The St. Louis Rams seem to be an organization that is very in touch with the general population. In the past, they were seen supporting the #HandsUpDontShoot movement following the death of Mike Brown; and now, two defensive players from the team conducted an experiment with ESPN that surrounded homelessness. Chris Long and William Hayes decided to get a first-hand look at homelessness by disguising themselves and living in the rough for a night. Click more to check out the video!
An idea that was sparked from an unsual friendship that established between William Hayes and a homeless man that was often outside his old Titans stadium. Hayes decided that he wanted to experience what homelessness was like and asked Chris Long to join him in the process. This is definitely a great thing that the guys who are in positions to make real change, decided to experience life as homeless people and understand the hardships that those people have to encounter on a daily basis.
How much change can really take place if people don’t know what its like to go through that type of experience in the first place? Hayes and Long gave up all worldly possessions and hit the streets with nothing but $4 each. The experience that the two men received was exactly what true homeless people go through.
Hayes And Long On The Streets…
The experience was so real for the two St. Louis Rams players that when they were setting up sleep stations, they were told to leave and had to result to sleeping in the back of a pick-up truck with the temperature dropping below 40 degrees. Though the experience was definitely a great one, it is bitter sweet because they know they are only experimenting and at the end of the day, they still have somewhere to go home at night and sleep. They did, however, help two people that were living in a warehouse with housing for two months! They definitely have some good karma coming their way!
Hayes and Long have already been huge donors to homeless causes and I think its great that they actually lived that life for a night. This cause is definitely not your typical one and I can bet that after this airs, many people may think twice about not giving panhandlers spare change when asked.
Source: ESPN
With all the race issues, police abuse issues and protests going on in that area the last 10 months, homelessness is what they choose to focus on? You had a white guy and a black guy they could have shown how police treat them differently and any number of scenarios.