William was sitting in Rittenhouse today and asked me a favor as I walked by: to buy him a cup of coffee. He explained that he is homeless and has no money for food or shelter. When someone asks for food versus cash, I often oblige as they cannot use it to buy drugs or alcohol. I ended up talking to William for over an hour at Barnes & Noble as he articulately told me stories of a childhood in and out of foster homes in North Philly, his introduction to alcohol at age 13, hustling for money, being stabbed, suicide attempts, joining the military and serving in Kuwait. Despite being bi-polar and sipping on an alcoholic drink in his soda cup, William had an amazing mind for details and kept emphasizing his need to tell his story.One theme that continued to come up was love and how all he understands is hate and ignorance. I tried to explain my belief of internal and external love but found it came short as one conversation with one, privileged, white girl seemed utterly insignificant compared to decades of reinforced hate in William's life. I hope he finds the help he needs and encourage everyone to respond to the homeless in their area with kindness. For more ways to help, click here. I am so grateful to be able to pass William's story along, facilitated by a camera and a computer, in an apartment with food I can eat and a bed in which I can sleep.
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