There Are Far Too Many 'Deaths of Despair' in the U.S. How Long Will We Turn Our Backs?

The man's scraggly hair and white bushy beard hung from a wrinkled face as he stood with a shopping cart filled with clothes, shoes and empty cans. When Americans spot such a homeless person, the impulse is often to hurry past. That's impossible when you suddenly realize that the homeless person is your old friend and neighbor.

"It's good to see you," Mike Stepp greeted us warmly.