“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”
— Luke 2:7
In the first moments of his life, the central character in the Christmas story was, himself, homeless. He pretty much stayed that way. “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head,” we are told later in Luke’s account of the life of Christ.
As we naturally reflect on the meaning of the season, there is much that is extraordinary in the story of Christmas. Sadly, homelessness is not one of them.
Although it is hard to establish a precise number of Americans who are homeless at any given time, the U.S. Census estimates there are currently more than 600,000 Americans who fit that definition. Of that group, one in 30 — 2.5 million total — are children. Almost 10 percent are veterans.
Clearly, the causes of homelessness are many and often complex. While we would ease our conscience by assuming the homeless are merely “reaping what they sow,” there are many others who have come to this terrible state by circumstances they can neither control, nor manage without help. Mental illness, abuse, addiction, poverty are often root causes of homelessness.
According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, the effects of the Great Recession of 2008 produced a 42 percent jump in Mississippi’s homeless population, yet efforts to mobilize a response to that crisis has been slow in coming.
In our area, there is only one homeless shelter in a 100-mile radius, the Salvation Army Shelter in Tupelo. A homeless shelter in Tuscaloosa destroyed in the April 2012 tornado has not been replaced.
The sad reality is that tonight in Columbus, a man is sleeping under a bridge, a woman sleeps in a car, children sleep in abandoned buildings. Families find temporary refuge on the floor of a hard-pressed relative or friend.
Given that grim reality, we are encouraged by efforts underway to address this problem.
In today’s edition of The Dispatch, we see the work of a faith-based coalition of local businessmen to provide shelter – and much more – to men who are recovering addicts and alcoholics. “Last House of the Block” has been in operation since 2012 and has grown to provide shelter and support for 25 men in two houses. Since its inception, more than 15 men have left “Last House” and become successful, productive members of society.
In addition to “Last House,” a group of community leaders, both faith-based and secular, are joining efforts to organize and provide a homeless shelter in Columbus.
At the moment, the group is still in the organizational stage, but leaders hope to have a shelter operating within a year.
In the meantime, the Community Outreach Center helps arrange temporary housing for the homeless. Contact director Glenda Buckhalter if you would like to help. Her number is 662-244-3525.
We welcome these efforts and urge all citizens to rally in support of this much-needed, long-overdue homeless shelter.
We remember the “babe lying in a manger” this time of year.
Somewhere in Columbus tonight, another babe has “”no crib for a bed.”
That should not only break our hearts, but inspire us to action.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.