I feel compelled to respond to one of the comments I received in regards to the picture and story that I posted about the homeless man I met last night.

First of all, most of you have left very positive messages and some have even said that I've inspired you. That is all I can hope for in situations like this. My main goal is to inspire others to help where they can and to get educated about global issues happening every single day.

On the other hand, there was one comment that made me frown. Honestly, I would have helped this man regardless of how "smelly" he might have been. I feel that the person who said that has a naive perspective on the issue of homelessness. Understanding and reaching out to these kinds of people must come from the heart and soul, and it goes much, much deeper than that. Most people who know me well know that I have a ridiculously sensitive sense of smell, but I would never let something like that keep me from helping someone like Sam. These are people who have to survive in temperatures well below zero, at times. I'd like to request that we all think of them the next time we're comfortable and warm inside of our homes or during our next warm meal. Not all homeless men, women, and children choose this lifestyle. That is one of the many myths that exist, and I'm working on a project that is meant to dispel such false assumptions. I encourage you to learn more about this issue in the near future.

Please take a look at some of the work our organization is doing these days:
http://www.giveusyourpoor.org

If you're interested in seeing the exact project I'm working on, look for the link at the top of the homepage that reads, "Feels Like Home - CD Audio Project"

Thank you for taking time for these crucial matters.
~Brie~