Photo: Nathan Dumlao | Unsplash
Through his San Francisco-based NGO, Miracle Messages, social entrepreneur Kevin Adler, co-author of the upcoming book, When We Walk By, is changing public ideas about homelessness. His viewpoint sheds light on what he terms "relational poverty," which is the absence of the supportive relationships that are essential for those without a place to live. Rather of viewing the homeless as social problems, Adler urges us to view them as neighbors -- people with distinct histories who need our help. The Miracle Messages strategy, which tackles a difficult issue, is multimodal and includes basic income efforts, family reunion assistance, and weekly communication between volunteers and the homeless. For Adler, however, empathy is paramount. Not that we should all just be like 'kumbaya, love our neighbors,' and all that.
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