I like to believe that all human beings can be good natured. While many potentially can be, there are some who actually walk the walk! Such was the case when it came to the owner of P.B. Jams, Ashley Jiron, who noticed that someone had been rummaging through her trash in search of food. Instead of complaining, or using “spikes,” or any of the other inhumane methods that some business owners have implemented to keep the homeless away, Ashley put up a sign actually inviting the person to come in for a proper meal during regular business hours.
“You are a human being, worth more than a meal from a dumpster,” said Ashley in her note. A most heartwarming gesture of kindness reminding us that yes, human beings are good natured.
Across the United States, there are over 600,000 Americans without a home. Particularly troubling is that according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, approximately 49,933 veterans are homeless on any given night. We should recognize that any one of us is just one really bad break away from ending up in a similar situation! None of us are immune to this. If you have time, I suggest that you help out in kitchens and donate your time if you can, also advocate for real change.
Given all these astronomical numbers, clearly we have a homeless problem in this country. Some of it can be attributed to mental illness. Ashley’s act of kindness could play a major role in helping this person in getting his or her life together. Sometimes all we need is to be reminded that we are human beings, to see that someone cares and respects us. Though she only offered food to this person, Ashley could quite well end up providing so much more to them. We could all learn a lot from Ashley Jiron, and we should!
Just a life long New Yorker sharing the journey through my lens. Please take note of a post’s date. The views I express here are subject to change and evolving as I grow and learn.
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