While reading the local and national news, I read about many national brand companies laying off workers. And I also read about the homeless and downtrodden and all the problems they have. What, besides the economy, do these have in common? Lack of knowing people.
In our small rural community, before you would lay off a worker, you would try and find any other means to rectify your problems. Because you personally know the people who work for and with you. Most of the time they are friends or relatives or both.
I see the local Coke company is laying off a lot of workers. And it doesn’t sound like management went about it too nicely either.
I am sure the mangers were at least familiar with the people who worked there and I am sure it wasn’t fun for them to tell peopple they no longer had a job. But if the word came down to the local business from the head corporate offices many miles away, I am sure those people in management there weren’t nearly as concerned with the people that were losing their jobs as they were in the bottom line.
Don’t get me wrong, a business has to make hard choices to stay in business, at times. But had they really looked for other ways to cut the cost of operations? Had the CEO’s said, “Well I don’t want to cause hardship for anyone working for me, so I will take a voluntary pay cut and see if that doesn’t help the bottom line. I will make the sacrifice first before I ask those working for me to. I can afford it better than they can.”
I doubt it.
In the matter of the homeless, in this small community, we don’t have any. Why? Because we all know each other at least by reputation. We won’t allow it. If someone falls on hard times, we all pitch in and help. It’s not nearly as easy to dismiss someone as just being too lazy to hold a job, or being a drunk, when you know them personally. You have some time invested in them. They are your neighbors. So you help them. We are a neighboring bunch of people as we all know we need each other. There are no faceless people around us.
I guess my point in all of this is, there seems to be more problems like these in large cities. People don’t know all their neighbors. They tell me there are people in cities who live next door to each other all their lives and never really get to know each other. What a pity. What a shame. Look at all they lose.
Much like our politics. We have allowed our national lawmakers to usurp power from the localities that are better left for the locals to decide, rather then the nation. When my local representitive does something I don’t like, I know his name, where he lives and his phone number. He will have to answer to me and all the rest of us. Do you personally know your rep in Washington? Could you call him up and visit about up coming legislation? Would he recognize you in a crowd if you walked up and said, “Hello”?
Until you can, don’t expect anything but lip service from any of your representatives. Maybe it’s time we took back some of the power we have let slip through our hands. And started helping our neighbors, instead of wondering about all those faceless people who are having a hard time.
Dennisranch 
When dealing with the homeless one must remember “…often the reasons and the forces that drive someone to the street –are stronger than the forces trying to keep them off…”
Good post JB lots to think about. It’s the same here when I comes to the homeless, there isn’t anyone I know of either just because of what you laid out but then we’re a different breed of cats out here in the middle of nowhere. Cities now, that a whole different ballpark. My Mom doesn’t have a clue who her neighbors are and doesn’t care to. Different attitude there altogether.
Just more reasons to retire to South Dakota. When we moved here, it was pretty rural. Now, its too close to town.
Allen
Just a few comments…..I’ve lived in a small town of less than 100 people, a large metropolitan area and several moderate sized communites of populations of around 25,000 to 80,000. I guess I’d caution about sterotyping big cities as we all watched the New Yorkers on 9-11 and New Orleans residents during Katrina as they all pitched in to help each other out in what ever way they could. Some helping people they didn’t know previously. People across the country also hellped out in what ever way they could as we are still helping our men and women over seas in what ever way we can.
In the neighborhood we live in now in Eau Claire, WI it was pretty quiet at night with everyone kind of staying to themselves when we moved here 10 years ago. WE would have a campfire in the backyeard and invite people over but few would come over. But then two new families moved in next to us and they began getting everyone together on Wednesday nights for potluck dinners. About 4 families come for them and other neighbors prefer yet to stay to themselves. That’s okay – this is the US afterall. I’ve known people to move out to the country to get away from people also.
I’ve also volunteered to some extent in a homeless shelter in Eau claire. There are several – one for single men, one for single women, one for families ( including couples, adults with children, single parents with
children, grandparents with grandchildren etc), one for victums of abuse and we even have one nearby for veterans. The one for families is not like the big auditirium style shelters with rows and rows of cots in the bigger cities taht we see on TV. It holds up to 6 families and each family has a room of their own with several beds in it. Children attend their same school so they don’t have to adjust to a new learning environment. Adults are given assistance with job skills, education, or just a place to stay while saving up the first months rent and deposit – what ever is necessary. there are rules for the adults to follow – they are to be there for their kids( leaving the kids with other residets or staff can result in being kicked out), the adults have chores in the community areas of the shelter each day that need to be completed along with keeping their personal areas clean and laundry done. Some adults already have jobs but they just don’t pay enough for their previous living quarters. the families can stay about a month with a few getting an exception to stay alittle longer. About 20 to 30 local churches and other organizations provide volunteers to staff the shelter in the evening hours and over night and provide meals for breakfast and dinner. Its sad there is a need for shelters peroid but with the economic times we are in – there is a waiting list for families to get in. It’s not a sad place – rather it is a very happy place and the families definitely have faces and are respected. Not everyone has family nearby, family/friends that are able to help out or family that they communitcate with or have a good relationship with. Sometimes it’s just better to get assistance from someone that isn’t emotionally involved – Although when you hear the stories of the families – it is hard to not be emotionally involved especially when kids are involved. One young mother fleed in the middle of the night from her home with her 2 babies and only the clothes on their backs to get away from an abusive spouse. Some of the families that have benefitted from this shelter come back to volunteer after they move out to pay back the assistance they received. Shelters are opening up in much smaller communities than Eau Claire. And along with these shelters you can bet there are people in town as well as in the rural areas all over the country taking family members/friends in to their own homes or helping out in what ever way they can – the need is just so great now.
I will take your advice and get to know my representatives – I’ve been a slacker in that area. Good advice there Bob.
I’ll shut up now 🙂 Best wishes to all!
Great comments Pat. Good to know. I guess when I wrote, I was referring more to Rapid City. They are having a problem with drunks down along the creek, who, evidently choose to be homeless. The homeless shelter will only allow non drunks in they tell me. If I didn’t live 85 miles away from there, I would go check into it more.
Sounds like your town has a lot going for it. And yes, you are right, many people don’t want to be friendly. In this very rural country, I know many people only by reputation.
I just think we need more local fixes for local problems. Look at the bail out and all the problems they are having with it. If we all worked more locally with help from the feds, maybe we would solve our problem better. Glad I am not in charge. It’s much easier to set back and tell them what they are doing wrong!
Appreciate your comments. Do so again! 🙂
Oh you’ve hit on a subject I’ve been thinking about so much lately. I can’t stop thinking about the Tent City in Sacramento CA with 1200 homeless living there. I looked at the pictures, one girl especially, she and I looked so much alike. It could have been me.
I can’t help but want to help, to do something. I live outside the small town of Wickenburg, and I keep thinking, what if the town itself adopted a couple of those people? What if small towns across America took a challenge to help out one or two of these folks? Just give them a hand up, and a town to support them.
What if I went over there, picked out two likely people and brought them back here? I keep rolling it over in my mind. What can I do to help?
Your post just hits it right on the head. A small town takes care of it’s own and it’s a wonderful place and way to live. I’m so proud to be a part of small town America, and I want those poor people living in tents to get a hand up.
Excellent post. Food for thought, and a lot to think about. Thanks.
Mikey: If you’re interested in gettng more involved you could check out this site
http://www.familypromise.org/program/interfaith-hospitality-network
The shelter I volunteer at is part of the Interfaith Hospitality Network that you’ll see a link for at the address above. We started out housing families in Church basements over night but now have a permanent shelter in town. If this type of thing isn’t feasible right now there may be other ways to volunteer:
– food pantries – need food and volunteers
-lend a hand to someone needing some home maintenance done,
-offer respite care for a caregiver with an ill family member,
-visit elderly in nursing homes or that live alone at home
-bring a meal for someone that has lost a loved one or that is just lonely
-volunteer to listen to children read at local schools etc
-donate blood
-offer your time at a local humane association
These are just a few options – all are very worth your while. And each will help someone out that needs assistance.
Take care! Good luck!
Thanks for the site and idea’s Pat!