Drunk and a junkie
This was a few years ago. At the request of a social worker, I went to an abandoned building in Poznań. A man was lying in the basement. A man, not a drunk or a drug addict. He was not aware of his situation. He couldn't move. As it turned out later, he had a wound on his leg, likely gnawed by mice and rats. Lying in the basement, he greeted me warmly, smiled, and said, „I'll make you tea in the other room.” He had no idea what was happening to him. We called an ambulance. The ambulance arrived. The paramedic approached and asked, „Do you need help?” In my opinion, the question was inappropriate since he could see that the man (not a drunk or a drug addict) needed help.
The man replied with a smile, „He doesn't need help.” It was clear that the paramedic was pleased. Perhaps it was because the man smelled bad, and he didn't want to transport him by ambulance to the hospital, as it would also be unpleasant in the ambulance. I then took out my phone and said, „Either you take him, or I'll record everything and post it online.” This is a person who needs help. The paramedics took a plastic bag from the ambulance, the kind used to transport corpses. They lifted the man onto the bag together and carried him out of the basement, all four of them.
Rent us stairwells
Another story happened in 2024. At the request of Magda, a resident of one of the housing estates in Poznań, I went to intervene. It turned out that a person (homeless) had been staying between the buildings for a long time. Ms. Magda tried to help him. This person had a bad leg. He was afraid to go to the doctor. His leg was in very bad condition. The person thought that if he went to the emergency room, they would amputate his leg. He walked around with his injured leg for several weeks. When blood was oozing out, he would put on more socks. After talking with me, the person agreed to go to the emergency room. I explained to him that even if his leg had to be amputated, he would have to give his written consent.
This man was harassed by the residents of the housing estate. Photos of him relieving himself in stairwells appeared on social media. The comments were ruthless. I'm curious how many people commenting on his behavior approached him and offered help. It's easiest to scold, comment on, and drag a person through the mud. It costs nothing. But help? Yes! Helping a person costs: it costs time because you have to dedicate it to conversation, it costs empathy because you have to listen and understand, it costs an unpleasant smell that you have to endure because this person neglected personal hygiene, it costs effort because you might have to help him change. What? Touch him? That's too high a cost! And yet, he is a human being!
I will just add that I thank God for Ms. Magda, who did not hesitate to bear the costs to help a person. Ms. Magda, I bow low to you!
The history of life is written
How did these two stories end? What happened next? I could write to you about it. But I would like you to pause now and think about how these stories could have unfolded. Were they saved?
If you're trying to share something with me, please type it out! I can't see or imagine the dots you've typed.
There were two brothers. The father divided his estate. One knew that the other was an alcoholic. He did everything so that he wouldn't get a single penny, because he knew he would lose everything. This man left his family. He didn't want to acknowledge his brother. He ended up on the street. He had no one. He started drowning his sorrows. We found him in an abandoned building in the basement.
The other person is very educated. They have always managed well in life. They started a family. Something happened—disagreements, sadness, misunderstandings, job loss. There are various puzzles to put together to form their story. Regardless, this person stayed at St. Lazarus House for several months.
A homeless person is a human being
The man from the vacant building finally ended up in a Social Welfare Home. When they took him to the Emergency Room, we waited for him to be washed and examined. Unfortunately, no one wanted to wash him. He is still a HUMAN BEING! I volunteered. I went into a special room, all tiled (that's where they receive homeless people for disinfection). Since there was a pandemic, they gave me a protective suit. One medical orderly came in with me. I cut his clothes with scissors. His excrement came out. Forgive me for these details. But he is still a human being. It was hard to tolerate the smell. The medical orderly held a hose with running water, and I washed him. I looked at this man. He had his eyes closed.
After he was washed, he was examined by the doctor on duty. Update: a life saved! This man was suffering from severe hypothermia. He had likely been lying in the basement of an abandoned building for a long time. And it wasn’t summer—it was cold out. After a few days, he fell into a coma. We began to pray. In the meantime, the doctors decided to amputate his leg. The wound he had was life-threatening. The doctors said that if he woke up, he would be in a vegetative state: 60% brain death.
He woke up after a few days. He remembers everything. The doctors don't know why. I knew that prayer works miracles. The day I visited him was his birthday. So we went to the hospital cafe for a birthday coffee. This man eventually ended up in a Social Welfare Home. It's a miracle! It's another life saved. It's a human being.
When we took him to the Emergency Room with a bad leg, it turned out the leg couldn't be amputated. The man had an open wound that wouldn't heal. To stop the bleeding, he kept putting on more socks. The pressure from the socks caused them to become embedded in the wound. All the layers had to be removed and the wound cleaned. The wounds he had on his legs were also from untreated erysipelas. To help him, the man was admitted to the House of St. Lazarus, where he stayed for several months. Our initial goal was to heal his leg. We took him to doctors. Ms. Magda became very involved in helping him. She visited him regularly and also drove him to the hospital, spending several hours there with him.
Once his leg was healed, the man decided to leave the St. Lazarus House. We know that he is currently in a shelter for people experiencing homelessness. But he no longer has to sleep on the staircase. He no longer has to relieve himself at tenants' doors. He no longer has to hear critical comments. He can begin writing a new chapter of his story.
These are just two stories out of hundreds of people we have helped. These stories show that a person experiencing homelessness is, above all, a human being with a painful past. Each of us makes mistakes. Each of us can correct those mistakes. But sometimes, help is needed to start anew. Please, look at a person experiencing homelessness as a human being, not as a drunk or an addict.
Finally, I would like to ask you for alms. So that we can maintain the four Houses of Saint Lazarus for men and one House for homeless women – the Flowery Corner of Saint Rita. A person can receive help from another person – real and concrete. Our Houses can exist thanks to the help of Donors. Therefore, please help. A donation can be made Here. Thank you!
President of the Do Good Spreads Foundation
tel. 508 633 850
maciej@dobrosieniesie.pl
Homeless People's Day is celebrated in Poland on April 14th.
This is an informal holiday that aims to raise public awareness of the needs of homeless people.
Marek Kotański initiated them.
All photos used in this article are the property of the Dobro się Niesie Foundation.
Polski 
English 
Deutsch