Many people over the last 30 years have asked me, “How is it you’re not burned out yet?”  My answer is simple – because I still witness success, and I remain hopeful to continue our methodology and advocacy that has proven to work well because we hold certain tenets and truths steadfast...

Every Human Being Has Value, bestowed by a Creator, inherent while they were being “knit in

their mother’s womb”.  Not everyone believes this. Society at large doesn’t necessarily hold to that truth, and many people living on the streets of our communities don't believe it either. There are some people in fact, who feel superior to others and can articulate that in a proven number of external ways.  However, our US Constitution says, “all men are created equal…” and that mankind is endowed with certain "inalienable rights…”, including, “the pursuit of happiness”.  I am sure that no child ever said, “When I grow up, I want to be homeless.  I want to sleep on the hard cement".  That certainly does not equate to happiness.

And yet it’s evident today by the masses painfully living on our streets, that they have gone off track toward that inalienable right, that gainful pursuit.  To add to this dilemma, is the general lack of empathy surrounding the homeless issue.  Economic factors and personal agendas over time have contributed to the despair, even with millions of dollars currently poured into the issue.  In some large meetings within the topic of homelessness, there is not much mention of individuals and the specific scenarios they face.  Mostly, there is discussion of stats and best practices, and of course, "Funding and Ways to Get More".  Genuine individualized advocacy can easily get dismissed, overshadowed by the enormity of system designs and project development and the addition of staff to oversee it.  It’s detachment at the highest level – running a program for program’s sake.  The very people that the programs were designed for can become obscure, and the hunger for greater program funding becomes insatiable.  

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So, as a resolve it must come down to this most basic level: can we give sincere value

to someone outside our sphere of influence, even extend a gesture of love to a stranger?  

The twist is that people will naturally sacrifice for their families, even for some friends, that’s

a given, but they aren’t inclined to give direct attention to a stranger.  Unless they are paid

for it.  Seeking out the unsheltered at the “boots on the ground” level for the purpose of engaging in one-on-one dialogue has never been popular or highly prioritized, until it’s count time.  In Hawaii County, two recent homeless counts recently discussed in a room full of CEOs revealed there was a great difference between the Point in Time Count and the recent data collection count from the Office of Housing and Community Development.  It seems we can’t quite get an accurate count, though all the categories have been decidedly defined.  Again, who got lost in the translation? 

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For this reason, I believe it is imperative that every Director of a homeless services organization engage somewhat in outreach practices, to actually see their potential clientele in the outside habitat, and have a better understanding of the unhoused environments within their jurisdiction.  It allows for a connection with the homeless plight that's unattainable from a desk view, with its pile of papers on the topic.  After all, this is truly a "business of the heart". Consequently, this fact remains: when we fail to connect with humanity, we’ve already lost the battle.  It only makes sense then, that authenticity is the driving force, not the numbers, not the reports, not the grandiose plan, nor the speaker pontificating flawlessly on powerpoint.

It’s more simplistic: when that hopeless person standing right in front of you can sense your authentic regard for their value, do they awaken to their life-giving inalienable right and attempt to follow your guidance out of the rabbit hole. This is true advocacy, this is "engagement" one human being at a time.

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Regina Weller,
Executive Director, 808 Homeless Task Force 
Senior Disaster Relief Chaplain
Big Island, Hawaii - May 2024