Anthology 2011

Crippled by apathy, not compassion

The rising tide of homelessness in St. Johns County

By Cal Colgan | gargoyle@flagler.edu

It was a chilly Tuesday night as I fed the hungry men and women who came to Food Not Bombs. They quickly gobbled up the stir-fry and noodles as I sat down next to Troy, a newcomer to the homeless individuals who gather for the meal. Troy was a professional welder before his economic situation caused him to be turned out onto the street. As we thumbed through photographs of his family, I realized he had not been homeless for that long. Troy is a casualty of poverty, and the growing menace of homelessness in St. Johns County.