Offering Help to the Homeless

I read with interest the letters (Dec. 5) written in response to Jeff Dietrich’s column (“Homeless and Heartless,” Nov. 26). The subject of homelessness is also found elsewhere in your newspaper and the news media in general.

While I see a lot of words written, I have yet to see anybody personally taking action of a positive nature.

Oh sure, some of us have payroll deductions going to charity, and others even send food or money to various groups, but to my knowledge I am the only person in America to give a home to somebody who was homeless. Why is that?

What did I do? I put an ad in the Recycler. It read: “Room for rent. Free. Call Scotty” and then my phone number.

Only three people replied to my ad in the three weeks it ran. The first one was from the editor of the newspaper. She didn’t believe that I was sincere. She thought that I was “up to something.” She warned me that she “better not get any complaints about me.”

The second person who responded was a young Christian man. After I explained the purpose of the ad, he said that he would let me give my room to somebody who really needed it.

The third person who called was Jose. He was homeless. After I met him and told him what I expected from a roommate he moved in.

Apparently, nobody else who read the ad believed it. How pessimistic we have become. I pray that this will serve as an example to people who are blessed with more than they need, to reach out to people less fortunate than themselves.

My home is still open to anybody who needs a home, for free!

If our people help each other we will all benefit. Up to now we have always placed the blame on the government or whomever we call “they.”

Now is the time for us to help each other. Our fellow human beings die from exposure and hunger while we talk about the problem and pass laws to alleviate our lack of personal involvement and our guilty consciences.

SCOTTY PETERSON

Chino