When I was working for Oakland PD as a crime and violence prevention consultant, I noticed that homeless people hung out at the entrance to the police department. Over time, I got to know them. One day, as I was leaving, I was asked if I wanted to meet Mother Wright, who was serving food in Old Man’s Park. Little did I know that I would end up working with Mother Mary Ann Wright for four and a half years.
One Saturday, we didn’t have enough servers, so Mother Wright called out over her megaphone, asking for a volunteer. James stepped forward. We got to know each other, and he asked if I would help him. My first thought was that he wants money. To my surprise, he stated, “I don’t want to go back to San Quentin Prison, but I didn’t know what I needed to change.” Since I didn’t know, I offered to sit down after lunch and see if we could figure it out. That marked the beginning of a two-month session, held every Saturday.
After every meeting, I took notes to see if I could offer him some motherly wisdom that I had shared with my three children. My parents had gotten divorced when I was ten, and my father was an alcoholic. My mother and her boyfriend abandoned me in Mexico City at age 15, and I didn’t speak the language, but I knew something about survival and how to thrive.
During one of our sessions, James said that he had learned a great deal, and other homeless men expressed interest in joining us. That made me a bit nervous meeting a group of homeless men in the park, so I suggested we meet in a public place. Across the street was an old church with hand-painted words “New St. Paul’s Baptist Church.” We met with Pastor Flemon Henry, and we decided to meet for three months to see if any progress could be made to help the men.
To my surprise, eighteen men attended the first meeting, and some were high on drugs. At every meeting, the number of men present fluctuated. It was challenging to get them to sit still and listen to one another; however, once we overcame that hurdle, the men began to share their life stories with each other. They told horror stories of abuse, whippings, abandonment, and exposure to drugs, gangs, and crime. They confessed to abusing women and relatives who tried to help.
Pastor Henry was aware of the mental, physical, and emotional abuse that many of the homeless men had experienced. I never thought adults could be so violent and cruel toward their own children. Due to drug addiction, the group dwindled to nine men. During the three months, it became clear that these men needed guidance from people who cared about them. Pastor Henry emphasized the importance of God’s help in learning how to forgive oneself and others. As one man said, “I forgot how to love.” After three months, five men got jobs, three men got into a drug rehab program, and one decided to work with Pastor Henry and help other men who were struggling.
I learned a great deal from the pastor about the power of God to heal and change lives. Violent behavior is a clear indication of power abuse. When one doesn’t know how to handle their emotions or how to empower themselves, they may resort to controlling others with anger and violence. I heard many stories of trying to escape from oneself through drugs, sex, and violence to take control of the moment.
American taxpayers spend $220 million a DAY on child abuse and neglect, which often leads to homelessness. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), an estimated 500,000 homeless people are living on our streets, which costs around $45,000 for each person annually. Many local governments give the homeless money for food and drugs to keep them alive.
Change is needed and should be at the forefront of the public conversation. Child abuse and drugs negatively impact families. We should be asking the question, “Why aren’t more volunteers and church leaders reaching out to help empower the homeless? Why aren’t city leaders funding Neighborhood Safety Experts to help bring neighbors together to create stronger families and communities that support each other?” Church leaders could help reduce social isolation, fear, and anger by promoting “Love Thy Neighbor” to help prevent child abuse.
We should all be encouraged that Charlie Kirk helped to demonstrate to young people the power of the human spirit to stay calm and speak up without anger. He showed us, by example, why love and faith in God are critical for America’s survival.
There are numerous rewards to be gained by helping others. People experiencing homelessness taught me valuable lessons I never would have learned if I had not gotten involved. For two hundred years, Americans didn’t rely on the police or government to keep us safe and healthy. Americans relied on God and one another. In a free society, people must work together to create thriving families and neighborhoods, which will make our cities safer, more productive, and much more peaceful.
