This evening I met Alfonso, a man experiencing homelessness, while picking up dinner. I gave him some money (I made sure not to touch him as I handed him the money) and sat with him for a bit (at a safe distance) to learn more about his story. I also called a few hotels to find him a room for the night (I tried to find a way to get one within walking distance for him, so he could go on his own). Turns out he didn't have an ID, so I needed to book the room in my name and then drive him over (I had both of us use hand sanitizer, opened the door for him, and had him sit in the back seat). After I signed the paperwork at the hotel (I used hand sanitizer again), and shook Alfonso's hand (used hand sanitizer yet again), and drove home (used a disinfecting wipe to wipe down the inside of the car where he had sat, changed my clothes, and washed my hands).
I included all those parentheticals just to say, I was very conscious of how to minimize risk every step of the way. And yet it still may not have been enough, and I'm sure quite a few people are reading this thinking it was a foolish thing to do.
I get it. We have to be so careful right now, and we have a shelter-in-place order for a reason. Especially for myself, I'm conscious of the fact that I have a son - albeit one who I don't see every day - and my parents are visiting this weekend (that's a separate story). All the warnings are right, and people should be at home away for the sake of everyone else.
But I'm still left wondering: if all the people who can shelter-in-place do so, what about all those who have no shelter? If all the people who have sufficient food remain at home, what about all those who are going without? If all those who can care for themselves stay safe, what about all those who require care?
Food pantries, homeless shelters, meal packing for families experiencing food insecurity ... these still need to exist. Individuals keeping an eye out for others ... we need these too. Heck, we've already established that we need grocers, cleaners, EMS workers, etc. As much as we would love to just shut down society altogether for 6 weeks, it doesn't quite work that way in practice. And the ones who suffer the most are the ones who can't afford to be left to their own devices. If all the helpers remain at home - lots of vulnerable people are going to have issues.
I say this even as I also say that every necessary step should be taken to avoid infection, including avoiding going out altogether. But when you see someone in need, it would be callous to simply ignore them. Even more when you feel the tug of the Holy Spirit telling you to give from the heart, from your abundance.
I don't know. I don't have any real answers. I just know that we belong to each other. We owe it to those most at risk of serious complications from the virus, and to the weak and helpless in our communities.
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