Be the change you want to see

To vote or not to vote? We all ask ourselves questions each day. Like paying bills, “Should I rob Peter to pay Paul”? Household bills are more important than others, in my opinion. Household bills and political bills. We make the choice to vote or not.

We make choices everyday and someone is affected by them. It’s a type of power we probably take for granted. So whether you choose to vote or not. Always remember someone will be affected. I think Mark Twain said it best, “Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason “. He just couldn’t say the reason. But we all know it’s because they are both full of shit. So yes, we should vote if we want certain change in the world. There are changes that WE can make ourselves. Stop complaining about your community and be the change it needs.

Be the change you want to see. Gandhi expresses this about being the change for the world. You have to start somewhere, so before you can change the world, change your community first. You see things everyday that you wish were different. Act on those wishes.

I see homelessness growing each day. My wish is for it to disappear, so I will act on it. People think homelessness only exists in big states and cities, that isn’t true. I live in Arkansas and I see homelessness everyday. I wil show numbers below. I have always made it my purpose to help others, but more has to be done and I know it. If I’m aware, then I have to make a plan.

My plan has to be small unfortunately. My health isn’t good, I have MS, so I can’t physically do as much as I would like. My plan has to include a team, which I normally do not do. It will be different for me because with a team there has to be trust. I know I can trust myself, but others not so much. That being said, I know a change must happen and I have to help. When you know your passion and purpose in life, you can’t just sit back and do nothing.

There isn’t a law that says we have to help others. So by NOT helping, you are not a criminal. Again, it goes back to how bad you want a change. Like with anything, if you want it bad enough, you will work hard for it. Working hard also makes you proud when you see positive results.

Making a plan also includes doing research. The more you know, the better your end result will be. According to https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/state-of-homelessness-report/arkansas/ there are over 2700 homeless people just in Arkansas each night. Ending homelessness in the US is a great task to take on. You can see what one state looks like. To make a plan work, you have to make sure it’s a workable plan.

The homeless teen population need not be overlooked. It is a smaller group, but they need help. According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, Arkansas has approximately 336 homeless young adults. Young adults are considered ages 18-24. According to the actual school system there are over 14,000 students without shelter. At times some of the students are spending the night in hotels/motels.

My plan is to target the young adults and some of the students. By doing so I am likely to at least save/help one. If I search each night in the areas of cheaper places to stay, I will find them. In order to gain their trust, I will start with food. By feeding them, they will see I actually care. Once they see that, they will spread the word and there will be several contacting me. Where will I house them?

Arkansas has a place called the Little Rock Compassion Center. The man that founded it has done it for over 60 years. I will tell him what I’m trying to do in hopes he will help me house them. In the mean time, I will apply for grants. This is how a community can help make changes.

While stopping to see what could be changed, I will be able to meet certain people along the way. These people will likely have ideas. Two brains are better than one. They will have contacts and possibly know of housing as well. Yes voting needs to occur, but not waiting for a change. We as the people can come together in our communities and start what needs to be done. We have the choice and the power to make changes.