Preface
I was at a restaurant for a friend’s birthday dinner this past weekend and, as usual, some of us couldn’t eat our entire plate of food. After getting takeout boxes, a comment was made in passing about how leftover food is rarely eaten after being taken home. In full transparency, I can relate to this. So, a suggestion arose about giving the leftovers to anyone on the street who appears to be experiencing homelessness.
Please note that this comment was made with the best intentions completely absent of malice or condescension. I also want to point out that we are all still learning, and my intention is not to harshly judge a comment made with good intent.
However, after hearing a group consensus that this was a good idea, I found myself shocked because this did not come across as a kind gesture to me. The idea of offering my leftovers to another human being, especially a stranger, strikes me as undermining another person’s dignity. Thus, could likely hurt more than help. This scenario made me think about the increasing cases of homelessness in Canada and how important it is to remind each other that despite our differences, everyone is entitled to dignity and respect.
Thoughts Provoked by the Word “Homeless”
In discussions surrounding the rising cost of living, the opioid crisis, the troubling job market, and subsequent increasing homelessness, much of the conversation is around solutions to this issue. Further, concerned community members and local political advocates often express frustration with the government and social institutions that have allowed these rates of homelessness to rise. To some, rising levels of homelessness can mean safety concerns, a change in community demographic, or an increased strain on limited resources that are evidently not helping. I can understand these concerns and why this side of the issue has taken up more space in public discourse. However, I do think that important discussions surrounding dignity and homelessness are left out of this conversation.
Here is a diagram of the housing continuum:
Consider where you draw the line for who can afford dignity on this scale.
I read an excellent article on a lived experience with the homeless shelter system published by Invisible People. I will link it here. It discusses the treatment of unhoused individuals through the homeless shelter system. Just as importantly, this article highlights the errors of our culture surrounding homelessness and the correlation between money and respect. Some of you may equate homelessness to the resulting repercussions of drug abuse or mental health issues. However, there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to how one ends up unhoused. In the article linked, the story follows a woman and her young son who were displaced by domestic violence.
My point here is that several factors that can lead to homelessness. It seems as though all people in an unhoused situation are looked down upon and treated as less than. I am questioning why this means that dignity is stripped away and why respect is revoked.
Dignity and Food Insecurity
A few years ago, I was working at an organization that aimed to address food insecurity in the local community. We would receive food shipments from local grocery stores where excess stock was nearing the best-before date. The organization was then able to sell these food items at a steep discount to those experiencing food insecurity.
A new proposal was introduced to distribute food past its best-before/expiry date at a steeper discount or for free. We launched a survey to program participants facing the most severe food insecurity to determine if this was something that the community would want. The results reflected that regardless of food insecurity, many people were not thrilled about the idea of buying/receiving expired food. This makes sense to me. I hope we all can understand how regardless of income, there is still a level of dignity involved with our nutrition options.
*This organization also had programs in place to combat food waste, such as repurposing food items nearing expiry to create nutritious frozen meals and baked goods. This anecdote is not to encourage mass food waste, just to convey that no one should be expected to sacrifice dignity*
When I discuss this experience, my peers often respond with “food insecure households should take what they can get.” Why is there an assumption that anyone is less deserving of fresh, nutritious food than others? I do understand that in some cases this is not an option. Resources can be scarce and sometimes people have to make do. Nevertheless, should we not strive to break the assumption that just because one cannot afford it, means they don’t deserve it?
The Bottom Line
I do not intend to imply that every person should go out and purchase fresh, hot meals and distribute them to those who may not have access to a hot meal daily. Also, I am not claiming to have a solution to offer or trying to say that everyone should be working day and night to address this issue. The reality is that this social, economic, and political climate of ours is extremely complex. In fact, although it would be kind, I am not suggesting that anyone does anything out of the ordinary at all. I simply want to stress that treating others with dignity and respect can go a long way. So, I think we can all do better than offering up half-eaten leftovers to anyone. Especially to someone whom life and the world have likely treated with little respect.
I am sure that some of you may still have the mindset of take what you can get.” At least, this is the attitude I have seen reflected in my peers. At the end of the day, I understand how challenging it can be to place yourself in another’s shoes. However, I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on this. Consider the respect you have for yourself and how your perspective might change if your security and maintained self-respect were under attack. Consider the feeling of being treated as if you deserve less than, simply because you already have less than others. What value do you place on humanity and self-respect? The bottom line is there should never be a price on human dignity that some cannot afford.
Sources
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. (2023, June 16). A review of Canadian homelessness data, 2023. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75f0002m/75f0002m2023004-eng.htm
Richards, D. (2022, October 9). Kindness and dignity help homeless people more than infantilizing them – invisible people. Invisible People. https://invisiblepeople.tv/kindness-and-dignity-help-homeless-people-more-than-infantilizing-them/
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