Homelessness Has Layers: Trama, Choice, and Survival

This segment was proudly sponsored by Mendelsohn & Mendelsohn, P.C. — a fourth-generation family law firm serving Eastern and Central Pennsylvania. Whether you’re facing debt, divorce, or family challenges, they provide compassionate, skilled representation to help you start fresh.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Mission
• 4:03 Naming The Hard Truths Of Homelessness
• 5:23 Choice, Trauma, And Avoiding Structure
• 7:08 Jail As Stability And Medication
• 8:43 Personal History And Many Faces
• 10:53 Mental Illness And Shelter Barriers
• 12:53 The Returning Cycle Of Incarceration

Transcript

Announcement : 1:44

If you have ever been told by someone that you're not capable of attaining success, if you have made mistakes or lived in an underprivileged neighborhood, then this podcast is for you. You are now locked in to struggles to success. S to S aims to inspire individuals to navigate life's challenges with courage, fortitude, and unwavering determination. So if you're in your car, jogging, or somewhere else, trying to find the calm in the storm. Join Struggle to Success, airing every week. Remember, life is trials. Stay focused.

SPEAKER_00: 2:19

Hello, wonderful people. We're talking about something real, something raw, and something most people avoid because it forces us to confront uncomfortable truths, homelessness, not just the image people have in their heads, but the reality behind it, the layers, the pain, the decisions, the circumstances, the mental battles, the pride, the fear, all of it. Because life hits you hard and homelessness that happens because of choices. Sometimes choices rooted in trauma, addiction, mental illness, or the fear of facing responsibility, we're going to talk about the people who avoid shelters, not because they prefer suffering, but because structure feels overwhelming. We're going to talk about the individuals who choose incarceration because jail becomes the only place to get stability, medication, or a place to rest. We're also going to look at homelessness through personal experience, what I've lived and what I've witnessed, and what I've carried from my childhood, and what I've seen as a correctional officer. And we're going to bring in the voices of people doing real on-the-ground work like Aaron Conahan and Christy Brown from the Lancaster County Food Hub. People who restore dignity to those who feel forgotten. By the end of this episode, my goal is simple: to help you see the issue through a wider lens, to help you understand that human beings behind the struggle, and to remind you that dignity is not a luxury, it's a foundation. If I can have a moment, first let me say I'm happy that you're with us and I really appreciate you. Second, please help struggle to success grow by sharing our message with others and rating us on your podcast platform. Thank you very much. I remember that moment like it just happened. It was one of those bitter January mornings in Lancaster. I was walking toward a corner store and I saw a man I used to hang out with. But now he was sitting outside on a blanket holding a cardboard saying, Anything helps. I paused and he looked up and recognized me. Then he stood up and we hugged. And I knew his story. He had a home once. He had a family, he had support, but he chose the streets. Not because he wanted pain, but because responsibility felt heavier than homelessness. That moment stuck with me. It forced me to confront something we don't talk about enough. Homelessness. It's always circumstances. Sometimes it's a choice shaped by pain, shaped by trauma, shaped by addiction, shaped by fear. Before we dive deeper, let me say this. When I bring topics to this podcast, I'm not just pulling ideas out of the thin air. I search for them. I study them. I reflect on what I've been through, but also I look through the eyes of others. And with this episode, the confirmation came in a way I didn't expect. Another correction officer pulled me aside one day and said, Man, you ever notice how some folks choose homelessness or how some of them choose jail because that's the only place they get their meds on time? And that just hit me. Because I'd already been thinking about this episode, already turning these thoughts over in my mind, already asking myself why certain patterns keep repeating. It was like God placing the conversation in front of me and said, Yeah, talk about this. As I process my weeks and days, I always think about what's relevant to our community, what's happening in Lancaster, in York, and Philly, in every neighborhood that looks like ours. And what conversations can help someone rise out of whatever they're stuck in. That's how this episode was born. I remember the days in Philly when my mother and I lived in the Salvation Army on Broad Street. I couldn't have been more than a kid, but I remember everything. The smell of the hallways, the sound of the people shifting at night, the weight of my mother carrying me on her shoulders. We didn't have much, but we had each other. My mother loved me deeply, but the addiction and trauma made life unstable. And even as a child I felt it. I felt her fear, I felt her hope. I felt the way she was trying to hold everything together. That's why I understand that homelessness has many faces. It isn't just something sitting on the bench with a sign. It's something or sometimes it's a mother fighting to protect her child. Sometimes it's someone who slipped in too far and couldn't claw their way back. Sometimes it's someone who had support but chose the streets because mentally they weren't ready to face structure. And mental illness plays a huge part in that. There are people who choose not to shelter themselves not because they prefer suffering, but because shelters come with routines and expectations that feel impossible to manage. And when your mind is battling itself day after day, just surviving mentally becomes the only goal. Being outside even in the cold or the extreme heat feels more manageable than being inside four walls where your thoughts echo too loudly. And then there are the individuals who choose incarceration. Not because they love jail, not because they want a record, but because jail provides something they couldn't get outside. A bed, a routine, and most importantly, medication. On time, consistent, regulated. Working and corrections I've seen firsthand. I've had men look me in the eyes and say, CO, jail is the only place where my mind is quiet. Imagine that. The only place that they feel stable is behind the locked doors. There was an older man that I'll never forget. Every time he came in, he stabilized, he slept, he ate, he functioned. The day that he walked out, you could see the fear return to his eyes. The world was too loud, too unpredictable, too unstructured. And the weeks later, he was right back. Not because he wanted to commit a crime, but because jail was the only place his mind didn't feel like it was attacking him. These are the layers of homelessness that people don't see. And that brings me to Aaron Conahan and Christy Brown at Lancaster County Food Hub. A few weeks ago, my team and I we did an interview with them on the podcast and went behind the scenes. We served two different homeless populations, those who had something happen to them and those who are in the long-term pattern. You can't treat them the same. You have to meet people where they are. And Aaron said something powerful. People aren't just hungry for food, they're hungry for dignity. During that behind the scenes interview with Aaron Conahan, she walked us through various parts of the food hub. There's rooms where volunteers fold clothes and care, not rushed, not tossed, I mean literally fold, prepped respectfully because clothing is more than fabric, it's identity. There's a hygiene room where shelves are lined with soap, deodorant, toothbrushes, things that seem small, but they restore confidence. They restore humanity. There's parts of the food hub where people can come and socialize, even parts where they can sleep and regain their their strength for the next day. Then there's the food storage section, organized and structured, with intention in every box and bag. That's not charity, that's stability. That's hope you can't hold in your hands. And the staff, they don't judge, they don't shame, and they don't ask, how did you end up here? However, they do ask, what do you need to take your next step? That's dignity. Homelessness might be complicated, but dignity is simple. Everyone deserves it. Some people end up outside because life crushed them. Others end up outside because accountability felt heavier than struggle. So let me ask you something. Where are you avoiding accountability because it feels too heavy? Who has been trying to help you that you've pushed them away because of your pride or fear? If this message reached you, share it with one person, allow them to share it with another. Remember, growth doesn't start with perfection, it starts with a conversation. I've lived instability, I've seen pain, I've watched people rise, I've watched people run from responsibility, but no matter the story, dignity is bridged back to humanity. And that's what Aaron and Christy are rebuilding every single day. Until our next episode, remember, life is trials, stay focused.

Announcement : 11:10

Stay focused.