The Idea Kaleidoscope: 19. Give Them a Chance

Happily living in a war-free country we often don't realize that we owe our freedom and peaceful life to those who fought for it, to veterans. Many soldiers never came back from war, while many of those who returned have had troubles adjusting to normal life again. Alcoholism, criminality, suicide attempts, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other disabilities are not rare among veterans and can result in homelessness. These are some serious problems that veterans often can't solve on their own, so this is the right time for us to return the favor and intervene to improve their lives.

Dégagé Ministries, a social organization that offers help to homeless and disadvantaged individuals, recently did an interesting social makeover experiment, the goal of which was to help Jim Wolf, a homeless United States Army veteran, quit drinking and return to normal life. A group of volunteers teamed up to radically transform Jim's look, capturing the process in a time-lapse video. According to the video, the physical change has become a turning point in Jim's life, prompting him to get his own housing and start attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Working from the outside in, the volunteers were able to instill confidence in Jim and give him hope for a brighter future.

I love the quote by Mother Teresa that Dégagé Ministries used on their website, "We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty." We need to be more attentive to the lives of those whom we often pass by on the streets, as they may be someone who fought to protect us. They need our care, and now it's our turn to protect them.

The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/mothertere130839.html#DQsiX8ci5Tfmx5C2.99

The Idea Kaleidoscope

Sunday, November 24, 2013

19. Give Them a Chance

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