Helping the Homeless - Page 5

VaBelle35 · ‎03-10-2010

We have a non-profit organization in my town that works directly with a homeless tent community here. It is very well organized in terms of providing meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas, water when it's hot and heaters, blankets, sleeping bags, tents etc. when it's cold.

Without this organization, these people would die from heat or exposure.

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cherry · ‎03-09-2010

@Preds so many of them aren't in the best shape ,mentally. You just don't know what might have happened to them, to make them so afraid. Because I think it is fear ,that motivates people to act like this.

Someone a better mental state would be grateful, and happy for the help

pigletsmom · ‎11-21-2011

We have a very good shelter here that I donate to. Then there are two specific people that I see a lot and I just give them cash if I have some on me.

One is a man that is older and my best guess is this is going to be what he's doing for the rest of his life.I think he leaves the shelter in the morning and he usually stands on the corner asking for money.

The other is a woman that sits on a park bench every day. I think she too leaves the shelter in the AM and goes to sit. She is very clearly mentally ill. Along with a little cash I bought her a pack of cigarettes one day.

For both of these people I'm grateful that they have a place to go in the cold and I don't care at all what they do with the money. Booze, smokes, food or whatever makes them happy for the day is fine with me.

cherry · ‎03-09-2010

@pigletsmom Mother Theresa used to give her patients cigarettes after dinner ,at night. One of the young nuns was quite shocked by this

Mother explained, these people have so little pleasure or luxury in their lives ,and they enjoy smoking. It is the one small comfort I can afford to give them, and I will not deny them this small joy in their life

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@suzyQ3 wrote:
@SeaMaiden wrote:
Helping the homeless is one thing... giving them handouts with no incentives to better themselves and live on the streets forever is another.

Here in Seattle we have a new name for Seattle..." FREE ATLE"... The city has opened it's doors for homeless people to come here and get free everything.... food.. clothes.... even building them boxes to live in. No incentive for these people to get out of homelessness... just live off of the tax payer who is footing the bill. More and more homeless camps are cropping up all over the city... dirty places needles everywhere... close to homes and schools....they do not clean up after themselves at all.

I am all for helping the homeless get back on their feet and become productive people in society. But in FREE ATLE, this so called handout help is only exasperating the problem.
@SeaMaiden, yours is, IMO, a cruel and actually short-sighted opinion. Of course we should do more to mainstream the homeless.

But meanwhile, they are often ill and very hungry. You can't rehabilitate without first adressing their condition. I thought that our country believed in compassion and helping those who need help, not shaming them as lazy ne-er do wells.

I have never in my life been hungry because I had no food. I have always had a roof over me. But I know darn well that but for the grace....you know the saying. So I try my best to understand what if feels like to be walk in someone else's shoes (or lack thereof).

I think we need to hold on to our principles now more than ever.

As in any other population, there are homeless people in many different circumstances. Some are mentally ill, others are drug or alcohol addicted, some are down on their luck and want to get back on their feet. And some are living that way because they want to, especially in warmer climates.

@SeaMaiden is very correct. The very best help to give the homeless is to work toward them not being so any longer, not constantly giving them everything they need, year after year, but give them the skills and resources to be able to provide for themselves.

In the short run, especially when the weather is as dangerous as it is in much of the country right now, we of course have to give and provide what is needed to keep people from dying in the cold. People are dying in this weather, and no one wants to see that happen.

But the bigger picture has to be to get those needing rehabilitation and medical help to the programs they need, helping those that just need some education or job assistance to places that can make those things happen for them, and encourage those that are living on the streets by choice some options, but in reality you can't make people do things that they don't want to do.

There are many people on the streets who have been helped, but end up back there, again and again. At some point, I can easily see why many people give up wanting to help. I can't blame them. Not everyone that is homeless is going to be able to change their lives, and some simply don't want to. I just don't know how I'm supposed to fix that, nor do I understand why people insist we should.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@pigletsmom wrote:
We have a very good shelter here that I donate to. Then there are two specific people that I see a lot and I just give them cash if I have some on me.

One is a man that is older and my best guess is this is going to be what he's doing for the rest of his life.I think he leaves the shelter in the morning and he usually stands on the corner asking for money.

The other is a woman that sits on a park bench every day. I think she too leaves the shelter in the AM and goes to sit. She is very clearly mentally ill. Along with a little cash I bought her a pack of cigarettes one day.

For both of these people I'm grateful that they have a place to go in the cold and I don't care at all what they do with the money. Booze, smokes, food or whatever makes them happy for the day is fine with me.

THis will only contribute to them continuing to be homeless.

They need real help, not the kind of pity that just gives them what they want that continues to harm their health and keep them in their impoverished and dependent state.

Edited to add: this does so much more harm than good. Sad that people would do this to others.

RainyDayGal · ‎03-09-2010

@Noel7 wrote:
@RedConvertibleGirl wrote:
@chrystaltree wrote:
Wow, I never knew that Seattle had a balmy, tropical climate.

Seattle's temperature is pleasant enough. Yes, it gets cold in the winter but it's not piled up in snow or below freezing many days. Not saying cold isn't unpleasant. But a lot of the homeless refuse to even seek the shelter that is offered. But most of the year it is more than liveable. Also, money is being diverted from other much needed funds (think elderly) to "help" with the homeless.

Seattle is known for rain, rain, rain. I lived there for a time.

A little difficult living on the street and functioning in the rain.

"Seattle averages 37.49 inches of precipitation a year, with the vast majority falling as rain instead of snow."

Seattle weather blog.

I also know what the weather in Seattle is like. I'm from the area, and lived in Seattle for MANY years.

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

@RedConvertibleGirl wrote:
@Noel7 wrote:
@RedConvertibleGirl wrote:
@chrystaltree wrote:
Wow, I never knew that Seattle had a balmy, tropical climate.

Seattle's temperature is pleasant enough. Yes, it gets cold in the winter but it's not piled up in snow or below freezing many days. Not saying cold isn't unpleasant. But a lot of the homeless refuse to even seek the shelter that is offered. But most of the year it is more than liveable. Also, money is being diverted from other much needed funds (think elderly) to "help" with the homeless.

Seattle is known for rain, rain, rain. I lived there for a time.

A little difficult living on the street and functioning in the rain.

"Seattle averages 37.49 inches of precipitation a year, with the vast majority falling as rain instead of snow."

Seattle weather blog.

I also know what the weather in Seattle is like. I'm from the area, and lived in Seattle for MANY years.

@RainyDayGal

I think it was important to mention.. Last year it was about 12" here, but then, we seem to still be in a drought. A lot of homeless people come here because the weather is comparatively mild.

pigletsmom · ‎11-21-2011

@Mominohio These are people that I absolutely believe will be living their lives this way forever. Especially in the case of the woman. She is probably going to sit on that bench all day for the rest of her life. I'm terrible saddened by that.

I'm glad she has a shelter to go to and a place to get fed. I'm glad we have a van that goes around to pick up people in the cold to make sure they get in. I see her most mornings when I go for a run. I worry when she's not there.

I have no idea how she came to this condition but people are doing their best to care for her and of course that's based on what she will allow. Honestly there are times that you don't want to go near her because she can be unpredictable.

I can't believe you've never seen any of these people that are just so far gone. For my whole life we've always had a few notorious homeless people that become part of life. If a pack of smokes brightens her day I'm in. She also colors in her coloring book so I might grab her some supplies.

And for the people that do have a shot, I give directly to the shelter that helps them with a lot of things to get back on track.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

Since the beginning of time there have been haves and have nots. And it is frequently not the person's fault. Is it someone's fault that they are not intelligent? Not everyone is born smart. Some other unfortunates have mental illness - I'm absolutely certain that people who are mentally ill would get better and be well if they possibly could. They don't want to be this way. PTSD - addiction, alcoholism , abuse etc etc etc.

When I hear anyone say krap like "they want to live like this" or "they choose to live on the streets" I just see red. You know every one of us is just one major disaster from being them - I never forget that.