I saw a person in a state of malnutrition and homeless people in the United States #027

I'm living in a city called Fayetteville, North Carolina. It's a medium-sized city, so it doesn't have the problems of a big city like Los Angeles or New York.

I've been here for almost 2 months now, so I have a better idea of how things work. 

Now, speaking more directly about the issue of homeless people: In the first few days, I hadn't seen anything. But over time, I saw people asking for money at traffic lights, they just go and ask, or they have a sign. In Brazil, those who go to the traffic lights, many try to sell something like water or candy.

Here it's more discreet in relation to irregular shelter on the streets, so far I haven't seen anything, I don't know if people are ashamed and go to a more remote place, the city has several green areas, some abandoned houses and stores, maybe these places are occupied in a more "discreet" way. 

I saw a young woman sitting in a beach chair near the bus stop, it seems like she's going to catch the bus, but then I noticed she has a bag and I've seen her sleeping in the chair. I also saw a couple smoking, with some belongings inside a shopping cart near Walmart, you could tell they were homeless, but they were relatively well-dressed for the situation. 

The case that shocked me the most was a young man who was in a state of severe malnutrition asking for money at the traffic light, he had one of his eyes disfigured, I believe it's from the use of some illicit substance, I hadn't seen a person in such an extreme state of thinness. Seeing this situation, I felt like I had to do something. I emailed the city hall and a project for homeless people in the city. The project replied to me saying that someone would go to the location to check. 

It's good to be aware of reality, things here in the United States are not easy for everyone, there are also people in extreme poverty, I believe the main causes are the issue of drug use. One inhumane thing here is healthcare, many people end up with a lot of debt because of some more serious health problem. 

In the United States, money is king, so don't mess around with your health, try to eat right and exercise. If you have a more serious health problem and you have a safe haven in a country that can support you, it's best to get out of here, because the situation is tense. Besides not wasting money on nonsense and having an emergency fund, if possible, in case something happens. 

The other important thing is not to get involved in the wrong things, because if you start using certain things and fall, here it's individualism that prevails, it will be difficult to rebuild. 

The United States has a lot of good things to offer, but don't close your eyes to reality.