Monday, November 3, 2008

Using my resources

I have wrote numerous times about my recent discovery of my heart for the homeless. The past month or so, I have really been struggling with feeling the need to do more than what I already do. There is so many people who need help, need medical help. Just because they are homeless doesn't not necessarily mean they can't get health insurance.

Some of you know that I work for the State of Arizona. I actually work for the Medicaid program for Arizona. I find it funny sometimes that a lot of people have no clue what Medicaid is. Medicaid is the state's health insurance program for people who have little or no income. Every state has a medicaid program. And I have worked for Arizona's medicaid program for 7 years now. I happen to work for the long term side dealing with the elderly and disabled population.

homeless people, homeless children

It has really been on my heart to somehow set up a table when I go help with the homeless at my church to help these people fill out applications for our medicaid program. I spoke to someone at work on Friday about my idea. I was surprised to find out that she was a Christian who also works with the homeless at her church. She listened to my ideas, my fears, and encouraged me that this was something I could do. She is knowledagble of the "normal" side of the program, the one that doesn't deal with the elderly and disabled population that I deal with.

I feel like I need to do something. I work for the program who might be able to get these people some health insurance. It's going to be a difficult process to start and there is a lot of stuff to work through, but another person at work said she might be willing to come from Buckeye twice a month to help me as well. She thought my wanting to help was a great thing. It's not a problem to sit down with these people, make them fill out the application. However, I'm concerned how I'm to get these applications to the proper offices to get them processed. I am concerned that I do this, and someone will "fall through the cracks" and blame me. I am concerned that the people who need this help, won't follow through with an appointment. It's as simple as a phone interview. Although these people are homeless, you would be surprised how many of them have cell phones. I see it all the time.

These people so desperately need health insurance. Not all will qualify, but some will. Isn't worth the extra time I will be spending to help even one person try to get health insurance? I think so. And I have the resources and the knowledge to help these people right at my fingertips.

When I move, I want to work with the Rescue Mission. J has really been pumping that into my head. Reading "Under the Overpass" has once again opened my heart up a little more to the homeless population. I don't want to lose my heart for the homeless once I move and I want to keep active in it, so the rescue mission will really keep me going. Honestly, I love my job. I do quality assurance now and I don't deal with the public. However, I firmly believe that I have "Social Work" in my blood. I honestly love helping people and miss working with the public at the medicaid program. I really miss interacting with the people. Gosh, I even think working at the rescue mission would do me good.

I wonder what God is doing in my life, he's opening up my eyes to so much. I used to never want to deal with homeless people. I would avoid them at all costs, now I can't seem to get enough of them. My heart loves interacting with them. I really don't know what's going on, but God is working on me BIG TIME!

Homelessness

Bran

Quote of the day: "People who are homeless are not social inadequates. They are people without homes." ~Sheila McKechnie

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