Homelessness

You hear the stories and statistics about homeless people, but unless you're in the gritty city, you don't often see them in your community. But they're there. A few days ago, I spent an evening in the cold with volunteers and workers from the Union County Department of Human Services and the Plainfield Police Department, who went to the streets to Plainfield, N.J., to count the homeless and get them food and shelter.

What I witnessed that night was horrific. We encountered six men who had made homes in abandoned buildings, under staircases, beside streams, in any manner of makeshift shelter. All smelled of alcohol. Many slept near their feces and garbage. The stench and sights made my mind reel. I struggled to understand how anyone could live like that. Did they become homeless because of their substance abuse?  Or do they abuse substances to cope with their homelessness? Do they have families? Do their families know they live like that? 

I couldn't answer these questions in just the few hours I spent in Plainfield that night. But I hope my photos below help viewers see that the homeless are more than just statistics.