Myths About Hunger, Homelessness & Poverty
At Daily Bread we serve two of the nation’s most vulnerable populations – the food insufficient and the homeless. These populations are generally low-to-no income and face many barriers to social inclusiveness in the community. Because of these factors, these individuals fall victim to personal judgement by others, ridicule, and myths & stereotypes. Many people believe hungry and homeless individuals are just looking for a “hand out” when in reality, they just need… a “hand up.” Here are more common myths and misconceptions about the hungry and homeless population:
MYTH #1
Homeless people are lazy
That is the greatest myth out there. Many of our homeless neighbors were just one paycheck away from the catastrophic incident that led to the loss of their home. Sometimes it is a car repair, sick child, or unexpected expense that placed these individuals in a difficult situation. Prior to experiencing homelessness, some of the people we help held multiple low-paying jobs to help make ends meet. At Daily Bread, our employment and case management services are designed to help individuals on the brink improve their circumstances.
MYTH #2
Homeless people are all drug addicts or alcoholics
Not all of our homeless neighbors battle addiction. A portion of the people we serve are experiencing co-morbidity of addiction or mental health issues, and we offer on-site Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings at our facility.
MYTH #3
Overweight people do not suffer from hunger
There are many factors that contribute to one’s weight like genetics and body type. Also, many of our clients are low-to-no income and tend to live in food deserts with no access to healthy and nutritious foods and rely on high-calorie and high fat cheaper foods to survive.
MYth #4
Hungry & Homeless people have lots of community resources
Actually, federal, state, and local governmental support of these groups have either remained static as the need grows or has been reduced. Non-profit organizations, like Daily Bread, rely heavily on individuals gifts, support from churches and faith-based institutions, and corporate sponsorships to ensure that no one face hunger or homelessness alone.
MYth #5
If you are homeless, it is your choice
Not all individuals confronting homelessness choose to live a homeless lifestyle. Many have faced a multitude of circumstances and cyclical systemic issues that have led them to homelessness. At Daily Bread, we help all individuals who want to find a life of self-sufficiency get there.
MYth #6
All hungry people can get food stamps
More than 50% of the individuals we serve are among the “working poor” in our community. Those who are un or under-employed in low-wage jobs who struggle daily to make ends meet but make just a little too much to be eligible for food stamp assistance. Some of our clients who are housed but facing food insufficiency experience temporary bouts of hunger due to their bills competing for their financial resources.
MYTH #7
Children are not hungry or homeless
Almost 10% of our clients are children. Daily Bread helps the whole family the whole time. Hungry children may receive meals in school, if they make it to school. A residual of facing these challenges is absence from school. Homeless children tend to have access to temporary shelter or live in automobiles with their family.
There is much more to the face of hunger and homelessness than meets the eye. Please help us ensure no one faces hunger or homelessness alone by making a donation now.