Homeless People

[cmotherofpirl]

When my daughter lived in Pgh she encountered many street people. The first time she handed them money, or gift cert for McDs. The second time she handed them the numbers for shelters and agencies. THe third time she handed out spplications for McDonalds, Wendys etc THat was the last time she gave them anything. She would listen to their stories, but no aid to their various habits.

[rckllnknny]

[quote name='Autumn Dusk' post='1560149' date='Jun 5 2008, 07:01 PM']Rick, you're making big assumptions about my life. I've already stated that I know what its like to not know the next place I could sleep...to wonder even if I would have a roof over my head the next day.

The rest of the world? Seriously, every poor person is competing against every other poor person. While I sometimes resented people who had more than me, I often knew that many people had less. There was a time when everything I owned was contained in a duffel. So don't give me the "you don't understand" speech. I'm from new england and have delt with my fair share of being out in the cold. I've survived winters with a thin coat and no gloves becuase I had no money and nobody believed me when I said I needed help...simply becuase I was young, white, skinny and cute. (I'm just saying that b/c its a steryotype). I wasn't impared in any way they could see, i didn't smoke or smell of drugs or alcohol so people didn't help me. And that's just in my adult life...I won't go further than that.

i've taken the bus before...many times...I stated in the above how someone who was poor verbally attacked me for not giving when I had nothing. And at that point I would of been really grateful if someone'd given me a granola bar, in all honesty, even if I wasn't begging.

You don't know what I can or can't give. Right now I can't give anything, and I'm living off of people's graciousness. When I have a full-time job and a place of my own I CAN give...but only how I see fit.[/quote]
then dont take this personal or feel its directed at you when i say, y not give them some of the graces God gives you
??

sure granola bars are good. but wouldnt it b nice if someone treated you to a steak dinner when you hadnt ate in 3 days. absolutely. i could give God my 10% but i give him my 100% im not perfect. but i guess if you ate buns and bananas and offered me the same. i would cry i was soo happy that you thought of me with so much respect.

[Autumn Dusk]

[quote name='rckllnknny' post='1560178' date='Jun 5 2008, 08:16 PM']then dont take this personal or feel its directed at you when i say, y not give them some of the graces God gives you
??

sure granola bars are good. but wouldnt it b nice if someone treated you to a steak dinner when you hadnt ate in 3 days. absolutely. i could give God my 10% but i give him my 100% im not perfect. but i guess if you ate buns and bananas and offered me the same. i would cry i was soo happy that you thought of me with so much respect.[/quote]

Most people who know me know would be shocked to know some of the things I've eaten to get by. Granola bars are a quick and very nutritious way to help a lot of charitable money go really far, especially when you don't have a lot to spend.

[rckllnknny]

lol. i wouldnt mind one right now to be honest.

[Autumn Dusk]

Err...wait...I guess I do give...I used 2 hours of my time last weekend making sandwiches for the homeless.

[rckllnknny]

kudos to ya. (sorry bad joke. lol.)

[CatherineM]

You may see homeless people downtown waiting for the bus, but I can see two right now out side my living room window. I live in the part of town that when the Guardian Angels came to town picked as their first stop. The corner outside our church two blocks away is where a serial killer was picking up prostitutes for over a year. He was recently convicted. My husband is chair of the board trying to build permanent housing for the mentally ill homeless. The homeless aren't an intellectual pursuit for us. They are part of our lives. I spent years volunteering nights at the large homeless shelter in Oklahoma City. If you ask anyone who works with the homeless, on the street or in the shelters, they will tell you that giving them money is a bad idea. Give them anything else but that. If you don't believe me, find the nearest shelter, and go get your hands dirty.

[rckllnknny]

ya still dont get it do ya?

[rckllnknny]

quote/
My husband is chair of the board trying to build permanent housing for the mentally ill homeless.


sounds like a good idea.

if i ask anyone who works with the homeless are you kidding. i kno tens or hundreds of thousands of people homeless and volunteers or even more. is spent my whole life in poverty and also upon greater wealth.
you dont hav to give them money. i never said you did. its your money. do as you wish. but i kno first hand too whats effective.

Edited June 6, 2008 by rckllnknny

[CatherineM]

You've known tens of thousands of homeless. Wow.

[Norseman82]

[quote name='Madtown Sem.' post='1559684' date='Jun 5 2008, 01:11 PM']A friend of mine in Denver does it the best that I've seen. He has a bunch of $5 McDonald's gift cards in his car. Then you know they are using it on what they really need.[/quote]

Actually, that's my next step. What I've also done in the past is to give these coupons that are sold at a down parish that is basiclally a "gift certificate" to local food service places (momma's boy, that's the Chicago Shares coupons available at St.Peter's in the Loop), or I will actually buy them a sandwich. I never give money any more, unless it is to someone who is blind or missing a limb.

[ardillacid]

[img]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51qCvxM-bPL._SX320_SY240_.jpg[/img]

chaaaaange?

Edited June 6, 2008 by notardillacid

[Deb]

People always use the example of the guy who made a fortune panhandling. Most true homeles people are pretty obvious in the way they look and dress. The look in their eyes says a lot so always make eye contact with them, if they will let you.

I can't not give people money when they ask for it. Heck, they don't even have to be homeless. If someone came up and said they were dying for an expresso and left their wallet at home, I would give them the money. If someone misrepresents themselves or lies to me to get a buck. That is on their conscience and between them and God. I won't take the chance that the person asking me for a buck IS God and I turned them down.

[CatherineM]

The last time I gave money to someone at the bus stop on the corner, he had a clearly dislocated shoulder, and he said he needed bus fare to get to the hospital. I gave it to him. I saw him two weeks later with his shoulder dislocated again, hitting people up at a different bus stop. I was impressed. He should have a job in a carnival. I often put money in the bus till for someone who gets on and doesn't have enough. Being disabled, I am always at the front right next to it. At least I know where the money is going so I don't have to have a guilty conscience about contributing to an addiction.

[rhetoricfemme]

A few years ago I wrote an article about a few homeless gentlemen who donated their time to Hurricane Katrina victims. They were living at the Volunteers of America, trying to save up money and get back on track.

These men volunteered to help furnish apartments being set up for hurricane victims that were being sent up to Lansing.




That was a humbling experience for me.