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For the Record: 05/15/08

Posted on May 15, 2008 by Staff

A friend of ours who used to work at the Inter-Faith Council once lamented over another in the string of attempts to find a new home for the downtown homeless shelter by noting that, “If we were talking about dolphins, we’d have no problem.”

He was absolutely right. If Chapel Hill and Carrboro suddenly found themselves inundated with homeless dolphins, we’d go all out. There’d be the best dolphin shelter money could buy.

But his point — and ours — is that the homeless in question are instead human beings, and what a commentary it is that we are so reluctant to extend ourselves in the same way about our own kind.

Reluctant, even though most of us were brought up in one among the traditions of faith that demand of us compassion for those less fortunate.

The shelter at the corner of Rosemary and Columbia has been more than the last refuge for some or a hot meal for many. It has also served as a reminder — a large, prominently placed reminder — that we’ve work to do, that even in this seemingly prosperous community there is poverty and addiction and that there are some among us who are trapped in a hopeless cycle and are unable or unwilling to reach for that tattered, frayed safety net we all talk about. And we are reminded that such conditions fall disproportionately among minorities, young families and those who have served our country in uniform. If you have not pulled up to the corner of Rosemary and Columbia and at least once wondered why things are the way they are, then you have overlooked a true opportunity for reflection.

That was the point, or part of the point, of having the shelter there in the first place — that it would be right in front of us.

Moving the shelter has been a difficult and wrenching process.

But it has also led to some very thoughtful debate and discussion and, even more importantly, a critical examination of our commitment.

Those discussions will continue as the shelter is built and moved and as the IFC attempts to find a new home
for its community kitchen. The recent agreement on the men’s shelter sets in motion a need to find that solution soon.

As a community, we have made enormous progress in understanding the intricacies of homelessness and revised and adjusted our efforts to address it.

We have gotten better at “dealing” with the problem, but let’s not lose sight of the fact that the numbers — so many beds, so many meals — are connected to actual people.

Having the right facilities are important, but they are only the means. Our commitment and our compassion should outshine anything made of bricks and mortar.

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