As the weekend approaches, most of us are getting in touch with friends to make plans, making reservations to our favorite Fort Worth restaurants, and maybe even getting a relaxing manicure. Some weekends you may find yourself to be more “tapped out” then others, but you probably don’t mind too much when you stream almost any movie or television show to your television, and enjoy Americas new favorite past time; binge watching. However, as you are dancing, and drinking with friends Downtown, or on 7thSt. there is a much sadder affair happening not too far away.
Along the streets of Fort Worth, there are people who have been forgotten by family and friends. Some may not have ever had close family, some may have burned too may bridges, and others are sick with addiction or mental illness. According to the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition or tchc, there were 2,425 people who were homeless within Tarrant and Parker Country in 2014. This is a gut-wrenching statistic, the tchc also recognizes that almost 30% of those who are homeless are children and teens under the age of 18. This is even more alarming and heartbreaking.
The stigma around homelessness basically revolves around “laziness” and “druggies”, but this is what helps others to look away and not care. It is easier to blame the victim, instead of having empathy for whatever circumstances that caused these lost souls to be without a home or food. Why are we more willing to look away, then helping? Every child deserves a home and three square meals a day. Fort Worth can do better, and so can the citizens within.