We acknowledge “it” exists, but don’t want to see the people who comprise “it.” We don’t really want to hear their stories. We often don’t even want to see the people who try to help them.
Homelessness is the problem made invisible by sheer will and aversion. If someone seems to be quietly dwelling on the park bench with a bag full of belongings, we prefer to either assume they are being cared for or that they have chosen not to accept help. If they set up camps along ribbon forests near train tracks or creeks or outskirts, we just avoid those areas.
We tell ourselves there are good reasons to cast this cloak of invisibility (or of deliberate ignorance) — some of which may be true at times. They may be deranged, or simply criminal. They may attempt to take advantage, or to con us. They may have chosen to ignore shelters and services because those who run such operations typically require abstaining from alcohol and drugs, and because shelters typically require men and women to separate. Maybe they are homeless because they decline to follow those rules.
But there is another reason few admit: Seeing the homeless, watching their struggle even briefly, reminds that many of us are often just one or two paychecks away from the same fate, and that almost all of us would be at risk if confronted with a costly, catastrophic tragedy draining our savings and mounting our debts.
All of which is why the opening of a permanent location for Mother Teresa’s Haven for homeless men is not only big news, it is monumental.
Our history of homeless overnight shelters for men has been, almost literally, a patchwork stitched together by a lot of luck and just enough commitment from dedicated people and organizations. For decades, the organization known as VISION struggled to keep a rotating list of hosts who would provide shelter for a week or two.
As far back as 1993, VISION set out to create a permanent location (in a former convent in Newport Township). Public opposition — most notably of the “Not In My Back Yard” variety — was daunting, but in the end, the plan failed because the organization couldn’t afford the purchase, renovation, and upgrades needed to make it happen.
The Diocese of Scranton took on some of the burden of sheltering homeless men decades ago when it set up Mother Teresa’s Haven as a shelter rotating among church basements. It settled in the basement of St. Mary’s Church more than two years ago, but that church is closing this month. Last year, the diocese announced it would get a new, permanent home on the second floor of the building that has long housed the St. Vincent de Paul soup kitchen.
That facility was unveiled with a dedication ceremony Thursday. It can offer shelter to up to 20 men each night, and they will be able to sleep in beds rather than cots. It also offers access to showers and laundry facilities.
“The way being homeless works, you shuffle around all day,” shelter Supervisor Harry Lyons said. “You don’t know where you’re gonna be from one moment to the next. But they know, come 7 p.m., the men are gonna be able to come here, get a hot meal, get a hot shower, and have a place to sleep.”
Services and shelters for the homeless overall remain a patchwork of generous efforts by underfunded agencies, but this is an invaluable step for at least the men taking advantage of the diocesan program.
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