What’s it Like Being Homeless in Popeadelphia?

WATCH: A difficult life, trying to find a respite.

I was walking down Broad Street on my way to the National Shrine of St. Rita when two men and a woman stopped me and asked if I was a reporter. They wanted to talk to someone in the media about their experience of being homeless during Pope Mania.

They took me inside the Broad Street Ministry to find a quiet room where we could talk. The ministry was staffed with numerous volunteers, and people were eating and talking at tables in the cavernous sanctuary area upstairs. The three people I spoke with wanted to note how helpful and welcoming BSM has been to them; their concerns were in no way a reflection of the very good work that BSM is doing. Rather, they worried about the bigger picture. The first video is of a man who is staying in local a shelter with his wife. She didn’t want to be on camera, and he did not want his name used. He chose to wear sunglasses to be a bit less recognizable.

Here are their stories:

The two videos below are of Victor Thompson, who first talks about homelessness in general and then specific concerns he has about the Pope’s visit.