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Homeless people question
- Thread starter rachelinaz
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The ones who just take and make a living out of it I get though. Or the ones who know the system and know how to get more then they should but get away with it. Not the maybe they really need it ones but the ones who make a POINT to tell you what they did/should get and do get. In my area that is common.
I was at the food stamp office few months back and watched a guy selling pills from an RX container. I was like no could that really be? And then the next customer came.
I was at the food stamp office few months back and watched a guy selling pills from an RX container. I was like no could that really be? And then the next customer came.
These are the people we're all talking about, the ones we don't want to give to. Not people who are genuinely down on their luck.
Another thought is that some of the homeless do not want to live as most of us do, in some sort of home. There's usually a mental illness(es) involved. This is a complex situation, because at what point do you force them into a shelter or for treatment of their mental illness? At what point does it violate their rights to force this?
I have a little group that gets together once a month to do yogic singing/chanting and it's by donation. We use the money at the end of the year to help an organisation that works with people severely affected by drug addition - most of them are on the streets. We give to this group as most people won't touch them, for reasons that people have mentioned in this thread.
But many, many of these people have mental issues and have been ignored by the system. They self medicate simply to make life bearable and it's a downward spiral from there. I've heard so many life stories from this organisation, who really know the people, and my heart breaks listening to how most of them have ended up in this situation. Addiction is a disease.. or a symptom of one.
As for giving money.. I agree that it can be pointless if you know it's just going to go on drugs. But I do try to give something, even if only to let them know that there's kindness in the world.
But many, many of these people have mental issues and have been ignored by the system. They self medicate simply to make life bearable and it's a downward spiral from there. I've heard so many life stories from this organisation, who really know the people, and my heart breaks listening to how most of them have ended up in this situation. Addiction is a disease.. or a symptom of one.
As for giving money.. I agree that it can be pointless if you know it's just going to go on drugs. But I do try to give something, even if only to let them know that there's kindness in the world.
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I did a dissertation on urban homeless people for my degree. I have spent time with over 300 homeless people in 3 major cities. "Why don't you just get a job and improve your own life" is one of the most prevalent, yet most ignorant thoughts out there among those privileged enough to have a roof over their heads.
Nobody WANTS to be homeless. Save for the voluntarily nomadic, who rarely ask for handouts anyway, NOBODY WANTS TO BE HOMELESS. Not the young and able. Not the old and "used to it". And especially not the mentally ill.
A large, large percentage of the homeless were kicked out of their families in their youth, often for being gay, transsexual, or pregnant in their teens. So no, many cannot turn to their own families for help. And the myth that homeless people make more money begging than working? That was true in some areas the 60's-80's, but because of the growth of that exact myth and the economy these days, that couldn't be farther from the truth. Just take a look at this thread. Just about everyone is wary of giving to the homeless because of some fear that they are scammers/would abuse the money. Magnify that to the rest of the civilised world, and you'll get some idea of how hard things are for the people who have to beg for a living.
Did you know that 65% of the homeless in NYC have at least one job? They work for a pittance at measly part-time jobs, often holding up to three or four jobs at one time (and consider themselves lucky for it!), yet STILL cannot make NYC rent. Most of these job-holding homeless are from out of town, where nearly all of what little money they make is sent back to pay the rent and living costs of their families and children who in cheaper, out-of-the-city housing.
The reason homeless people ask for money instead of your leftover sandwiches is because they NEED money to, you know, buy medication, living supplies, send their kids to school. Guess what the number one expense of homeless people is? UNDERWEAR AND SOCKS. Not food. People are always tossing them leftover sandwiches or buying them meals. Which is great, it's fantastic. But what about socks? They can't buy socks with your kindly donated cheeseburger.
I'm not going to ramble on and produce my whole dissertation here, but I will always give a few dollars to the homeless whenever I can. Nearly half of today's generation can expect to be homeless as some point due to the bottleneck economy that's pooled most of the world's money in the pockets of the older generation - but I digress - and if I, or you, or your young friends were forced out into the street someday, I would hope for someone "naive" enough to toss me a buck sometimes.
Nobody WANTS to be homeless. Save for the voluntarily nomadic, who rarely ask for handouts anyway, NOBODY WANTS TO BE HOMELESS. Not the young and able. Not the old and "used to it". And especially not the mentally ill.
A large, large percentage of the homeless were kicked out of their families in their youth, often for being gay, transsexual, or pregnant in their teens. So no, many cannot turn to their own families for help. And the myth that homeless people make more money begging than working? That was true in some areas the 60's-80's, but because of the growth of that exact myth and the economy these days, that couldn't be farther from the truth. Just take a look at this thread. Just about everyone is wary of giving to the homeless because of some fear that they are scammers/would abuse the money. Magnify that to the rest of the civilised world, and you'll get some idea of how hard things are for the people who have to beg for a living.
Did you know that 65% of the homeless in NYC have at least one job? They work for a pittance at measly part-time jobs, often holding up to three or four jobs at one time (and consider themselves lucky for it!), yet STILL cannot make NYC rent. Most of these job-holding homeless are from out of town, where nearly all of what little money they make is sent back to pay the rent and living costs of their families and children who in cheaper, out-of-the-city housing.
The reason homeless people ask for money instead of your leftover sandwiches is because they NEED money to, you know, buy medication, living supplies, send their kids to school. Guess what the number one expense of homeless people is? UNDERWEAR AND SOCKS. Not food. People are always tossing them leftover sandwiches or buying them meals. Which is great, it's fantastic. But what about socks? They can't buy socks with your kindly donated cheeseburger.
I'm not going to ramble on and produce my whole dissertation here, but I will always give a few dollars to the homeless whenever I can. Nearly half of today's generation can expect to be homeless as some point due to the bottleneck economy that's pooled most of the world's money in the pockets of the older generation - but I digress - and if I, or you, or your young friends were forced out into the street someday, I would hope for someone "naive" enough to toss me a buck sometimes.
This is why I give to a local organization that I have checked out and know are truly helping the less fortunate. I can't figure out who needs what and who is scamming and who isn't.
Most of the people who are homeless suffer either from mental illness or addiction, or both (they are closely related). This is something near and dear to my heart because I recently lost my brother to suicide.
There are a lot of ways to help the homeless without giving money to the "panhandlers" if you are uncomfortable with that. For example, whenever our firm holds some sort of special lunch for the staff, we send our leftovers to the local shelters. Shelters are always needing blankets, shoes, socks, coats - go through your closet and box up what you don't use and donate it. I read an article over the winter that profiled a homeless couple who were living in the woods. The lady suffered from frostbite on her feet because she didn't have shoes. Broke my heart...
There are a lot of ways to help the homeless without giving money to the "panhandlers" if you are uncomfortable with that. For example, whenever our firm holds some sort of special lunch for the staff, we send our leftovers to the local shelters. Shelters are always needing blankets, shoes, socks, coats - go through your closet and box up what you don't use and donate it. I read an article over the winter that profiled a homeless couple who were living in the woods. The lady suffered from frostbite on her feet because she didn't have shoes. Broke my heart...
I'm so sorry about your brother. I lost a brother to suicide in 1997. It takes time to process something like this.
I've known a few people that preferred not to receive help in the way of shelter. All but one were diagnosed as having a mental illness. The one that wasn't, I can't say that he didn't have some form of mental illness, but he was competent. He simply chose to be homeless during that period of his life. So I can't agree with "nobody wants to be homeless", but I do agree it is a general rule.
Thanks, Peaches. It is tough, isn't it? Something you never completely get over...
