The day I met Dale, he was in the middle of a crowded San Francisco sidewalk. But he was very much alone. He was in his wheelchair, trying to position his body upright so he could pick through the contents of a garbage can. Swarms of people, tourists and businesspeople, hurried past. They all seemed too busy to stop and notice one man’s struggle, one man’s devastating plight.

If these people knew Dale’s story, maybe they would not have hurried past so quickly. Dale spent 14 years serving our country, including two tours of Vietnam. As a result, he has serious health issues that confine him to a wheelchair. Yet, he says the only help he gets from the VA is free coffee and donuts.

The stories of homeless veterans are among the hardest to watch, if you ask me. These are men and women who were willing to wear the uniform, willing to put themselves in harms way. It must be tough to come to the realization that their country – the people and ideals that they fought for – are not half as eager to heal their pain, to have their backs. Seems there is just too much hurt and not enough money. Still, there is a lot of noise these days in Washington about ending the atrocity of veteran homelessness. It is critical that this talk become real, tangible solutions. Our veterans have waited long enough.

Today is Veteran’s Day. Today we will remember the sacrifices of our Veterans and honor their unselfish service. The day I met Dale, he was in the middle of a crowd. But he was alone, picking through a garbage can.

This Veteran’s Day, let’s remember the plight of veterans – homeless in America. And let’s resolve to do something about it.

I met Pam while passing through Cleveland, Ohio. She is mother and a grandmother who never thought she would become homeless. Many people think that if a person has close family members, they can just go live with family when all else fails. But for Pam and many others, it’s just not that simple.

Pam wished for a home; I hope she finds it.

I’d like to say that I found Ann Marie in Chicago, but the truth is that she found me. Ann Marie uses social media to escape from her world and connect with others. When I arrived in the Windy City I received a tweet from @padschicago and the next day we arranged to meet in a train station.

Ann Marie is not the first person experiencing homelessness to find me via social media. As the face of homelessness changes, and social media continues to expand, I believe we will see many other people without homes on twitter, blogs, and Facebook. Service providers should pay attention to this evolution and understand that social media can be much more than tool for marketing. Twitter and Facebook can serve as an entry point for services or a vehicle for providing virtual case management.

Social media may have the potential to change the way we provide services, but it will not close the gaps that exist in our safety net. As social services become more specialized and targeted to specific populations, some of those who desperately need help simply cannot figure out where they fit in. Ann Marie would like to get off the streets, but she is falling through the gaps in the social service safety net.

ChicagoNow blogger Megan Cottrell tagged along when I met Ann Marie and wrote a very powerful post. We were also on a San Francisco radio show LIVE FROM THE LEFT COAST with Angie Coiro. And right now as I type Ann Marie is on a Greyhound headed to Los Angeles to speak with me at 140 Conference.

Truly Anne Marie is a special person simply trying to survive. She honestly shares the challenges she faces everyday and talks about how she uses social media. Although much of her story is sad at least for a few days she is on a vacation from homelessness.

When we talk about homelessness as a policy issue, we often distinguish between treating the symptoms versus addressing the root causes. This is the sames lens through which Donald views his own situation.

Donald is living without a home in New York City. He says it’s easy to find food and places to stay, but finding help in treating his larger issues has proven to be much more difficult. Right now, Donald says his biggest problem is that he doesn’t have any form of identification. When you’re living on the streets, he said, it’s nearly impossible to get the help you need without a proper ID.

There are services in NYC that get to the root causes of homelessness, but it’s a tough system to navigate. I hope Donald finds the help he needs.

I met Yubal in New York City. He is originally from Mexico and traveling up to Canada to try and find his way out of homelessness.

At first glance I did not know Joni was homeless. Little did I know, she spent the previous night sleeping on a bench in Times Square. This is where I noticed her trying to steal a cup of coffee; she was caught, and my heart broke for her.

Many people think that homeless people just want money for drugs. But Joni said that’s not always the case. She said she needs money to be able to eat and survive.

Joni says homelessness is terrible, that there are far too many people out here and that somebody has to do something about it. I hope her story compels you to do something.

After interviewing dozens of homeless people from coast to coast, I’m often asked how I get people to share their story on camera. The answer? Socks.

No matter what city I traveled to, people were beyond thrilled when I opened my bag and gave them a fresh pair of socks. It was not only a great icebreaker, but an often overlooked need of those I met on the streets. All of the socks for this tour were provided by Hanes.

Paul was no different. I met him in Tompkins Square Park in New York City’s East Village. Although he washes his feet as much as possible, Paul said he wears the same pair of socks everyday. He said he must literally scrape them off his feet to remove them everyday.

As I was talking to Paul, he was on the lookout for police so his friends could sleep. When the camera pans to show his friends on the ground I hope your heart breaks as much as mine. Paul says he thinks the police make it up as they go along. He says you can get arrested for “obstructing” a park bench, even if you are the only person on the bench.

As Paul was describing how life really is on the streets of New York City, I really related to what he was saying. It’s easy to almost forget who you are and wonder how you’ll ever get back to what you once were. I thought Paul’s first wish was illuminating: he wished he could start his life over again.

There are currently 2,175 homeless shelters listed in the Homeless Shelter Directory. Please: find one near you and help them help get people like Paul off the street.

A very special thanks to Hanes for their generous support.

For 23 years, Rashid worked in New York City as a construction worker. On 9/11, he arrived at the World Trade Center at 9:28 in the morning and – for the next four years – worked to clean up the horrific destruction at Ground Zero.

Today, as a result of his service, he suffers chronic heart failure and other health issues. He lost his health, his job, and his ability to pay rent. Today, Rashid lives in a homeless shelter.

Despite his tragic story, Rashid was one of the nicest people I met in New York. He went out of his way to encourage everyone around him.

This is how he chooses to live; he said a little bit of kindness can go a long way.

Rashid had three wishes: food, clothing, and shelter.

Seems we should not have to wish for things so basic.

Times Square is unlike any other place in the United States. Lights, traffic, noise, masses of people. But in the midst of all this commotion, I spotted a man pushing a buggy. That’s when I met Guy.

Guy says homelessness is hard to explain. One day he was doing fine. The next, tragedy struck and he was on the streets.

The streets, Guy said, are not kind to those without a home. He said the police in New York arrest people just for sleeping. His goal is to “get inside” before homelessness gets worse.

There are many times that I’ll meet a person on the street who says that they prefer the streets, insisting they are there by choice. Usually, though, I can see the look in their eye; I can tell they don’t mean it. I believe it’s a defense mechanism to rationalize the trauma one goes through when they don’t have a home.

But that’s not to say this is true for everyone. There are those rare – and yes, I believe they’re rare – occasions when I’ll meet someone who is on the streets by choice. Elijah Alfred Alexander, Jr. falls into this latter category. He goes by “Nature Boy” and says he is not homeless, just ‘houseless.’

Elijah says he was a Baptist preacher in the 1970s. He said that since Jesus was a wandering messenger, he decided to become a wanderer. And wander he does. I met him across the street from the White House in Washington, D.C.. I still laugh because despite his skimpy attire, he still carries business cards with his personal website.

Mental illness? Or just following his heart? Either way, I like to think that Elijah is truly a unique guy who has decided to follow a different path.