How truly committed is our society in terms of exiting poverty? Keep reading to find out. It is a warm holiday night in Mendoza, Argentina. People come and go along Plaza Independencia, in the heart of downtown Mendoza. Families walk along the streets, probably going to have dinner somewhere, others head home to a cozy bed, thinking about that TV show that has them hooked. Zonda wind blows hard on everyone’s faces. Passers-by cover their faces to avoid dust and dirt in their eyes and try to seek shelter. In a corner of Plaza Independencia is a large group of people; they do not seem to be going anywhere. Instead, they are quietly and slowly gathering on the characteristic wooden benches of the square. Zonda wind blows with a gale-force strength. Branches fall onto the floor, menacing to drop down on everyone's heads. However, this group of people is not trying to find shelter. They are shyly sitting one next to the other, waiting. But waiting for what? Waiting for whom? 9:30 p.m. Suddenly, like angels, a different group of people carrying pots with food and jars filled with juice approach those waiting. Passers-by look curious but continue their paths. These apparent mythological creatures are actually a group of volunteers that come to Plaza Independencia every Monday to serve food among the street people that live nearby. This …show more content…
But why is it that we look down on them? Stephen Gaetz, Professor at the Faculty of Education at York University in Toronto, Canada and Director of the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness and the Homeless Hub, in his article “How We THINK about Homeless Youth Matters,” explores this situation and attributes society’s erroneous perception on the homeless to the media. Gaetz, states, “Many of us will have friends who tell us they know someone who left home for this reason or that reason, but such stories may not get to the bottom of why people actually leave