The Homeless

Those are few and far between, and the vast majority will be diagnosed with a mental illness for which treatment is not available to them.

I wouldn't say they're few and far between, more like for such a situation to exist: one would have to be in a climate where it's reasonable to lead such a life based on free choice. If you're in a country where you're freezing your ass off six months a year, good luck. Also, most of these people who choose this are usually young males who haven't met a significant other yet. So there's a bias.
 
I wouldn't say they're few and far between, more like for such a situation to exist: one would have to be in a climate where it's reasonable to lead such a life based on free choice. If you're in a country where you're freezing your ass off six months a year, good luck. Also, most of these people who choose this are usually young males who haven't met a significant other yet. So there's a bias.

Correct. But there are those that still make that decision without those variables in place. Generally, it is due to the fact that an illness interferes with them making good choices regarding their best interests.
 
I feel the need to add this because I saw a couple of posts where the homeless were basically dehumanized.

The first and foremost thing to realize is that you need to treat the individual as a human that is simply experiencing some very real human problems that they may bear no responsibility for at all. They are not bad people, they are not people who choose not to work, or take on responsibility. They are people just as everyone is. Part of the problem with the lack of services for the homeless is that people generally assume that they are lazy, or alcoholics that like the way they live, etc. etc.

This is a case in point where "There but for the grace of God, go I." needs to be the first thought in your head.
 
Not true. The rate of alcoholism among the homeless are the same as the rest of the population. However, I agree that federal assistance should be given those willing to get help with drugs/alcohol problems AND counseling. I was homeless for over a year and it was so difficult to get back on my feet.
What I would do, TxGolfer, is to create a place where the homeless could attend for lunch (and to share their experience and ideas), and somehow have mental health professionals be there, if at least for referral. I got back on my feet only after several counseling sessions to get the right frame of mind to take action to get out of my rut.


I like your idea alot. As I posted in another thread I am working on a food for trash idea where city cafes would provide a meals to those that helped clean up the streets. I think it helps the city and enviroment while giving a good meal to someone in need. Like jillio said these people are human beings just like us. Many have too much pride to take a handout but might do something like this. Plus earning something might help give them something to feel better about. I may try to approach the graffiti problem the same way.

But I like your idea too....kind of a summit.

Real coincidence today....I went to Safeway in Foster City (where I live) to get some things to hand out and Jackie Speier (congresswoman) was there doing a similar event to Gabby's. She came up and gave me a bag for a food bank drive. :lol: we had a short chat and exchanged emails. How wierd is that?
 
That is a cool event. I'm going to have to mention Food for Trash around here. Another idea is a community garden. The city I live in started one last spring on a lot where a building had been torn down. Lowe's donated seedlings for tomatoes and other vegetables.
 
I lived in major cities in the past, most homeless people won't accept my food offer. They wanted money, and we all know where that person is going to...liquor store.
You don't really know that for sure. Maybe they are like the rest of us and would like to have choices. Being homeless isn't something most would choose to do, but that doesn't mean the homeless must give up more choices and control over their lives than they already have.
 
I'm afraid that I don't know much about the homeless.

They're like invisible during the day in the city and a lot comes out when it gets dark.

I've heard of charities having trucks going out at night handing out blankets and serving them hot food. They have people come out to chat with the homeless especially the youths.

I think if one of the focus is helping homeless women and kids is a good idea considering the deep cuts imposed on funding for women's shelters in CA.
 
I'm afraid that I don't know much about the homeless.

They're like invisible during the day in the city and a lot comes out when it gets dark.

I've heard of charities having trucks going out at night handing out blankets and serving them hot food. They have people come out to chat with the homeless especially the youths.

I think if one of the focus is helping homeless women and kids is a good idea considering the deep cuts imposed on funding for women's shelters in CA.

you are in for a shock when you get here then. 100s of them out during the day. The are pretty quiet though and I never felt threatened around them.
 
you are in for a shock when you get here then. 100s of them out during the day. The are pretty quiet though and I never felt threatened around them.

It's funny. Boulder came about making an ordinance against the homeless - making it illegal for them to be sleeping anywhere, or even peddling.

The homeless came out and my goodness there was like thousands of them protesting by sleeping on the courthouse front lawn.

The bill was suddenly dropped. :giggle:
 
We would need to figure out why they are homeless.

-Battered women. They tend to have to either choose between living in a secure place with issues, or be homeless.

-People who just feel like they have no chance - they just decide to be homeless because they have "no chance" in employment. Could be a cause of their upbringing.

-Addiction. I met a deaf guy in Vegas two weeks ago. He mentioned he played poker with me and that I showed him the exit to the tournament once some time ago. I don't remember him but he lives in Vegas, homeless, mooches SSDI, and loves gambling.

-People who just foreclosed (a spike of recent)...

I would put more focus on battered women. Give them easy way out, set them up with security. Security = jobs, housing, a foundation for them to stand on so they're whole and good. That way they're not homeless, and doing the things women were asking me for in Vegas.... :shock:

One is 50 kid in USA homeless every year. I knew young women that homeless in Cal. I was so sad to learn about this as I knew the women when they where kids. I no longer lived in Calf. at the time. If I did I would had let them stay at my house until they got back on their feet. I tried to help a homeless guy find a place to sleep but the shelter had no more room! They had 10 more people staying there than they had room for! I was told the number of homeless people was getting higher all the time! Some people formed a group to find homes to rent for homeless people in my city and towns near us. I am not sure how successful the group was in helping homeless people find homes. I called few times to help but I was never called back! People can be very snobby in my city!
 
Each and everyone of us can be mere inches away from being homeless....Takes a strong person to survive these days.

If I lost my job....house was foreclosed upon....spouse left me, etc. etc., and lost everything I had worked so hard for...I, too, might just simply "give up" and hit the bottle or do drugs....have a nervous breakdown....live in the street, or under a bridge, even a ditch.

I do feel so many homeless people have mental illness, have lost touch with reality......some are alcoholics, some are drug addicts, some have no one "that cares" about them. Many just "give up"...and I've heard some ex-cons (who were in prison) say that "life inside prison was SO MUCH easier than real life on the outside."
 
Wrong, wrong, wrong!

The fastest growing population of homeless people is families with children. Why? Job loss. Foreclosure. Eviction.

We do have lots of homeless in New Mexico. My sister is Director for the homeless shelter in Santa Fe. She is very good at helping this people who are out of luck and being force out of a job or eviction when they could not pay.
She is hearing and she had voiced in many events including the government council.

Many of the homeless are natives and few homeless outside of their race too. Anyway, with the prices of living in the apartment or houses really have gone up skyrocket that they can not afford to live in a expensive places. Jobs are hard to find when they don't have a places to live like have an addresses or nice clothes to wear to go into the job interviews.

Some of the homeless refuse to stay in the shelter especially in the Winter. They will freeze if they don't have the blankets and some food in them otherwise they will kill themselves being frozen. Life on the streets is not a pretty picture either. So I understand that and learned something from my sister. I don't know if there are some deaf homeless at her shelter. I have never thought of that before. I will ask my sister about that. Very interesting. :hmm:
 
We do have lots of homeless in New Mexico. My sister is Director for the homeless shelter in Santa Fe. She is very good at helping this people who are out of luck and being force out of a job or eviction when they could not pay.
She is hearing and she had voiced in many events including the government council.

Many of the homeless are natives and few homeless outside of their race too. Anyway, with the prices of living in the apartment or houses really have gone up skyrocket that they can not afford to live in a expensive places. Jobs are hard to find when they don't have a places to live like have an addresses or nice clothes to wear to go into the job interviews.

Some of the homeless refuse to stay in the shelter especially in the Winter. They will freeze if they don't have the blankets and some food in them otherwise they will kill themselves being frozen. Life on the streets is not a pretty picture either. So I understand that and learn something from my sister. I don't know if there are some deaf homeless at her shelter. I have never thought of that before. I will ask my sister about that. Very interesting. :hmm:

Your sister is doing wonderful work. You can be proud of her for serving others.
 
Your sister is doing wonderful work. You can be proud of her for serving others.

:ty: I am really proud of her for doing this. She has tried to help them in her shelter for many years. The homeless were very happy to get help from her in Santa Fe. :applause:
 
We were almost faced with being homeless, but we cashed in all of our retirement plans and by the skin of our teeth and with lots of overdue bills following us, we managed to move in with MIL. We have paid off most of the bills and are finally beginning to get back onto our feet. Ours was due to the fact that I lost my job and hubby's hours were cut and he was facing a lay-off. I lost my job after we moved from Central to Eastern Missouri.

While I don't have much to help the homeless right now, I do buy gift certificates to McDonald's and Burger King and give out a certificate here and there. We also keep a flat of water in my car and I will hand out bottles of water to them as well. I do not hand over any cash as a lot of them here in town are just out for the beer or such that they can get. There was one lady who was standing on the street corner with a sign. Her hubby was killed in a gang shooting and she was 8 months pregnant. She had no family here and had not eaten for 2 days. The apartment was in her hubby's name and the rents had not been paid and she was evicted. With her permission, I called the local shelter and she was picked up by police and taken there. She has since delivered a healthy baby girl and was given transportation back to NY to her family.
 
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