). He also takes care of our home when we
travel. Having him as our guest is a win-win.
History
shows that Americans are more inclined to show compassion to animals than to
people, even children. Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals were
founded before Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. John Myers
explains how organized child protection began in the United States:
Organized child protection emerged
from the rescue in 1874 of nine-year-old Mary Ellen Wilson, who lived with her
guardians in one of New York City's worst tenements, Hell's Kitchen. Mary Ellen
was routinely beaten and neglected. A religious missionary to the poor named
Etta Wheeler learned of the child's plight and determined to rescue her.
Wheeler consulted the police, but they declined to investigate. Next, Wheeler
sought assistance from child helping charities, but they lacked authority to
intervene in the family. At that time, of course, there was no such thing as
child protective services, and the juvenile court did not come into existence
for a quarter century. Eventually, Wheeler sought advice from Henry Bergh, the
influential founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals. Bergh asked his lawyer, Elbridge Gerry, to find a legal mechanism to
rescue the child. Gerry employed a variant of the writ of habeas corpus to
remove Mary Ellen from her guardians. 12 Following the rescue of Mary Ellen,
animal protection advocate Henry Bergh and his attorney Elbridge Gerry lamented
the fact that no government agency or nongovernmental organization was
responsible for child protection. Bergh and Gerry decided to create a
nongovernmental charitable society devoted to child protection, and thus was
born the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC),
the world's first entity devoted entirely to child protection. Gerry became
president of NYSPCC and served in that capacity into the twentieth century. (http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publishing/insights_law_society/ChildProtectionHistory.authcheckdam.pdf)
I am pleased that Pasadena is a city where many care deeply about homeless people as well as stray pets. Once
a year hundreds of volunteers go around the city of Pasadena and survey those
who living on the streets. The purpose of the survey is to identify the needs of the unhoused so we can apply for funds and provide needed services. Our city has excellent
homeless services compared to many neighboring cities, and our homeless
population has declined as a result of policies like Housing First, but there
are still far too many people on the street. Here are some statistics:
According to The City of Pasadena 2012
Homeless Count, on a given night there are more than 900
homeless adults and children who are either sleeping on the streets or in a
residential program that serves homeless persons;
According to 2010 U.S. Census data, there are more than 21,000 adults and children that make up nearly 8,000 households that have an annual income of $15,000 or less (The Network considers these households to be the-most-at-risk-to-homelessness).
Also, according to 2010 U.S. Census, approximately 19,000 14 percent of Pasadena residents were in poverty. Nineteen percent of related children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 13 percent of people 65 years old and over. Thirteen percent of all families and 23 percent of families with a female householder and no husband present had incomes below the poverty level.
According to 2010 U.S. Census data, there are more than 21,000 adults and children that make up nearly 8,000 households that have an annual income of $15,000 or less (The Network considers these households to be the-most-at-risk-to-homelessness).
Also, according to 2010 U.S. Census, approximately 19,000 14 percent of Pasadena residents were in poverty. Nineteen percent of related children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 13 percent of people 65 years old and over. Thirteen percent of all families and 23 percent of families with a female householder and no husband present had incomes below the poverty level.
Poverty
is a stark and troubling reality in America that politicians seldom mention,
and most Americans are in denial about. The wealthy keep getting wealthier, and their homes keep getting bigger, while the poor keep getting poorer and many are homeless. As homeless populations increased, the average
size of American homes has doubled in the last 50 years. Most homeowners
have far more space than they need. When we open our hearts, and our homes, to the poor, we could not only relieve their plight, we also save our souls and the soul of our city.
Jesus
makes it clear in his parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man that helping the poor
is not simply an option, it is a requirement if we want to enter the kingdom of
heaven (in this life and in the life to come). The Book of Acts makes it clear
that one of the top priorities of a truly Christian community is to end poverty and
homelessness. (The other priority is to provide free health care to all.) The early Christian community is described as a place where “there were no needy persons among them. Those who
owned properties or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds from the sales, and lay them at the apostles' feet, and they would
be distributed to each as any had need.” In Act 4:34 it defines "believers" by their actions, not by their theological beliefs: "All those who had
believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and
possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.” Acts 2:45.
Ending poverty was not merely an ideal for early
Christians, it was a clear demonstration of their living faith. We need to take to
heart their example. We can end homelessness and poverty in America. Programs like Housing First show that ending chronic homelessness is not only doable, it is cost effective. We are a rich nation, and Pasadena is becoming an increasingly rich city We who have means have a moral obligation to put our faith into
practice and end homelessness. Si, se puede!
