This post was originally written for Poverty Insights by Mattie Lord of UMOM New Day Centers.  Mattie is also a Project Coordinator for Project H3: Home, Health, Hope; of which HOM, Inc. is a proud partner.

While sitting at a stop sign, minding my own business, two men drove by and flipped me off.  I have no idea why – I did nothing to them.  Perhaps they passed judgment based on my appearance, my car, or perhaps my “Life is good” bumper sticker.  It reminded me of how often people experiencing homelessness are judged and misjudged – how frequently others make assumptions and draw conclusions without knowing anything about them.  We expect it from people who just don’t understand the issues or the population, but it is surprisingly common even within the human services arena.  Too often, our most vulnerable – those most in need of help – are overlooked or discounted by homeless service providers.

Meet Mark.  Mark is a sixty-one year old man who lived on the streets for the past thirty years, half of his life.  He has been well-known to service providers, outreach teams, and law enforcement in Phoenix, Arizona for his drunken and belligerent behavior.  For years, he More >