We typically ignore the homeless person on the bench. As we walk by, our hands clench our belongings, we speed up our pace and we attempt to avoid eye contact because in that moment, we encounter someone else’s desolation.

According to the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, about 3 million people will experience homelessness this year: That’s 1 percent of the population. Domestic abuse, lack of affordable housing and health care, unemployment and health problems are all causes of homelessness. There is no general description for all people who become homeless.

I was reminded of these issues Sunday when I hung out with homeless people. Together with other university students, I went to Washington to hear people’s personal experiences with homelessness. At the end of the day, I walked away reminded of the simple fact we are all people itching to be acknowledged by others.

John, a white man in his mid 50s with a scruffy white beard, wearing blue jeans and a sweatshirt, came from a stable two-parent home, never thinking he would ever encounter homelessness. He did well in high school and decided to get a job instead of attending college. When a series of events led him into debt and he lost his job, John spiraled into homelessness.

“At the time it felt like I was invisible. People walking by me like I wasn’t even there,” John told our group of students.

Andre, a 46-year-old clean-shaven black man, has been in and out of homelessness for more than a decade. Substance addiction led him to homelessness, but he is now clean. Andre is currently working toward a degree in business administration but since losing his job a few months ago, he is back on the streets.

I was taken by Andre’s charismatic attitude. After he shared his story, I tapped him on the arm to catch his attention. I shook his hand, smiled and said, “Hi, I’m Jen.” He responded in enthusiastic shock: “Wow,” he said. “Not only are you willing to touch me, but you said hello with a smile.” In that instant, he was not invisible.

Andre guided a few students to Washington Circle near the George Washington University campus. I was given a pair of new athletic socks to distribute to a homeless person I saw in the park but felt uneasy approaching a homeless man randomly.

Instead of making any assumptions about the person, Andre told me to ask, “Do you know if anyone could use a pair of socks?” And that was how I met Bob, a 63-year-old black man sitting with two suitcases and extra bags next to him. He declined my socks but accepted an invitation to chat for a while. I realized that question about socks was not necessarily about the action of giving socks but rather was an excuse to start a conversation.

I found an unlikely friend in Andre. I learned from him that others’ lack of compassion drives most homeless people to remain homeless. We avoid and we make assumptions because we don’t know how to act.

Before Andre and I parted, I asked him what advice he could offer me. He responded definitively, “People are not their circumstances or their situations.” He didn’t elaborate, but somehow I knew exactly what he meant.

Jennifer Schwarz is a senior environmental science and policy major. She can be reached at schwarz@umdbk.com.