Why Don’t You Work?

A common statement I hear from some folks is, “why don’t these homeless just get a job and work?” The perception is that they are just lazy, don’t want to work, and like the lifestyle they are in on the streets. Well…..it’s a little more complicated than that!

Michael Overall from the Tulsa World wrote a good article on this in the April 22nd issue. He shares the story of Matthew Ardelian, a typical homeless guy on the streets in Tulsa for 7 years. He sleeps wherever he can find, most recently in the Meadow Gold District in Tulsa. When the business owner opens up, he’ll take his possessions which are in a baby stroller and move on. He’ll go downtown about every day for food, and just scrounge around for the basic necessities of life.

People ask him, “Why don’t you work?” In the article, he responds, “Living out here is work.”

I have found this so true. People typically can’t live on the streets for years, suffer daily trauma, and just decide to one day go apply for a job and get to work. They have to deal with their mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual issues first, and that’s best done within the safety of a home to live in. After time, sure, they can heal to the point of getting a part-time, and even a full-time job. However, it takes time. There are exceptions, but the vast majority of our chronically homeless just need to heal, recover, and get in a good place before they can even think about getting a job.

At Eden Village, we’ll sure work towards that, and give them every opportunity to do so. As a former business owner of 32 years, I’m all about hard work. We can’t just throw some pixie dust and expect them to be able to go out and work 40 hours a week. It will take time, deliberate work, and patience, along with a little grace from God thrown in.