Homeless on street corner...

**cali** · 06-15-2004, 07:33 PM

a simple test is if they ask for money for food, offer to take them out for dinner, but do NOT give them money plain out.

**trayi52** · 06-15-2004, 07:55 PM

My daughter and her husband make quite a few trips to Nashville, Tn to take their daughter to a kidney specialist there. Whenever they see somebody like that, they always go buy food and take it to them. They don't give money, but will go to a store and buy food to give to them.

The people they have encountered this way, have all been very thankful for the food they get.

My son does the same thing, never giving money, but buying food, for these homeless and hungry people.

It make me feel very proud of my daughter, her husband, and my son.

It always breaks my heart to hear of things like this, but when my kids tell me what they have done, I just feel so good!

Willie

**RICHARD** · 06-15-2004, 07:57 PM

Originally posted by cali
offer to take them out for dinner, but do NOT give them money plain out.

I won't kiss on the first date tho......

And If you DO give them money, it's not a date!

**ticosmyham** · 06-15-2004, 09:24 PM

Originally posted by RICHARD
I won't kiss on the first date tho......

And If you DO give them money, it's not a date!

Lmao!

**Katiesmom** · 06-15-2004, 11:58 PM

teenster, I feel the same way...I feel I should donate and then again I don't...Some people do it just to get extra money they really don't need it but just like to scam and some do need it..I don't know...when I can I give a dollar or two I know its not much but I don't know if that person really is homeless or not so If I give that much I don't feel like I've lost much but sometimes I wonder..

**teenster3** · 06-16-2004, 12:35 AM

Carole....
My husband feels the same way. He says: there's so many jobs that other people are unwilling to do & so on. I say: I can't help but wonder, how can someone get a job if they don't have clean clothes, a resume, shelter, or transportation?
I don't know, it's just very sad to see men, women, & especially children desperate for food & shelter while we sit here with so much!!!

**carole** · 06-16-2004, 12:56 AM

Teenster I know what you are saying, but here in NZ there is really no need for anyone to be that bad off, there are of course exceptions, and I am not looking through rose coloured glasses, My husband lost his job a few years back, they just did not need him anymore and we had to rely on unemployment for a while,it sure was tough , and yes we did not have money to throw away, but we survived.

Here in NZ you get grants, that you donot have to pay back, to help you buy clothes for a job interview, so except in special circumstances there is no excuse really.

Like all welfare systems, it gets abused far too much.

I was thinking about what you were saying Richard, and how people scam people, the bad apples always spoil it for the ones who truely need it, this is typical of human behaviour, but if it is only a couple of bucks, i figure I can take the loss, even though I would far rather it went to someone who really needs and deserves it, I think the homeless situation is far worse in the US, than here, but only because you have a bigger population.

**leslie flenner** · 06-16-2004, 01:18 AM

Your husband is right, there are menial jobs out there. However, the people you see with cups are, (99% sure here from my 20 year work experience) unable to get those jobs. Yes, some are scams. But most are not. most are people that cannot stay in shelters due to paranoid schizophrenia, or other psychiatric disabilities. the system can not help those who refuse (because their minds don't let them accept help- they think others are out to hurt them, kill them, it is not a fake thing- their minds truely lead them to believe that this is the way it is- many of them freeze to death here in boston every winter- they refuse to go inside.
HOWEVER- I do not give money in those cups. they have other resources and even though they are paranoid about using them, I know they are there and cannot give money when I know they are not using them. I tell them (and it's a daily thing for me) to go to the shelter for help- shelters don't just give shelter anymore- they help with job search, life skills, getting housing vouchers etc.