According to Merriam-Webster it is aid given to the suffering or needy and usually in monetary form.

According to the word of God, charity comes from a pure heart where there is a genuine demonstration of love for all of our brothers and sisters.

According to my memory of things heard growing up, Charity first begins at home.

With that being said it only opens the door for more questions than answers. For example, I am a Chicago resident. I am a member of a credit union housed inside of a Chicago Police Station. Years ago on two separate visits the police were kicking homeless people out of the station. Mind you it was just one or two huddled in a corner seeking shelter and warmth. More recently, a visiting the same police station to get through to the credit union is such a chore. There are immigrants holding their pillows blocking the entrance. I am sure they were told not to block, but there are so many of them inside and outside of the station that following that order can be a challenge. I asked one of the officers at the door how many immigrants the station was hosting, his answer was “at this time there are 317 and growing.” My mind quickly went to the two homeless people from before. Wow. Guess I will have to make a trip to the credit union downtown from now on.

Breaks my heart that the city I love has a problem with homelessness. As a matter of fact, according to data released by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, it’s even worse than we can imagine. In 2021 they reported 68,000 in Chicago. Yet the department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which calculates all US cities reported a total of 582,000 in 2022. Some include displaced veterans and some believe it has to do with the moratorium (no more FREE rent). Data for this year has yet to be released. While Chicago has greatly lacked the ability to care for its homeless population, the immigrants that are being shipped here daily are about to have military grade tents built for them. Heated in the winter, cool in the summer and loaded with amenities. Of course, I believe that every human deserves food, clothing and shelter. My question, what are we doing about our own?

Ask anyone what they think of the new mayor and answers truly vary. From “he’s not my mayor, I don’t live in Chicago to that’s y’all problem.” Well, this much may be true for those that decided to move away to the suburbs or Indiana for a sweeter life. However, most you still drive through Chicago for work, church, school, shopping, dinner and other types of entertainment. So while you may not reside in the Windy City you are still subject to the policies, laws and experiences in this city….

More to come, stay tuned.