I live in Portland, OR. I'm fortunately housed & employed, but I recently got hit with some medical bills, so I needed to find a second job.

Last month I started working weekends at a homeless shelter. This particular shelter is funded in part by moneys from HUD and the VA. I know that much...and I guess I'll learn more about it this weekend. 90 guys, 45 are vets, and I just want people to know a couple things:

1. My experience has completely changed the way I look at homelessness, and the way I interact with people in general. I've been inspired by the determination I've seen in some of these guys, trying to work their way out of shitty circumstances. There are a billion ways a person can become homeless. It's not always drugs. It's not always drinking. Or domestic violence. There are literally a billion other ways...I'm a single 40 YO college graduate, and those medical bills damn near wrecked me & put me on the streets myself.

And I've been inspired by the other folks who work at this shelter, and represent all the reasons why people should love this city. I work with some amazing men & women who deserve black belts in compassion & communication. They're already underpaid, and I don't see moves like this helping our industry.

1. I completely agree that the guys who will be hardest hit by this funding cutoff are absolutely among the most vulnerable humans in America today. Guys who seriously could not survive a year on the streets, in a city with long winters.

This move is not helpful. Not even for the simplest, apathetic taxpayers. It's not making America great again. It's actually going to kill people. People who served this country, and deserve at least a little more.

Like, seriously, who benefits from this?