Homelessness Is All Over The Nation - 1565 Words

Homelessness is all over the nation-- like an epidemic, it invades the lives of unsuspecting people, college students and veterans being a subsection of the homeless population affected. A staggering 5,600 college students nationwide are homeless or living in their cars, with the numbers increasing yearly (Gregory). Our brave veterans put their lives on the line to protect this country and go overseas with the government’s false promise that once they return from war, they’ll have an enormous pension, but once they return, the only things waiting for them are the cold streets. No sane human being would ask to be left without shelter and sustenance, but what if by a tragic incident, one day all your belongings are gone and the only items†¦show more content†¦I was part of the unfortunate group who was forced to find shelter on the streets. Food is the most tedious task of the day, and it often occupies your mind at all times, especially in your sleep. Waking up in the dark, cold corner of Herman Ave, I find myself lying down under a tree confused by my surroundings. In a panic, my feet jump to touch the ground trying to search for a familiar sight. Once all the memories from the night before immerge, I recall not eating for the past two days and that has brought short -term memory loss every time I awake. I feel my body eating itself from the inside, and I muster the strength to walk to the corner of a 711 gas station to beg for change. Dozens of people walk pass me and give me a smug face and stare at me as if I were a foreign animal in a cage—out on display for their amusement. Two hours pass before I collect enough money to purchase a ninety-nine cent doughnut. After satisfying my hunger, I go to my favorite location where I search for food—a subway shop on Vasco Road. Thinking back to two hours ago, I wondered why I didn’t initially come to this location instead of showcasing myself at 711; my brain must have lacked oxygen. The walk from 711 to Subway is minimal; it took (takes) me one minute to arrive. I look inside the sandwich shop to reassure myself that there is only one employee working, and I dash to