Below is a story found in the Post Gazette 2 weeks ago. The writer interviewed two homeless men and got a taste of what it is like for many of the homeless here in Pittsburgh. It is for people like Paul and Jimmy that The L.I.V.I.N.G. Ministry exists.
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(note: the picture below was NOT a part of the original article and is neither of the guys mentioned)

Success Stories Rare For City’s Homeless

Friday, August 03, 2007

By Cleo Harris, Urban Agenda
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Paul lives in a public bus shelter.
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His dark canvas duffle bags, neatly stacked, sit on the other side of the shelter’s glass.
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Like many other homeless people, Paul does not have a permanent address. All he has is a street and a landmark: the bus stop under the pedestrian bridge on the Boulevard of the Allies near Point State Park.
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When asked how he arrived at his current location, he answers apologetically, “I don’t want to go there. I screwed up my life on my own.”
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Paul is among the many people in Pittsburgh without a home.
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According to 2007 records from the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, there are more than 2,000 homeless persons living in shelters, temporary housing and on streets. Success stories are rare. Many people blinded by their circumstances see no hope for themselves and let go of what they have left.
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Paul is a heavy-set man, with soft brown eyes that bear his soul. He said he lives his life in “the now,” never looking back, never wondering what if, how or why. His memory is quickly slipping away, forgetting movies, music, childhood dreams and even colors. “My favorite color …” he begins with a hard look of concentration and quiet chuckle. “Gray. It’s been too long. When you’re in this situation, your mind turns to more serious things.”
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The repugnant stench of waste and filth weigh heavy upon him as well as the weight of the world on his shoulders. Where he will sleep during the night and stay for the winter are ever-present concerns that he must face.
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However, within his struggle underlies a small sense of relief. “I don’t know how to put this. Being homeless is kind of freeing in a way. I don’t have to worry about the water bills or electricity bills. It’s a mixture of anxiety and freedom. But you do get tired of it.”
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In a previous life, Paul — who would not state his last name or age, but hinted that he was “above 30 and less than 50″ — was a supermarket grocer, among other things.
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His hobbies included mountain biking, fishing (which he wishes he’d done more of), and going to the movies.
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At the bus stop, there’s not as much to do, forcing him to find a new hobby but on a much smaller scale. “I like the birds. They’re very entertaining. Pigeons are unintentionally comical. The sparrows are just hilarious. I call them the Democrats and the Republicans,” he laughs as he smoothes down a lock of matted, black hair.
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Despite all of the mental, emotional, and material things he has lost, what he misses most is surprising. “I miss watching TV. I just miss sitting and watching TV. Oh, and normality.”
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The same thing goes for Jimmy from the Hill District, who also misses watching television. Jimmy is an older, dark-skinned gentleman, who “doesn’t do shelters” because he doesn’t like crowds, but yet he lives in the midst of a crowd underneath a store awning, on the bustling Fifth Avenue sidewalk.
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With tough skin, soiled clothing and a faulty-looking crutch, he silently gazes into the world without one hope or dream.
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Upon approaching his fifth year of being homeless, Jimmy, who also would not reveal his last name, remembers what got him there in the first place.
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“I lost work … Couldn’t get no more.” His lack of words and emotion speak volumes. An outsider could just look into his eyes, and by the cold stare, see what he has endured.
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As flies sporadically flutter around Jimmy’s face, he discusses his interests in a very nonchalant manner, “I just like to play chess and ping pong. That’s it.”
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He already has given up on life each day and is waiting to die. His eyes, brown with a thin gray ring, glance blankly at a busy passer-by. After being asked about his goals and dreams in life, he simply replies with no expression, “I stopped dreaming when I was 25.”