As some of you already know I do work with various charity organizations. One of them focuses on the inner city of Chicago.
First post:
https://steemit.com/life/@rawdawg/tales-from-the-ghetto
Today’s post is relevant for the 4th of July because the area I’m currently working in celebrated the holiday last year with over 100 people getting shot. Apparently they don’t believe in fireworks and would rather use handheld pistols on each other instead. .
It’s rather depressing doing this work because the mind wants to create answers to a very complicated problem. The best advice I received so far from another charity team member was “Don’t try to figure it or them out”.
These are some photos I took and simple observations. Not easy to take pictures in this area because you are literally risking confrontation with someone every time you hold up your phone camera. You are also risking someone seeing you have a phone and snatching it out of your hand.
“Pure Delite” doesn’t look very delicious or healthy but this stuff is consumed by the gallons. . Oh, and store owners don’t take the time to make sure the jugs are clean either. Unfortunately, those that live here are just happy to have a place to shop so sanitary conditions are of no concern.
Churches all over the place, but God sure isn’t saving many people here. . Gotta love the entrance to this place with the pull down garage style metal door. Maybe God can help the store next door. . .
If you notice the sign on the corner store they also sell T-shirts. Very common for a corner store or gas station to sell clothing, jackets, socks, etc. Zero shopping centers in the ghetto. Oh, many of these corner stores smell like piss on the outside mixed with weed. Some even smell like piss inside. At least the ones I have been in. No public restrooms anywhere in the ghetto so find a spot to go and let it rip.
Personal hygiene products are sold as well, but it doesn’t smell like they are used often or people are so broke they can’t afford the “out of code” products. I’m assuming they just can’t afford them or would prefer to spend their SNAP benefits on alcohol, cigars, lotto, liquor, and chips.
People live in buildings like this with either boarded up windows or no windows at all. Can’t imagine the temperatures inside when it’s 10 degrees in the winter.
This was a picture I snapped at 11am. These stores sometimes don’t open until 1-2pm in the afternoon. Many patrons don’t wake up until then. Sleep all day, party all night. . . Repeat. No jobs, live off government handouts.
I don’t have the answers to this shit, but I’m doing my part to help maybe change the life of one or two people. If I can accomplish that, my work has been done. Baby steps. 🤷♂️