Can I enforce the rules if someone is mentally ill?
Dear Ryan, I work in a public library. Last week, a patron with obvious mental health issues set a pocket knife on the table where he was reading. He didn’t threaten anyone with it, but he did leave it out in the open where it was visible to everyone for several hours. Some of my […]
“An addict will do anything to not be dope sick.”
“I am scared sh*tless of being dope sick. I will do anything, anything I have to do to make sure I’m not dope sick… An addict will do anything to not be dope sick. It is our biggest fear.” Sherri If you work with the public, there are two things you need to know about […]
People who choose to be homeless
“What do we do about people who choose to be homeless?” A lot of people have asked me that question lately. Maybe it is the explosive growth of tent cities popping up around the country. My answer is simple: Nothing. We shouldn’t do anything about people who choose to be homeless because no one chooses […]
You’re not wrong. Right now IS harder than ever.
I get several emails per week from people who say that they—and their organizations—are at a breaking point. They cite the same things: Increased numbers of individuals experiencing homelessness. More mental illness (and more severe mental illness). Overwhelmed staff quitting for better pay and less conflict at Chipotle. More physically frail elderly homeless individuals. More […]
He brought Vietnam with him to the shelter.
I didn’t know that Gary fought in Vietnam—he was very quiet and private. He was a big man with a bushy mustache, mostly gray now. It was a Thursday night in 2010, probably around 11:00 pm. It was this time of year—fall—during one of the few fall nights that is beautiful in the Chicago area. […]
Are you overwhelmed?
I am having more conversations lately with people who are utterly overwhelmed. I have my theories. Two of them are: The makeup of homelessness has changed because Covid “activated” a lot of mental illness. Consequently, there are simply more people in active episodes of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder right now. The “labor shortage” is stressing […]
Another problem with sexual harassment.
It was a calm Friday night in the homeless shelter. The church volunteers were serving spaghetti. One of the new residents walked up to me smiling broadly. He was in his early 20’s, thin, nicely dressed, Asian and wearing thick coke-bottle glasses. The conversation went something like this: Ryan: Good evening! How my I […]
I practiced saying “my apartment.”
The following is the final installment of an essay written by Jaime L. Benshoff about her experiences being homeless. If you want to read the earlier parts, you can find them here: Have a great week! Ryan Finding Home Part 6 of 6By Jaime L. Benshoff When I was notified that I had won my […]
Are you homeless?
The following is the fifth installment of an essay written by Jaime L. Benshoff about her experiences being homeless. If you want to read the earlier parts, you can find them here: Have a great week! Ryan DISCLAIMER: This installment of Jaime’s story is especially honest. Don’t read it in front of your children. Finding […]
Christmas lights do not dispel darkness. They reveal it.
The following is the fourth installment of an essay written by Jaime L. Benshoff about her experiences being homeless. If you want to read the earlier parts, you can find them here: Have a great week! Ryan Finding Home Part 4 of 6By Jaime L. Benshoff With the problems of meals and where I would […]
