Our Works of Charity / David Bethuram

Let’s invest in people so they can live with dignity, pursue a better future

Each year, communities across the country unite during Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week (this year from Nov. 16-22) to shine a light on the challenges faced by those living without stable food or shelter.

Despite the reality of their circumstances, many homeless individuals are unjustly perceived as criminals or miscreants. Beyond legal and systemic discrimination, they often endure mistreatment and stigma from fellow residents. Catholic Charities is committed to educating the public about the complex reasons people become unhoused—and how we can help without judgment or false assumptions.

For many Hoosiers living paycheck to paycheck, the struggle to meet basic needs is a daily reality. A single illness, injury or job loss can quickly spiral into poverty, hunger and homelessness. In Indiana, roughly 820,000 people live in poverty according to the U.S. Census, including one in five children. Catholic Charities agencies, Catholic parishes and organizations like the Society of St. Vincent de Paul provide vital support—offering food, shelter, medicine and hope.

I’d like to share the story of Taylor—a woman whose life demonstrates the profound impact of hunger and homelessness—and the transformative power of compassion.

Taylor spent much of her childhood facing food insecurity, poverty and periods of homelessness. She remembers days filled with fear and uncertainty, not knowing where her next meal would come from or where she might sleep that night. As a child, she couldn’t fully grasp what was happening to her family, but she knew it wasn’t how people were meant to live.

At times, Taylor felt invisible and forgotten by the world. But then, someone would show kindness: a soup kitchen worker offering two meals a day, or a food pantry providing groceries when the month outlasted their money. These acts of generosity were more than sustenance; they were reminders of dignity.

“When someone gave me a snack and asked what I wanted to be when I grew up,” Taylor recalls, “they weren’t just feeding my body—they were nourishing my spirit. They gave me a sense of normalcy and helped me believe I had a future.”

Hunger, she explains, is a relentless force. It consumes your thoughts, limits your ability to plan, and traps you in survival mode. Without food and housing—basic human needs—it’s nearly impossible to think beyond the next hour, let alone dream of a better life.

Taylor says hunger, poverty and homelessness stole her childhood. “It took away my innocence and my sense of security. But I was one of the lucky ones. I not only survived—I learned to thrive.” Despite setbacks, she persevered with the help of many people who entered her life.

“I achieved my childhood dream of becoming a lawyer,” she says. “But millions still struggle as my family once did.”

Taylor’s success is a testament to hard work, family support—especially from her beloved grandmother—and the safety net that helped her along the way. She relied on school lunches, welfare, health benefits, food stamps, Section 8 housing, subsidized college applications, financial aid and student loans. Today, she gives back to her community, helping others find hope and opportunity.

No one makes it alone. Everyone receives help in some way. The Church and Catholic Charities remain steadfast in their mission to invest in people—so they may live with dignity and pursue a better future.
 

(David Bethuram is executive director of the archdiocesan Secretariat for Catholic Charities. You can contact him at dbethuram@archindy.org.) †