The short-term exotic experience of being in Homeless World is called taking a plunge . While it can be a valuable learning experience, it can also be something that falsely confirms people's terrible stereotypical beliefs about the homeless. I was walking back to the Union Gospel Mission late yesterday afternoon, going north on N. 7th Street, just emerging up from the underpass to the vast desert-like undeveloped area called the Railyard, when I saw ahead of me a group of people sitting under the only circle of shade within a mile. I thought they were light-rail construction workers taking a siesta at first, my vision being so bad, but as I drew closer I could see that they were mostly young people with sleeping bags and backpacks and amid them was Abigail! Hark! Plungers! Abigail, you see, is a former-JV [i.e., Jesuit Volunteer] who got domesticated, turning her volunteer job in Loaves & Fishes' Friendship Park into the same job, only with pay and vaca...
The fearless blog about homelessness that serves the city and county of Sacramento, CA. Written by Tom Armstrong