KSBJ Radio "In Their Shoes" Experiencing Homelessness in Houston 

I was homeless and went to star of hope. I got into the program while there. They are not good ppl there, they treat the homeless very badly. It's all black ran and if you are white it's very racist. They kicked me out for taking a shower at the wrong time! I was then out on the streets again. God helped me not the star of hope. I prayed and God helped me come up from nothing. I now am a auto technician and have my own place and I am doing great in life. Thank you Lord Jesus. Star of hope needs to be looked in too.

from an ex Houston homeless person. THANK YOU.. Ive always wanted someone to feel the pain and shame of how i felt when people looked down there noise at me. Thank you.😊

So here's a little story. I spent three and a half years homeless in Houston. I have slept in places you would not believe. I actually had to be rescued by the fire department around Christmas time 2014 due to flooding on the bayou. I personally have experienced life on the streets of Houston. It is not easy, it is very rough. There were a few nights that I went to bed with no food in my stomach. The only good thing that ever came out of my time in Houston was the woman I now call my wife. We moved on in May of 2017, and we're still struggling today. And sadly right now we're homeless but not in Texas. So I'm kind of glad to see things like this. Because until you've walked 100 miles in my shoes, you really can't begin to understand it.

I can remember as a young kid my mother bringing me to the star of Hope mission in downtown Houston to serve, At 7 yrs old there wasn’t much I could do but play with the childeren at the shelter. This experience has always left a spot in my heart for our homeless. Little did I know I would end up working in Downtown and passing by both the Star Hope and Loafs & Fishes everyday for most of my adult life. Like most I didn’t know how to help other than giving money until KSBJ & NGEN radio did this awareness. I didn’t stop to think how are they suppose to shop for everyday supplies we take for granted if they do not have transportation or access to stores without getting kicked out? Now for the same $20 dollars I would hand out to 1 or 2 persons I can go to my local store and buy snacks, sun screen, toothbrush etc. for 5 people for the same amount of money and hand these care packs out in place of cash. Thank You KSBJ for ALL you do. Thank you for bringing me back to Jesus.

I wonder what the homeless are going through after all the storms and power outages! God Bless Them Please!! 🙏🙏🙏

I went on a mission trip for my church and we went to star of hope and we did a VBS for all the kids there and it really told me that i should appreciate where i live and what i do and Everyone there was so nice and caring and we also made those bags and we made over 300!!!!!!

My mom was a supervisor at greyhound for 10 years and she seen a lot . I did too when having to go pick her up at 12:00pm

Honestly, I love the fact that y'all had enough courage to come out and live as a homeless person. I respect y'all and I think more people should try it and experience something that many Americans face. Not just americans many people of the world. I was homeless for 5 years and might have to go back soon. I can tell you one thing that yall dont know about Star of Hope. STAR OF HOPE NEVER HAS ROOM! They dont go out helping. Not once in the 5 years I was living on the streets did I ever see them. Hell, you should do a story why housing takes so long. I signed up for house in March 2010 and im still on the waiting list as I live from couch to couch. Just remember you're just one bad paycheck away from homelessness.

Can say im so thankful for the ster of hope wen i move here to houston 6 yers ago i had no were to go in i find the ster of hope . If you are homeless I would recommend going to the Star of Hope they are one of the best homeless shelters in Houston they treat you with respect and They care for you i was at the ome at downtown Houston for about two months and then I was moved to their TLC program in it was the best program to help you with a lot of stuff that you can you find a job when I first went there I was scared and did not know anyone because I just moved to Houston and didn't have any friends or family that lives here for being at the store for help me make friends and to get to know more people and I was able to put together program and finish and get a job i thank god for them thank you so much for what you do

The only issue I have with what you did is that the whole time you were out there you always knew you were gonna go home. The people out there don’t have a home to go to. There is no time limit that when reached they go back to their “normal” lives. This is their life. This is the way it is for them indefinitely, quite possibly for the rest of their lives.

So amazing !! ❤️

Ayana spoke so much truth about that awkward moment when I try to avoid eye contact with panhandlers on the street. I give when I have cash on me, but most days it's just my bank card. My thought was that if I make eye contact when I don't have anything to give will give them false hope that I did have something to give. I never thought that they would think I'm treating them as they are invisible. I've always said that I would make bags of hope and leave them in my car to pass out and I haven't yet. That is now at the top of my to-do list after watching this. Your awareness has helped others. God bless you all.

very accurate. used to be homeless there.

Hi I'm from Brooklyn New York I know it is like to be homeless I was pregnant with my son and I was homeless I really do understand the struggle good luck to everybody now that I'm blessed I now have two other children and my own place good luck to everybody else up there the struggle is very real

Glad you guys went out. Wish you guys would have stayed at the star of hope since you referred to it so often. Not as easy as you made it seem and shelters can be worse than on the streets. Nowadays a person can't even get into a shelter on the weekend. Glad you went took some courage

I walked through there in 2005 and was shocked it's 2022 and I can believe it's 20xs worst today.

If you really want to experience this.. Do it for 6 months or more.. With no ID or social security card.. No money or nothing.. Then try to get it all with no help...

I also realize I have been indifferent to homeless people because my thoughts usually are, “if we keep giving them food, they just keep piling up the trash under the bridge and won’t leave” or “they’ll use money on drugs or booze” or “they should just go to a shelter where they can help them get their lives together but they don’t want to because they make enough money on the streets to eat and for drugs” and I especially don’t like when they get really close to my car window and I’m by myself or with my daughter I think to myself, “you never know if they have bad intentions, they can do something harmful and run away”. I’m being honest here, as aweful as I sound because I realize that I need to see them as people first and if I don’t give them what they want at least wave and smile. Regardless of their situation, they need to be loved just like everyone else. We need to be more compassionate and donate to organizations like Star of Hope that actually are being the hands and feet of Christ everyday. Love more, judge less is the lesson I see in this documentary.

Wow!💕

I used to go to loaves and fishes too and there is a good place to get barbqoa wraps near by.

❤❤❤❤❤ thank you ksbj! Thank you for following Jesus!

The issue is that the shelters are usually full.

The looks you get. It's so degrading. I've been homeless in Indiana most of my adult life. Just recently I've become homeless due to some unfortunate events. And it seems that the looks and disgust ppl have is so much worse.

They need to turn this into a college course.

Why would you not tell the man who knew you guys or help them in any way?

Family dont take them in because of drugs and don't want to work. so when they don't have money they will steal from you. it is sad. and they do need help. they need to build rooms for these people and if they chose not to go. tell them they will go to jail because its now a law. if they have places for the people coming across the border they should have places for the homeless. thanks to the people who feed them and hand them water. prayers to them all. and prayers they save them.

If you can afford several thousand dollars of medicine go near that bus station.

16:35 Hello from a invisible human living in the richest country of the world called the United States of America Coming misconception about homeless people Let me put it this way when you're at your office are your afraid of any of your coworkers? We that are homeless are not mean ugly creepy people. Almost all homeless people are the nicest unselfish humans coz we don't want to be a mean selfish greedy creepy American we're people with unfortunate circumstances with very frail or no safety net to bounces u.s. back to the other reality What is required for success from homelessness for those who were at one time successful is a routine a place called home...that is the basic common sense for success for anyone, correct? Another misconception that homeless people are all strung out on drugs,...true reality is homeless people are like you, with vices to cope with stresses and survivability daily if not by the actual minute As far as violent people : I've been living in and out of a automobile for 26 years as a homeless Male and the only times that I have been accosted verbally with threat of physical harm has been by law enforcement not one homeless person has ever threatened or attacked me other than the creepy undercover cops who act homeless with their own personal issues. Final thought some of those people start talking out loud and screaming because they had become invisible by other human beings This is happening in the greatest nation on the planet Earth they tell me Thank you for the program I know set after a minute 530 you start to me and are about self that happens to all of us thank you very much for the information Personally I hope more of you elitist people that never took a bus had never experienced poverty I hope you become homeless very soon and I'm saying that as a Christian brother not to hurt you but to wake your ass up... Good day Peace and Love Always Thank you

Stop portraying to be homeless what's wrong with you... All you guys are; are actors non deserving of oscars...