Last January Washington, D.C. began implementing a tax on disposable paper and plastic carryout bags. The 5-cent fee on bags produced an almost immediate reduction in the usage of single-use bags and their subsequent appearance in area waterways. The bag tax is great and all, but it makes me wonder: Why doesn’t DC have a [...]

Dwight, IL – Pontiac, IL   19.9 miles For the second time in my cross-country journey I have found myself interrogated by police simply for being a person with a backpack. Now I have no problem with a police officer asking me if I am OK. There was just a tornado in Dwight, the location from [...]

Sooner or later, most people will encounter a panhandler. It is an unjust fact of life. Though on most days my path crosses someone or another begging for some change, typically I don’t give money to panhandlers. It is not that I don’t empathize with their suffering, or that I doubt their need, but I [...]

Jan. 27, 2010 Those who are homeless are often invisible, ignored. We chose to see, or not see, the man begging for change as we walk down the street. We forget that our friends who just needed a place to stay “for a few days” are still sleeping on our couch. We ignore the waitress [...]

Jan. 19, 2010 The Washington Post today reported that the crush of those seeking public services has so far exceeded the district’s ability to process applications that some have been forced to spend day after day waiting in line. It is a far cry from the near mob scene in Detroit last October when thousands [...]

Dec. 28, 2009 Human beings are not meant to live in the cold. Some of us may enjoy living in cooler regions, but I doubt anyone enjoys spending any real amount of time exposed to the elements without proper clothing. Yet routinely the poor and the homeless are left ill prepared to shelter themselves from [...]

Dec. 27, 2009 Earlier this week the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the release of $1.4 billion in grants to help keep thousands of local homeless assistance programs operating. It pales in comparison to the massive bailouts handed out to financial institutions earlier this year, but it is welcome news nonetheless. The [...]

Dec. 24, 2009 Today many of us will spend the day finishing up preparations for Christmas. Gifts will be wrapped, last-minute trips to the store will be made, food will be cooked and family and friends will gather as the festivities begin. And so many people are truly generous this time of year. It is [...]

Dec. 17, 2009 It is no secret that so many of the homeless in this country are veterans. And little shocks me these days. But I found myself surprised to learn the number of homeless female veterans to be on the rise. According to a report by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, women are [...]

Dec. 16, 2009 More than a year ago my husband and I were at home one Sunday morning when he noticed the back of our apartment was on fire. Faulty electrical wiring in the restaurant below had created a fire that was likely smoldering for hours before it spread to our apartment. In the months [...]