Learning to See Invisible People
On June 14, 2007, Montana Lt. Governor John Bohlinger, co-chair of the Montana Council on Homelessness spoke to the constituents of Helena, Montana, about the need to end homelessness in their state. His speech was reprinted in the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness newsletter and is reprinted again here because of its relevance to Hudson County’s need to end the homeless crisis.
“Learning to See Invisible People,”
by Montana Lt. Governor John Bohlinger
Ostracism to ignore and exclude is a punishment as old as the world
Many of us practice it when we see homeless people standing on our corners, holding signs in median strips, waiting. It's less painful to look away than to meet their eyes, it's easier to cross the street than to speak, to pretend not to see the person behind the sign. But if you take a moment to speak with those you are looking away from, many will say that they can go for days without having anyone meet their eyes. They will tell you that they feel invisible.
That's not a small thing. Some new research by Kipling Williams, Ph.D. of Purdue University has revealed that human reactions to ostracism are very strong, perceived by the brain in the same way it would perceive physical distress and pain.
It's no wonder that those without homes suffer from ill health at much higher rates than their housed counterparts. The consequences of poor nutrition, inadequate hygiene, exposure to violence and the elements, increased contact with communicable diseases, and constant stress are painfully obvious.
Many, if not most, of Helena's homeless residents exist in the shadows. They sleep on couches, in cars, the woods, and often when trouble spirals completely out of control, in jails and hospitals. Who the homeless are might surprise you. About a third are members of families with children. More than one in five (22 percent) work either part-or full-time. Nearly half have been diagnosed with a disability. Sixty percent have lived in the Helena area for at least two years and half of the adults had at least a high school education
The good news is that most of the issues that result in or rise from homelessness can be treated and resolved.
The Way Home (PHC) event took place at St. Paul's United Methodist Church. More than 20 helping agencies from Helena Housing Authority to the Good Samaritan, from the Food Bank and the Office of Public Assistance to the Social Security Administration assembled to provide a one-stop setting where the homeless and nearly homeless could access services and meet their neighbors. At least 77 people showed up, from babes in arms to a few men in their seventies.
For that day at least, they were not invisible. My greatest hope is that by bringing people together, providing the opportunity to hear one another's stories, to share a meal, to exchange names, that those who were there will never again be able to look away, and that the invisible will be rendered visible.
