The plight of those displaced from the former Crossroads Motel has caused some waves in town.
Including resentment.
“These people are looking for a handout, not a hand up,” one woman called in.
For those who work in social services, I have no doubt they hear all sorts of excuses from the down-and- out to continue on government rolls.
As a community we’ve also become somewhat inured to poverty because it’s so much of the landscape in Southeast Kansas.
The Register came upon the story of the homeless couple from my husband, Brian Wolfe. But not right away. And with not a little hesitancy.
Brian was on a run along the Southwind Rail Trail when he came upon the couple sitting on a park bench with their life belongings beside them.
“I saw them ahead, and immediately thought, ‘Uh oh. I do not want anything to do with these people,’” he said.
But because Brian is a stickler about getting in his miles, he forged ahead to pass the couple twice, coming and going past their station on the bench.
To his surprise, they did no more than nod their heads in his direction, making no attempt to apprise him of their clearly dire situation.
The experience left Brian unsettled.
“I had two opportunities to engage this couple, but chose to do nothing,” he said.
Instead, he got in his car and headed home. Then his conscience got the better part of him and he turned the car around.
In a brief conversation he learned of their situation. They didn’t ask for money, food, or shelter. They clearly appreciated his interest.
He sat on this story for the better part of Sunday before he shared it with me to ask if the newspaper could highlight the couple’s situation.
