Homeless

A new program in Detroit is targeting chronically homeless people who do not seek out medical help. A mobile medical team visits the homeless on their turf and aggressively follows up with these patients to help get them the medicine and care they need.

Tony Lithgow and Andrea Mayer live under a highway overpass in Baltimore. They're among a growing number of the nation's homeless who are reaching what's called "premature old age." They're in their late 40s and 50s, but suffer from ailments more common for those in their 70s.

If you're homeless, you can be on your feet for hours, forced to sleep in the frigid cold, or seriously ill with no place to go. But increasingly, the nation's homeless population is aging — more than half of single homeless adults are 47 or older. Linwood Hearne, 64, and his wife have been homeless for four years, sleeping near Interstate 83 in Baltimore.

Billy Ray Harris held on to Sarah Darling's diamond ring after she accidentally put it in his change cup. When Darling retraced her steps, he returned it to her. His honesty has led to more than $150,000 — so far — in online pledges to help him.

After inventor Mike Williams lost his business and his marriage, he ended up homeless. Then he found himself in the hospital after he was attacked and beaten in a California park. Dr. Jong Chen helped Williams back to health and back on his feet. Now they're working together on another invention.

But Jeffrey Hillman remains on the streets, the Daily News reports. City officials say they have tried to help him in various ways, but Hillman turns them down. A photo of of the officer giving Hillman boots on a frigid night captured many hearts.

Robert Griffo was working at an investment firm on Wall Street when the stock market crashed on Oct. 19, 1987. As his wealth slipped away, so did his hold on his life — and his family. Griffo ended up homeless and found himself contemplating suicide.

High school was tough for Tierra Jackson. She shared a single room in a Chicago homeless shelter with six other family members, and her mom was in and out of prison. But today, the college junior says school is her ticket out.

The Veterans Administration recently announced a $100 million program to fight homelessness among America's war veterans. The issue isn't new. For a generation, shelters have seen many Vietnam vets. Now, younger vets are landing on the street after seeing combat in Iraq or Afghanistan.

The Homeless Children's Playtime Project lets children ages 1 to 11 from the nearby D.C. General homeless shelter just be kids for a little while.