Friend or Foe?

I recently came across some information that surprised me. I like it when this happens because it's always nice to realize that no matter how smart I think I am, there is always more to learn. Usually my wife and kids remind me of this, so it was especially comforting to expose my own ignorance regarding some work-related info all by myself! Ah, the joys of a lazy Sunday. And anyway, the Steelers don't play until later tonight so I had some time on my hands.

At Samaritan House we are working on a project that deals with addressing homelessness in Kalispell. This should be a no-brainer, right? I mean, what else would we be doing with our time? So, in researching this current (not yet released) project, I expected to evaluate different variations of the same information I usually come across. I was sifting through some of the causes and effects of homelessness in Kalispell when I discovered something that I didn't know: According to the Montana Homeless Survey from 201l, the leading cause of homelessness in Kalispell was displacement due to conflicts with friends or family. Loss of employment was the number two cause.

More people were homeless in the Valley as a result of having no place to go after they were somehow embroiled in a conflict where they were currently living. I was surprised because I surely thought economic issues would have been the highest but I double checked the figures and saw that I was reading them correctly. When a person encounters such a level of  hostility that they choose the streets over remaining in that situation, it says a great deal about the fragility of relationship and the necessity of a reliable support network. Conflict within a home can arise for any number of reasons. Substance or chemical abuse, domestic violence, criminal activity... The list is infinite. But for whatever reasons, whether they are legitimate or spurious, the leading cause of homelessness in Kalispell fell under this very category. 

In an ideal world friends and family would be able to support those in need without any entanglements. If a problem surfaces, the person in need could rely on those around him or her for an inexhaustible amount of time and resources. But the real world doesn't work this way. Many of us have a difficult enough time taking care of ourselves and those in our immediate lives without the added responsibility of others. So what happens when unforeseen circumstances propel others in need into our midst?

Even the kindest and most benevolent of people can run thin on patience or, more commonly, resources when they are forced to look after someone else. And even if the intention is to help, come hell or high water, it doesn't mean they are qualified to provide a long-term solution. So, the person receiving the help eventually wears out their welcome or the situation escalates into something no longer manageable, so they have no recourse but to leave, rendering them homeless.

Someone once said that, "knowledge is power," but I think, in this case, knowledge is nothing more than revelation. And what we do with this information is up to us.