On Sunday, November 11, Monroe County jump-started its annual Homeless Awareness Week with a Shelter Concert at the RRCA. This musical/informational event was propelled by the efforts of Stephanie Kasprzak and Kim Ruez of MCOP and Brad Schreiber of By Design Graphic Arts and Marketing. Even in the dimly-lit theater, it was easy to see and feel the absolute devotion of every person there. Each has the same single-minded goal, to provide assistance to those local residents who need it most.
Homelessness is not confined to large, metropolitan areas; it is a sobering fact of life, one that exists even here in Monroe. And the efforts of several people are certainly enough to get the ball rolling, but eradicating homelessness will require the efforts of our entire community.
Which is why I must ask this one bothersome question: why didn’t everyone physically capable of attending the Shelter Concert do so? Admission was merely a blanket, and the entertainment was first-class, provided in one of Monroe’s most historic and note-worthy buildings.
Despite tons of social media marketing and plenty of print advertising, attendance at this event was scant. Yet when a gala is sponsored, whereby expensive tickets for admission are sold and the required dress is formal, people flock in droves to ensure they’re on the guest list.
The statistics for homelessness are overwhelming. One in four of these people, for instance, is a war vet, and at least 119 people just in Monroe have no place to live. This means no warm bed to sleep in, no refrigerator or pantry stocked with fresh food, no couch on which to rest and watch TV. Instead, these people are forced into shelters, under bridges or even in their cars.
Imagine living like that, not only when its 100 degrees outside and the humidity is thick enough to choke you, but when it’s 9 degrees and the air is so cold it hurts your lungs to inhale.
Those who are homeless need our attention right now. It’s not enough to think about them…we each need to act today. Please, please donate something to one of the many community organizations in town. For more information, call MCOP at 241-2775.
