Big Hearts and Hard Times
By Manuel Martin
On the way to the local library to write some notes about my experiences with the homeless in Chelsea, I receive an enthusiastic holiday greeting from an unfamiliar man walking briskly by. “Heeyyy! Merry Christmas,” he shouted to me. I think he is the person I gave a pair of new sneakers to a couple of months ago. I answer his greeting with the same as we turn around smiling and waving at each other. He remembered me!
The Coalition for the Homeless reports that “homelessness in NYC had reached the highest levels since the Great Depression of the 1930s.”
A year and a half ago on an August morning as I read the newspaper with a coffee in hand at a local shop, a tall man sat outdoors on the sidewalk with no shoes or socks and a ripped shirt. The street was busy with passersby as I inquired if he would like some breakfast. He sked for a croissant with egg and bacon and a black coffee with three sugars. As I gave this to him I asked if he would wait for me to return. I came back with a pair of shoes, socks, a shirt and a jacket. He hugged me so tightly I was nearly lifted from the ground, not an easy task as I am six feet five inches tall. With a tear in his eye he said, “I have some problems. Thank you, my brother.” We said goodbye. Four months later on a December afternoon I felt a familiar tight hug from behind. He had remembered me with appreciation.
In October 2016, there were 62,306 homeless people, including 15,769 homeless families with children, sleeping each night in a NYC municipal shelter.
For years an elderly lady “lived” across 25th street on a sidewalk in Chelsea. She was surrounded by her belongings covered by a tarp at the foot of a new luxury condo building. A few days each week I handed her some money, to which she always said, “Thank you very much.” When Thanksgiving Day came I reached over to give her some money to which she said, “No, today it’s my turn. Happy Thanksgiving.” She gave me a gift-wrapped new black wallet. I said, “It’s my turn to say thank you very much.”
I called and visited churches to see if there was some help available. Shortly after, she was gone. I was told she was taken away by ambulance with her belongings. I’m glad I was able to assist a bit and felt privileged to know her. I hope she’s ok.
Over the course of City Fiscal year 2016, more than 127,652 different homeless men, women and children slept in NYC municipal shelters. The number of homeless New Yorkers sleeping each night in municipal shelters is now 83 percent higher than it was ten years ago.
Nearly each day there is a man standing in front of the bagel store I frequent with an empty coffee cup in his hand. He seems invisible to the masses that walk past him. When asked if he would like breakfast, he says he doesn’t want to take advantage. I tell him he’s not taking advantage, but he says no. I wish him well and he says, “I’ll buy you breakfast one day.” I answer, “We’ll have it together.”
Research shows that the primary cause of homelessness, particularly among families, is lack of affordable housing. Each night thousands of homeless people sleep on NYC streets, the subway system and other public places.
One morning a couple of months ago I was having coffee and reading the newspaper. A large, intimidating-looking man approached and asked in a soft voice if I knew where he could get some dry socks and asked if I could help out with a cup of coffee. He said he had walked a few miles in the rain and passed out asleep for a while. I gave him coffee and an egg on a bagel and I gave him some dry clothes to change into. As I did with other homeless people, I told him there was a nearby soup kitchen where he could get a warm meal and beverage. He was grateful for the breakfast and clothes and we said goodbye. As I walked away he called out, “Hey man, I love you man!”
About 58 percent of NYC homeless shelter residents are African-American, 31 percent are Latino, 7 percent white, 1 percent Asian-American and 3 percent of unknown race/ethnicity.
These enriching encounters are but a few that this writer has experienced in the past few years. Each time I was rewarded by the good hearts and appreciation that was shown. Each homeless person remembered me and in some cases it was months later. It was a pleasure to have known these good people with big hearts who have fallen on hard times. May each one find better times ahead and enrich the people they meet as they did with me.
The information and statistics come from The Coalition for the Homeless.
New York City Homelessness: The Basic Facts