Adam

I saw my "friend" Adam again today. It's been about 4 months since I last saw him. He was doing his usual thing- sitting on the corner in front of Walgreens with a sign that said, "Need work for food and gas", only this time he was wearing socks on his hands and was dressed in an old jacket that was zippered up to his chin. Adam was also sitting on a rusty old tool box.

If you can't imagine the picture of him that I am attempting to describe to you, it's probably like the pictures of people on the street that you have seen before, only he is right here in Libertyville. I was fortunate enough to speak with him a little bit about his situation last time I saw him, and I wish I could give him a job that would really set him up on his own.

But I don't have a job for him, and the most I've had for him in the past is a sandwich and a water bottle from Jewel.

This time that I saw him, I gave him a gift card to Subway, which I'm not sure why I didn't think of that in the past. It's perfect because it's right next to the spot that he frequents, it allows him to go inside somewhere warm, and he can get a variety of stuff there that he might like.

Homelessness in this country is a real problem. I am fortunate enough to know a lot of different people, this man included, and his story is tough. All our stories are tough, but some people have it tougher- and not necessarily due to an alcohol or drug problem. That stereotype has given the homeless a bad rep, just like any stereotype does.

So maybe next time you see someone who is homeless, you give him or her some clothes, or a sandwich, or maybe you internally decide to say a prayer or a well wish at another time....it's a start.