Comments on: Making the invisible visible

By: Susan Salisbury

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:30:40 +0000

This story, initially, seems moving. But it is part of the problem. It is easy to feel sorry for these people and give them a dollar. It is hard to truly help them. If you refuse to recognize their very real internal emotional/psychiatric problems, you cannot effectively help them. I had a relative who was homeless for a while so I know what I am talking about. He was an addict. He is now a recovering addict. It took several years for him to face his problem and make the changes that needed to be made, but he has done it. He is now drug free, married, employed, has a child and happy. AS a Christian I can tell you God calls us to reach out and love people just the way they are as He loves us. Even if these people are mentally ill or addicts, God wants us to love them. He loved people who were sick and healed them . So we must be conduits for His healing love. When people are living on the streets they have most likely been cut off from their families and friends, often by their own destructive behavior. The kinds of people who are available to help us can become unavailailable when we repeatedly engage in negative behavior. So the girl who says she wants to go home but can’t get the money, for example, makes me wonder why her family and friends at home won’t send her the money. You can buy a bus ticket to just about anywhere in the country for $200.00. Sorry, to me, in the end, this story is more about making the writer feel superior to other people who are seen as “not caring” then about helping homeless people. And that makes it really, really not good.

By: Justa Vet

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:34:52 +0000

Being a woman on the street she should not, if possible, be alone at night. The streets are not safe for a woman alone. There are way too many predators looking for woman that are alone to prey upon. Not a nice thing to say, but it is the unfortunate truth. So panhandling to get enough money for a room is a very smart thing for her to do. Kudos for her smarts. I am homeless and have seen the predatory moves against women and step in to stop it if I am able. It has caused some injuries, minor, but at least the women are safe. I still have my morals and ethics.

By: Making the invisible visible « Painted Black

Making the invisible visible « Painted Black — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 16:39:54 +0000

[...] Making the invisible visible – Megan Cottrell – One Story Up – True/Slant. Eco World Content From Across The Internet. Featured on EcoPressed How Apple could [...]

By: #140Conf Speaker, Mark Horvath, Shares His Insights on The Homeless « 140 Character Conference

Sun, 29 May 2011 00:26:23 +0000

[...] day I met Ann Marie and wrote what still may be my favorite Invisible People post. PLEASE read this powerful post here. You can watch Ann’s original Invisible People video [...]

By: Ann Marie (@padchicago) is No Longer Homeless | haRdLy NOrMal

Ann Marie (@padchicago) is No Longer Homeless | haRdLy NOrMal — Wed, 04 May 2011 05:36:39 +0000

[...] Chicago blogger and now friend Megan Cottrell happened to be with me the day I met Ann Marie and wrote what still may be my favorite Invisible People post. PLEASE read this powerful post here. [...]

By: chasflemming

chasflemming — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:50:42 +0000

I totally agree, @rwoodley, that there needs to be more practical compassion and less political advocacy, though I think folks working together can strengthen each other in the battle. Bureaucracies are not capable of compassion and people within the bureaucracies simply are not in a place to know the individual needs of their clients in any meaningful way. Personally, I work through my church–in giving and in time–to help as I am able. There are people in my church with more time than I have and who are able to stay focused on the battle. They are grateful for my help when I can offer. In the meantime, I keep eye open to the homeless I encounter along the way, to engage them, listen them, show them respect.

By: Seeing the invisible among us… « Ripe for Harvest

Seeing the invisible among us… « Ripe for Harvest — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:42:10 +0000

[...] Cottrell in Making the invisible visible: It’s hard to know what to do, we both thought. Do you help people individually? I wanted to get [...]

By: Sandra | The Just Life

Sandra | The Just Life — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 07:02:09 +0000

[...] Blogger Megan Cottrell joined me that day and you can read her post here [...]

By: The one simple lesson we haven’t learned with the homeless - Megan Cottrell - One Story Up - True/Slant

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:20:18 +0000

[...] activist and blogger Mark Horvath goes around the country (including Chicago), interviewing homeless people and telling their stories. Mark always asks each person, “If [...]

By: HomelessOnce

HomelessOnce — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:56:52 +0000

RE: Sandra, if you can panhandle $40 a day for a hotel room, you can stay up all night and save the $40 for a bus ticket and sleep on the way to wherever you’re going. Or you go to a temp agency or a hotel and get a job cleaning rooms, and shower and crash in an empty room once you’ve been working there a few days. Or you get on the metro and cat nap and hustle your butt off making enough for a bus ticket, or you call your family. If you have a “home” somewhere, you have someone. Or you go to the YWCA. There’s more to her story….but what? Not being critical, but saying – it sounds like she’s given up and I feel sorry for her.
Ann Marie I understand. PTSD is a bitch and a hard thing to deal with. Mark does wonderful things. It’s hard to see people sink into depression and give up. I hope each and every one finds their way out.