We need a change of consciousness; to face what is before us and to respond. Right here in Belfast, our county seat has become a microcosm of what is wrong in America.

My husband went to the soup kitchen for lunch yesterday. He tells the story of a man who lives in the woods. It’s a particularly bad year for ticks, the man says. He has pulled over 300 off himself this year. Marshall says he knows of four men who live in the woods year around. (The soup kitchen gives out hand warmers in the wintertime.)

 Other communities have risen to address the homeless problem. To our credit, a new and larger soup kitchen is being built on Route 3 near where the old drive-in theater used to be. With a crew and rudimentary materials, we could build a dozen 8’ X 10’ cabins nearby to get these people shelter. The county and city could maintain a portable toilet, the YMCA could give away a few memberships; we could address the horrors of homelessness.

These are our people; many of them grew up right here in Belfast. We are all human beings. I challenge those of us who are conscious to come together right now. We can do this. Bring ’em in; bring ’em home.

Jennifer Hill lives in Waldo