Hanging by a Thread

This past week, the Salvation Army hired 26 bell-ringers, many of whom are among the clients served by the Continuum of Care. The employment of homeless persons is a huge bonus of the Salvation Army program, and those hired are grateful for even short-term income. The $8 an hour will help them survive through Christmas.

However, there were over 300 applicants for these jobs.

In years past, a few homeless people applied for bell-ringer jobs to bridge the gap between other seasonal work, and others took the job as extra income for Christmas gifts, or to simply help out the Salvation Army.

This year, far too many people are desperately looking for subsistence for themselves and their families. Recessions are brutal on the poor, and in this case, there was no relief during the period of economic growth. Wages fell behind inflation, and the working poor had to turn to credit cards to pay for food, medical bills, car repair, and other basic necessities. A job loss or reduction in hours spells almost immediate catastrophe for people with no savings, but a lot of debt.

Over the last few years, I have been pounded with the message that downtown panhandlers are the only public face of the homeless, and very few people outside the Continuum of Care recognize that any other homeless persons exist. I contrast this image with the one created by the people calling the Continuum of Care office, and all the other points of service in our community. Hundreds come to each of us every month, and few, if any, are panhandlers looking for an easy way to make a buck. The people we see are working anywhere and everywhere they can, but jobs that pay a living wage are becoming increasingly rare.

The Continuum of Care is partnering with the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce to create a more accurate vision of homelessness in the public mind, and to encourage those who would support panhandlers to support service providers instead. The hope is that service providers can ensure that anyone who needs food and shelter from the cold can get it, and that those looking for a way back into the work force and sustainable housing can get the hand up that they need.

The economic storm brewing is already sending out squall lines that are blasting out at our most vulnerable citizens: single parents, children, the elderly and those in late middle age with health problems. We are grateful to the Chamber of Commerce, and all the others who are joining together to form the first line of defense.

Happy Holidays.