The clock is ticking. Ten years from today, Orange County should have zero chronically homeless on its streets. And to kick things off, Orange and other Triangle counties are planning an event to provide services to those living on the streets. An associate campus minister, Kelly Dunlop, described things to The Daily Tar Heel: (emphasis is mine):
Dunlop said homeless participants will each be served healthy breakfast and lunch and will be provided with a take-home dinner.
Let’s hope this ironic wording about “take-home” food is just an example of inexperienced reporting and editing.
I applaud anyone who gets off the couch and does something tangible to help people. The October events are funded with a grant from Triangle United Way — a good use of donor dollars and volunteer labor. What I quibble with, however, is the notion that homelessness can be ended at all. That’s like believing that crime, disease, or depression will end if we have a 10-year plan and a committee. Be hopeful, yes, but we need a serious dose of reality, too. Forget the 10-year plan. Helping the homeless will be our moral responsibility forever. It takes one-on-one assistance, such as the services to be offered at the October events. If you want to help — with money or volunteer time — contact Kelly Dunlop at [email protected]
or Jamie Rohe at [email protected].
