Stanley C. Brown once told about a young boy who ran an errand for his mother and bought a dozen eggs. Walking out of the store, he tripped and dropped his sack. All of the eggs broke, and the sidewalk was a mess. The boy tried not to cry as a few people gathered to see if he was okay and to tell him how sorry they were. Suddenly, in the midst of the crowd’s pity party, one man handed the boy a quarter. Then he turned to the group and said, “I care 25 cents worth. How much do the rest of you care?”

The man who gave that little boy a quarter also taught that crowd a lesson about helping a neighbor. The optimist in me is certain that some of the folks in that crowd had pure motives as they consoled that little boy. The skeptic in me is believes that others in the crowd feigned concern for appearance’s sake. Yet the realist in me acknowledges that the twenty-five-cent gift was the best response of all. Some people respond to challenges with words; others respond with plans; but those who are most effective and successful at helping people respond with action.


Setting the Record Straight

We are all familiar with common clichés and simplistic statements concerning the world’s problems. To be fair, several of them have merit. You don’t need a Ph.D. in sociology to recognize the wisdom of some familiar pop culture proverbs.

Think globally; act locally. You can certainly do your part to change the world!

Two wrongs don’t make a right. Another person’s misdeed never justifies an evil response.

Actions speak louder than words. The boy who dropped his eggs was helped more by a single coin than by several condolences.

While cultural catchphrases can contain trustworthy truth, TVCH cares for individuals who happen to be homeless. Unfortunately, these comments often betray an alarming lack of understanding about the issue. When people ignore the issue, skew the subject, or throw in the towel, the task of tackling homelessness becomes even tougher. That’s why we strive to correct the misconceptions people sometimes propagate about the matter.

“We don’t have any homeless people here.” That’s denying the problem.

“Most people are homeless because they want to be.” That’s distorting the problem.

“Somebody needs to do something about homelessness.” That’s delegating the problem.

Problems are not solved by perverting the burden or passing the buck. Rather than giving in to lies or grieving about limitations, those who truly seek to help the homeless must be willing to honestly evaluate the issue and then respond accordingly


Words Are Not Enough

Some people seek to positively impact homelessness with words.Words are indeed very powerful. They carry in their meanings the ideas and truths that shape our world. Rudyard Kipling once stated, “Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind. Philosophers and historians have told us that “the pen is mightier than the sword,” and the Bible tells us that “the power of life and death is in the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). Even this blog post is utilizing words to address homelessness! Yet as powerful as words can be, it takes more than words to tackle the issue of homelessness. It takes action.


Plans Are Not Enough

Plans are also powerful. Think about all the things that can possibly be planned. People plan families, vacations, budgets, careers, family reunions, dates, and calendars – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Noah planned for the construction of an ark before it ever began raining. Congress plans its legislative sessions, preachers plan sermon series, and marketers plan advertising campaigns. However, even the most detailed and well-intended plans can never replace the effectiveness of action.

General Stonewall Jackson’s army once needed to cross a river. After he told his engineers to plan and build a bridge, he told his wagon master that it was urgent for the wagon train to cross the river as soon as possible. The wagon master started gathering all the logs, rocks and fence rails he could find and built a bridge. General Jackson was soon informed that all the wagons and artillery had crossed the river. When Jackson asked about his engineers, the wagon master replied that they were in their tent drawing up plans for a bridge! Thus, the power of plans can never replace the advantages of action.


The Power of Taking Action

Ultimately, action is needed to bring change to situations like homelessness. Brittney Hanvey learned this very lesson back in January when she pulled over to the side of the road to offer a homeless man a biscuit. She could have wished the man well or made plans to help him, but instead, she took action with the resources available to her. A breakfast biscuit may not seem like much, but that seemingly small gift set off a chain of events that helped transform a life.

“I was taking a doctor some breakfast, so I had some biscuits in my car, and I had a blanket for some reason, too," Hanvey said. “So I stopped and offered him a biscuit and the blanket, and he took both and asked me if I minded sitting and talking for a minute.”

Hanvey sat down and the man asked her why she'd stopped. When she told him it was because he looked so cold, he began to cry and asked if he could pray for her before she left.

“Instead of praying for himself, he prayed for me: for my family, my future husband," Hanvey said. "I was so touched. He introduced himself as Benny before I left."

Hanvey said after that January day, she continued to drive past Benny from time to time, but was always running late and didn’t have time to stop again. Then one day, she noticed he was missing from his usual spot.

In late February, while at a doctor’s office, Brittney saw an older man who looked familiar. “The man caught me staring at him and said, 'Oh, Miss Brittney, I’m so glad to see you.’” Hanvey explained. “It was Benny. I didn’t recognize him because he was all cleaned up.”

A doctor had seen Brittney talking with Benny back on that cold January day and offered Benny a job as his office housekeeper. According to the doctor, Benny has been the best housekeeper his office has ever had. When Hanvey returned to the doctor’s office in mid-March, the nurses were raving about Benny. They'd grown to love him and were helping him re-learn to write because they discovered he hadn't made it past the sixth grade. Before Hanvey left during that visit, Benny gave her a note he’d written for her, which read:

“Thank you for everything you have done for me. I will forever be grateful for you. You are a very special young lady. I pray for you every day.”

Brittney Hanvey never imagined that offering a homeless man a biscuit on a winter day would have such an impact. She could have tried to comfort Benny with words. She could have made well-intentioned plans to provide him help. Yet by using what she had and taking action, Benny’s life was transformed.

​Vague rants help no one, but action gets results.

​Action. Put all your eggs in that biscuit.

For more information on the Tennessee Valley Coalition for the Homeless, plea visit www.TVCHomeless.org.