Three months into my position as a news reporter for the Sentinel Media Company led to what I believe to be one of the most impactful stories that I’ve written so far.

My article, 'Housed Not Hidden:' How local pastor Michael Ballman is breaking the stigma of homelessness, was published on Aug. 12. The article profiled Ballman and his efforts to assist the population of homeless people in the city who, for a variety of reasons, are not able to utilize services from local shelters.

As someone who was born, raised, and currently resides in the Mohawk Valley, I’ve noticed a growing presence of panhandlers and homeless people around Utica over the past few years. I have also been aware of the judgement and comments made by others in the area regarding them. I will even admit that there have been times when I, too, have had those judgmental thoughts.

That changed when I met them.

Ballman provided me with a glimpse of what some of the city’s homeless go through on a daily basis. The ones who aren’t able to stay at a local shelter come to the Cornerstone Plymouth Bethesda Church, 500 Plant St. in Utica, where Ballman had also previously run a shelter at the church. Due to a lack of funding, the shelter’s operations ceased, however, Ballman continues to allow the homeless to sleep outside on the church’s property.

It is at this church where the homeless come since there is no other place for them to go.

Many homeless people who come to the church are dealing with drug use, extreme cases of trauma, mental illnesses, or developmental disabilities. While these people have issues that need to be addressed, Ballman informed me on how it’s important to address the issue that they are homeless first and that any other issues after homelessness can better be addressed upon having a permanent place to stay. This is known as the Housing First strategy, which prioritizes housing and basic necessities before attending to less critical issues like unemployment and substance abuse.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, there is a large and growing body of evidence demonstrating that Housing First is an effective solution to homelessness.

I was able to talk with some of the city’s homeless after my interview with Ballman, where I was pleased to not only find out they were willing to talk with me about their experiences being homeless but to also learn that they were kind people who just so happened to be struggling and doing the best they could to survive, given the resources that they have.

Speaking with Ballman and some of the city’s homeless helped me recognize the privilege I have of not being homeless and not having to worry about where I will sleep or where my next meal will come from.

It’s easy to dismiss homeless people and make assumptions about their lifestyle and their choices without having an understanding of who they are, what they went through, and what they are going through now. Ballman said it best when he told me “they’re people and they’re human and their stories matter. They can get better, but we can’t push them to the margins.”