I was standing in McPherson Square handing out my typical bananas and water and song sheets. I also had some clothing and toiletries and snacks which had been donated recently.
As I was standing next to my table, a very petite well groomed nice and neat young lady walked up to my table. There was that look of fear in her eyes that told me she was new to those streets. I asked her name and how long she had been there in Kensington and she told me…
"About 2 weeks."
I already knew the answer would be something like that.
She told me something that I've heard time and time again.
"I came here from my home in the Philadelphia suburbs and I got
stuck."
It seems to me that any city referencing itself as the City of Brotherly Love should have a system in place where any human being who has been made in the image of God and who is worthy of the highest dignity and honor and respect and love should be able to walk up to any police officer on the street or walk into any emergency room or clinic or any other such place of authority and say…
"Hi. Help me. I am stuck and I need help now."
Any one of us who has a car knows that we can do that if our car breaks down and we need help from a tow truck. These human beings need a tow truck for their lives.
It is high time that the City of Brotherly Love takes the initiative to identify every single block that prevents these human beings from getting the care that they need promptly and with dignity and respect so that they do not have to live on the street if they would rather not do so.
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