Chasing Down the Muse: Weather outside can be frightful — for the homeless

Oh, the weather outside is frightful … and since we’ve no place to go …

Holiday music plays softly in the background as the much-needed rain comes down. My mischievous muse edits the words of “Let It Snow,” turning my thoughts to the plight of the homeless.

As I now listen in a different way, “no place to go” takes on an alternate meaning. There but for … Blessed to have insurance for catastrophes and a supportive family, I am safe and warm on this stormy day. Others are not.

What is a life worth? Can we as a society afford to throw any away? Can I really make a difference? Can any one person make a difference?

Yes! One person can make a difference. Many do. One is Paul Leon, founder of the Illumination Foundation. He is the human connection so vital to finding answers.

As I spoke with Paul recently, so much of the abundance of information he gave me was not what I thought at all.

The Illumination Foundation was established within the UC Irvine Health Care Executive MBA program as a not-for-profit public charity organization. Its work in helping homeless families and those with medical or mental health conditions strikes me as nothing short of miraculous.

I find myself struggling with this column. I want to bring you to see the human connections in all this. I want you to see what Paul sees, what I see. And it is not about Paul or me or you. It is about the people who are without, who are struggling to find a way through life in ways most of us can only imagine.

So many of the homeless, and especially the families, simply have nowhere to go. They sleep in their cars and try to make do. At some point, in the long run, it is about their courage. They are the ones who must reach out. They are the ones who must do the work.

The Illumination Foundation seeks to break the cycle of homelessness with a care plan after evaluation and assessment. While its clients receive valuable comprehensive services, such as housing assistance and placement, job training, financial literacy, children’s enrichment opportunities and more, the families are also expected to be responsible parties in breaking the cycle.

Housing is not really “free.” Families are expected to pay what they can or donate time and services in kind until they get on their feet. The good news is that 86% of the housed stay housed, Paul says, and are productive members of their communities.

During the holiday season, many of us seek ways to help others less fortunate. With the gaps between income and affordable housing increasing, homelessness, especially for vulnerable families, cannot be overlooked. I could cite the statistics, but bottom line is these are people that we cannot afford to throw away.

As I finish editing this column, the sun breaks through the clouds. The metaphor is not lost on me. Can you help the sun to break through for Orange County’s homeless families? Please go to the Illumination Foundation’s website, https://www.ifhomeless.org, to see how you might help.

CHERRIL DOTY is an artist, writer and teacher who embraces the mystery and magic of all that is life. You can reach her at (714) 745-9973 or by email at [email protected].