On The Record, Vol. 3, No. 2, Ed. 1 Friday, July 15, 2011 Page: 20 of 39
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Homeless without a job:
A harsh reality
It's 2:30 p.m. on a hot June day and D.J.* is on the
bus to the Social Security Administration Office.
He needs a new Social Security card if he hopes to
get a job. Two days before he received a state issued
I.D., so he's on the right track.
D.J. is one of hundreds of homeless people n
Denton, trying to turn their circumstances around
and become self-sufficient.
"I'm 33 and I should have my life together, but I
don't," he said.
D.J. said he sometimes he lives with a friend in
an apartment, and other times, he sleeps on the
street.
Ted Stark can relate. He is an assistant chef at Our
Daily Bread, a community soup kitchen located in St.
Andrew Presbyterian Church on Oak Street.
"This isn't just a job for me, I had a choice," Stark
said. "At one point in my life I was homeless, [and] I
like to give back."
Pursuing the Path of Partying
D.J. grew up near Piano in an upper-middle class
family he said.
Frustrated by his parents' divorce and family
tensions, a young D.J. drifted into drugs and partying,
he said.
That lifestyle and frequent jail terms placed D.J in
his current situation.
"A lot of this s self-inflicted," he said. "I'm not
looking for a pity party."
His last offense, a DWI last spring, cost him his
driver's license, job and apartment within 40 days,
he said.
"I guess it's part of the punishment, but what do
they expect you to do?" he asked. "For somebody
who's really trying, the system s not set up to help
you. Once you're on paper, you're on a leash."
Without easy access to standard amenities, such
as showers and a place to sleep, job hunting is more
difficult, D.J. said.
"It's hard to find work when you don't smell the
best," he said.
Homeless in Denton
Even though the resources for homeless people
are helpful, it's difficult to find a job in Denton, D.J.
said.
Despite that, he said he prefers trying to get back
on his feet here instead of Dallas, where there are
more job prospects.
"I've been homeless in Dallas before - t's horrible,"
he said. "You have to sleep on top of your belongings
or you'll end up with your shoes stolen. I've been to
the shelters there, and I'd rather sleep on the streets
here."
Brenda Jackson, the program coordinator at the
Salvation Army, said with the down economy, there
has been an increase in the number of people asking
for assistance.
Denton needs a long-term shelter, and the public
needs to know about the other needs of homeless
people, Jackson said.
"They don't just need money," she said. "They
need support, education, to build skil ls of self-suffi-
ciency."
Changing Perceptions
Jackson said she wants people to challenge the
stereotypes they have of homeless people.
"They're human beings first," she said. "We have
to treat them with respect."
Stark said employers and the public shouldn't hold
a person's homelessness against him or her.
"Most homeless people are humble, and given the
opportunity they'll work just as hard if not harder
than people who have a lot," he said
Jackson said with the economy and employers
being choosy about applicants, the number of home-
less people will ncrease.
Homeless not Hopeless
Despite the steep odds, D.J. said he still has hope
for turning his life around and getting back on his
feet for good.
In a year, D.J. said he sees himself living in his own
place with a good-paying job and a motorcycle.
"Even in the Bible t says the righteous man falls
seven times and he still gets up," he said. "And I
believe that."
-Corrisa Jackson, Senior Staff Writer
*Name changed to protect identity
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Top Left: Three homeless men seek shelter in an abandoned building.
Top Middle: Our Daily Bread, located in St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, serves hundreds of homeless everyday.
Top Right: Our Daily Bread hands out prepackaged meals on the weekends when the food service is closed.
Above: A man lays his head down on a table at Our Daily Bread inside St. Andrew Presbyterian Church.
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Zucker, Shaina. On The Record, Vol. 3, No. 2, Ed. 1 Friday, July 15, 2011, periodical, July 15, 2011; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth209155/m1/20/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .