This is a blog swap chain letter organized through the Yakezie network. This post was written by LaTisha from Financial Success for Young Adults; where she writes about managing money like a banker. There are 4 stops. Check out my post Thank God I’m Homeless in the US at Life and My Finances!
Homelessness in America is a really bad problem. Not because of the number of people that are homeless, or the level of need that they have, but mostly because of the fact that we have become blind to homeless people.
Think about the last time you saw a panhandler with a sign that says need food. (Where do they get those signs anyway?) Did you read the sign? 
Did you believe what it said?
Regardless of whether you did or not, I’m really not about to talk about the number of people who are in need in America. That’s a post for another blogger. But what I do want to do is give you a chance to really think about what you would do if you were in the same situation as that homeless person. I can personally think of one major action that I would take to change my situation.
Education
I would further my education. Remember the Evans family from the tv show Good Times? They were always struggling to make ends meet and hanging in a chow line to eat. But like I wrote in that article, education would have made a big difference.
Now every person that finds themselves in the position of having no home obviously got there in different ways. Some may already be educated, some may have just hit hard times and some may not care. But let’s say for instance you are homeless and you do want to change your situation. Where do you start?
Needs
Well the first thing to take care of is food, clothing and shelter. If you remember Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, nothing else matters until these three are taken care of. So find a shelter or a church that will provide that for you.
This homeless mom really wanted to send her son to a better school district. She understands that a better education will allow her son to earn more and take care of his needs and even wants.
Wants
Once your needs are provided for it’s time to get your fair share of what our government offers. Now begin applying for part time jobs. Be ready to do any job as long as it provides a stream of income and it is legal. If you can find a way to pay for a P.O. box then you can use that as your address when applying. Head to the library for internet access and start looking into government grants for furthering your education. The money is out there but most people just do not know it is available.
The Future
As you complete your education you will be able to upgrade your current job and even secure a full time position with a respected company. Then you can begin to save and grow the money you have with easy money tips!
Photo Credits: http://nowthatsnifty.blogspot.com/2009/07/funny-homless-beggar-signs.html
Yep, the library is a great source for anyone to further themselves, including the homeless!! I’m not sure why there aren’t more of them don’t utilize the library.
I would think it’s the fact that they don’t even know that it’s available.
many homeless frequent our local library but may lack the necessary educational foundation to turn this resource to their future advantage. The ability to “learn how to learn” cannot be overstated. And if you start out with so many strikes against you (cognitive/health/mental issues), finding just the right help isn’t easy.
I liked this attitude the most and most likely to get you out of this situation:
“Be ready to do any job as long as it provides a stream of income and it is legal.”
Great write-up!
Don’t forget — at the library, you can look up names and locations of local charities in the area; there are a lot of shelters, food pantries and (perhaps most importantly!) places where volunteers will help you search for jobs and apply for jobs.
When you’re on the street, education is the last thing on your mind. Sure, it would be nice, but you really need to focus on getting off the street first.
I agree that you would need the attitude and mind frame to do anything as long as it provided income and was legal. I wonder though if many don’t seek to further education because they don’t know how to apply for the aid or use the computer at the library. It is also possible that many of the homeless have a hard time just reading and writing. As sad as that thought is, it is often true.
I like the idea of getting a PO box! How much do those cost by the way? I agree with Joe though – I don’t think that education would be a luxury to afford if you are homeless. I think you are more concerned with immediate cash needs.