Essay On Homeless Stereotypes

The Stereotype What image do you see when you hear the word homeless? I used to think of words like dirty, lonely, and also needy. The true definition of homeless is without a home, and therefore typically living on the streets. Stereotyping is a common thought through our human minds, which is when you are oversimplifying an image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. I learned this summer on my mission trip to Madison, Wisconsin, that homeless people are not what we think they are. I woke up feeling physically and mentally exhausted from the day before. I was packaging meat and cleaning crates for the Second Harvest Food Pantry. I did not think I could look at meat ever again. It was a new day, and we had to return back to work. My mission group and I were going to the River Food Pantry. I had no clue what to expect. I finally learned we would be serving homeless people. The only thought that crossed my mind was I would be serving dirty, lonely people, but I later found out that I was wrong. When we arrived at River Food Pantry, I was awed at how big the warehouse appeared. …show more content…
I was amazed by the type of people that would go through the line. There were people that looked like you and me but also people that we normally picture as being homeless. I found it sad when men in their twenties, walking through, and I could tell they were on drugs. I kept thinking how better off they would be if they could have said no to drugs. I had many different conversations with the people that had walked through. One of the men surprisingly admitted to it. He said that the drugs took over his life, and he had ruined everything that was going for him in life. This man had the opportunity to go to college. He dropped out and was put on the streets, with no money. He is now trying to find a job, but it is hard when you have an addiction. This man said if he could go back, he would have said no and made a better