As you go through your day, do you notice individuals experiencing homelessness? Have you ever considered that the person next to you at work, on the bus, in a checkout line, at the doctor’s office, or in a restaurant, might be homeless?
Like most people, you probably wouldn’t notice them unless they fit a stereotype: smelling bad, appearing dirty, carrying all their belongings, or standing on a corner asking for change. The reality is that most people experiencing homelessness look just like you and me, because their circumstances don’t define who they are. I know this not only from my work, but from years when I myself blended into crowds while silently struggling.
It doesn’t take much for someone to become homeless. Have you ever had a toothache or an earache? That discomfort was temporary until you found relief from the right resources. The duration of your discomfort depended on factors like doctor or dentist availability, when your prescription could be filled, the day of the week it started, and the cost of treatment. The experience of homelessness is similar, but with far more significant barriers to finding relief. For many years, I lived in that space, surviving one day at a time, telling myself I was fine, even as life was quietly unraveling.
Consider the man who became homeless after a difficult divorce. Imagine you and your spouse decide to end your relationship, and you are forced to leave the house. The challenges you face, such as selling or dividing assets, frozen bank accounts, and the lack of a stable place to stay, will influence your experience with homelessness. You might find yourself in a hotel, experiencing homelessness until the divorce is finalized, your credit is rebuilt, and you secure affordable housing. Numerous variables and barriers influence how long and how severely someone experiences homelessness.
Now, consider the single mother of four staying at the Daniel Pitino Shelter after losing her husband in a car accident. Her experience is different, as an unexpected life event caused her homelessness. Suddenly widowed, with no income because she was a stay-at-home mom, she faces the high cost of living and childcare for four small children. Forced to live in a shelter or her car, she eventually finds a job, but the income only covers childcare, some personal items, and funeral expenses. Her path to self-sufficiency will take longer, requiring a second job and more time to stabilize.
Shelters like Daniel Pitino Shelter and St. Benedict’s Shelter play a crucial role in helping those experiencing homelessness. The duration of someone’s homelessness can vary widely, depending on numerous factors such as the cost of living, the availability of affordable housing, income, mental health issues, disabilities, credit history, criminal background, and other personal barriers. When I first walked into a shelter in 2012, still fragile, still rebuilding my faith, I realized how essential these places are. They don’t just offer a bed; they offer a lifeline.
At these shelters, we provide a safe place to rest, build strength, and improve self-esteem. We offer a positive environment, resources, programs, and case management services designed to promote self-determination. Experiencing homelessness is a crisis, and shelter reduces the immediate survival pressures. Individuals need to feel safe, comfortable, strong, and supported to overcome the barriers to self-sufficiency. I remember the first time I felt that sense of safety, a peace I hadn’t known in years, and how it allowed me to finally breathe, think, and hope again.
None of us is exempt from poor choices, irresponsible decisions, a failed relationship, job loss, or an accident that impairs our ability to work or sustain housing. I hope this message clarifies how easily any of us could experience homelessness. No one is immune to life’s unpredictable events, which can lead to homelessness. I spent ages sixteen through twenty-nine homeless and addicted, drifting through life in a fog of survival. I once stood in the middle of a crowd of nearly half a million people in Louisville and felt completely alone, unseen, unheard, unnoticed. That kind of loneliness changes you.
Even those who have made poor choices, developed an addiction, or live with a mental illness can overcome their experience with homelessness. Whether homelessness stems from personal actions, poor decisions, or a sequence of unfortunate events, its duration varies depending on an individual’s motivation, self-esteem, available resources, affordable housing options, and the economy. Recovery, faith, and community support helped reprogram my thinking and rebuild my life. God used CBT, peer support, and the people around me to give me a new heart and a new spirit, just as Ezekiel 36:26 promises.
Please be open-minded and imagine a decision or life event that could leave you homeless. Consider the importance of shelters in providing a foundation for people to rebuild their lives. However, shelters themselves are at risk, relying on community support to operate. What would happen if we didn’t exist, and you suddenly needed us for shelter? Imagine how difficult it would be to navigate the barriers of homelessness without our support.
Looking back, I see how every part of my story was preparation: addiction taught me resilience, dysfunction taught me empathy, recovery taught me discipline, education gave me tools, and faith gave me purpose. Leadership didn’t wait until I felt ready; it began the moment I trusted God enough to be willing. And today, that willingness fuels my commitment to ensuring no one feels as unseen as I once did.
Written by
Harry Pedigo, MSSW, MHFAI, CENM
Executive Director
Daniel Pitino and St. Benedict’s Shelters
