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NewMoon
08-15-2008, 08:18 PM
^^^I don't mean to sound rude because it's thoughful, but it's just a bandaid solution.

Peanut_Butter
08-15-2008, 08:31 PM
^ can't save the world, but if you can brighten just one person's day, it makes life worth living every day, right?

HoolaTwist
08-15-2008, 08:50 PM
I had this idea to help homeless people last year, but I haven't been in a good enough situation myself to impliment the idea. It was started by SW, actually, after a similar thread with suggestion on what homeless people need.

My idea was to set up a website accepting donations of items and money to buy items, off a list I created detailing what was needed. Buy bookbags and fill them with items from the list, and have volunteers drive aroud and deliver the bookbags to the homeless on the street.

Items in the bookbag would be socks, underwear, a few bottles of water, some sandwiches, some snack type food and other non perishable, ready to eat foods, a small blanket; diffferent bags for males and female. For females, tampons and pads, for males razors and shaving cream. Soap and shampoo for both...stuff like that.

You could go into any dollar store and get all these thigns really cheap and could probably fill a bookbag for $10. Plus the cost of a bookbag for another $10ish. So for a $20 investment you could help one homeless person and provide them with a lot of things to help out. Maybe tuck an extra $5 into the bookbags cause having some cash is always nice, and could be used for bus fare or something. Also maybe encloe info on homeless shelters and food banks .

I often think abotu this idea and how easy it would be to do and how many people it coud help..as soon as I'm in a better place myself I hope to get this off the ground...

Cause every morning when I drove to school, I saw a man and a woman folding up their blankets, they had just woken up after a night of sleepign under the highway overpass. I passed them folding up their blankets each morning and wished I could help.

So that's sort of off topic.

This is really an amazing idea!

Jinx_Removing
08-15-2008, 08:59 PM
maybe i'm gullible but i think i have a fair idea if someone is trying to rip me off or if they genuinely need help.

the ones i think need help i will give money too . especially if they have a dog.... i'm a big softie.
i will give because i can afford to, and it probably makes a big difference to them to know that someone cares. it's alwasy good for EVERYONE to believe another person cares about them.

i donate to charity organisations too, and i would like to volunteer at some point.

Perry
08-15-2008, 09:52 PM
There are a lot of pan handlers outside my club. Some of them are violent, or rob the custys comming in. There was a woman once offering $5 blow jobs, telling everyone, "Don't go in there! I'll do what they won't!" I never give them money, mostly because I'm afraid of them.

On a side note, I HATE the groups of teen age douche bags that just hang out on the street asking for money, cigarettes, left overs, whatever when it's painfully odviouse they've got homes.

If it's not one of those morons it's some jerk yelling, "Hey sweet heart!" "Come over here!" or something. That's why I don't leave the house.

End rant.

Rockell
08-15-2008, 10:17 PM
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't it just depends.

It really irritated me though when I was 8 or 9 months pregnant and getting harassed for money outside the gas station getting into my POS car. I'm obviously not doing much better than you so back the fuck off. Or the time was eating a sandwich in my car waiting for a friend who was in the gas station and some lady had the balls to actually come up and knock on my rolled up window even after I ignored her and asked for spare change. >:(

When they have the nerve to pull some shit like that, I say hell no!

Bella21
08-15-2008, 10:32 PM
I think it's absurd to compare a homeless person asking for money to a stripper who is WORKING and shaking her naked butt onstage or a black person who was simply born a certain color. I do not consider the money I make as some sort of handout and someone's race is not the same sort of category at all.

I don't give money to homeless people. I don't want to be approached. I have before and they have all been women, but I don't do it as a general rule.

Bella21
08-15-2008, 11:48 PM
As a little girl, I'd give my own spare change from my allowance to homeless people, then I grew up and got wise. Nobody in America has to be homeless because there are homeless shelters. Likewise, nobody in America has to be hungry because there are "soup kitchens" and nobody in America has to be penniless because there are 7-11's they can stand in front of at 6 in the morning with the hispanics and be picked up as day laborers by construction/lawncare/home improvement companies, and paid cash at the end of the day, no ID required and no questions asked. I'm sympathetic to people's unfortunate situations, but in all reality, not a soul in this country has to be homeless, hungry, or without money. All you have to do is put forth a teensy tiny bit of effort, if that. I work hard for my money, and I'm not giving it to anyone just for the asking.

Oh dude... it was nice knowing you... prepare to die in a flame war. Dude you didn't even call them "migrant workers" or "illegal aliens" or something. Like all "Hispanics" stand on the corner of 7-11 to mow lawns. I've seen a lot of uneducated things on SW and I think that one takes the cake. You win. Here's your crown:

http://bp2.blogger.com/_T8Kwz9ax2Ew/R3pulybvxnI/AAAAAAAABSI/DPZrBJyVGBE/s400/TressGirlDunceCap.jpg

Did you get those ideals from your 3rd grade American History coloring book? I think you should do a bit more research on the matter. There are a couple of books that I would suggest. The name of one escapes me right now, but "How The Other Half Lives" is a worthy read.

TigersMilk
08-15-2008, 11:52 PM
L M A O Birdofeden!!!!! That was such an ignorant thing to say I can't believe you put that on an internet forum.

callah44
08-15-2008, 11:53 PM
As a little girl, I'd give my own spare change from my allowance to homeless people, then I grew up and got wise. Nobody in America has to be homeless because there are homeless shelters. Likewise, nobody in America has to be hungry because there are "soup kitchens" and nobody in America has to be penniless because there are 7-11's they can stand in front of at 6 in the morning with the hispanics and be picked up as day laborers by construction/lawncare/home improvement companies, and paid cash at the end of the day, no ID required and no questions asked. I'm sympathetic to people's unfortunate situations, but in all reality, not a soul in this country has to be homeless, hungry, or without money. All you have to do is put forth a teensy tiny bit of effort, if that. I work hard for my money, and I'm not giving it to anyone just for the asking.

I do have to agree with this statement. Maybe it's because I live in a big city in California....in America there is help if you want it and KNOW where to get it.

In addition, I have a few fooked up stories of incidences when people have asked for money, and I think we all have. The one condition that has left me permanently jaded and skeptical is when people ask for handouts and EXPECT it, acting like by asking they have a right to it, and if you say no or hand them merely a few dollars they are either rude to you or unappreciative. This does not fit all homeless people, as many are incredibly gracious and in true need. However, I have experienced this enough, as well as the intimidation factor, to not give people the time of day when they ask me for something. I feel like Ive earned the right to not respond to someone in passing if I dont want to. Period.

Sophia_Starina
08-15-2008, 11:54 PM
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.

gingerlee
08-16-2008, 12:02 AM
I remember this thread from a while back....it did get rather heated. Anyway....here's my 2 cents.

I've been homeless & I've lived in a car. Either way, it sucks. WHY was I homeless? Because I was one of those mentally ill crazy folks that couldn't afford medicine. I instead was the lady raves on the street corner about the coming of the end of the world and the government trying to steal my thoughts. I took money people gave me, and I took food people gave me. The outreach places in my area weren't all that helpful for people who were nuts, unless we just wanted to get kicked in and out of hospitals every other week or so for not being able to pay, otherwise we were screwed.

I give money, food, clothes, and anything else I can to homeless people. There are people out there that really don't have anywhere to go and nobody gives a shit about them, and it's not their fault.

TigersMilk
08-16-2008, 12:03 AM
So as someone who also lives in a big city in California I can say not all homeless are the same.

I am in awe of the intelligence in this thread.

Hello_Kitty27
08-16-2008, 12:08 AM
Might I also add, that my biological mother has sold her body for $5-10 here and there to get drugs, she has begged on street corners, all to get the next bottle of alcohol or the next bit of crack, heroin, etc.....I lost my real mom b/c of it. I was lucky enough to have my then 19-yr old aunt drop out of school and adopt me instead of getting stuck in the DCFS system, but that's a different thread all together.

So that's another reason I don't give money to random "homeless" people.

8eyespyder
08-16-2008, 12:11 AM
Yes, I do give. I have homeless friends who I have known for years (none of them r drug users) one of them is A Veteran, the other one is woman who is about 60, I also know younger ones too. They are good ppl--just had bad luck in life--and are unable to handle it--I don't judge them--I just talk to them like ppl --not like an animal (as I have seen some ppl do).
They lead a rough life--I know, I've seen it first hand. It is not fn to sleep on the sidewalk in winter time--it is not fun to not be able to eat the moment u r hingry or take a shower as soon as u feel dirty.
If i have the $-- then giving them a dollar will not kill me.
Plus, alot of homeles ppl have mental issues--this is not no fault of thier own.

Lady Xplicit18
08-16-2008, 12:11 AM
I had this idea to help homeless people last year, but I haven't been in a good enough situation myself to impliment the idea. It was started by SW, actually, after a similar thread with suggestion on what homeless people need.

My idea was to set up a website accepting donations of items and money to buy items, off a list I created detailing what was needed. Buy bookbags and fill them with items from the list, and have volunteers drive aroud and deliver the bookbags to the homeless on the street.

Items in the bookbag would be socks, underwear, a few bottles of water, some sandwiches, some snack type food and other non perishable, ready to eat foods, a small blanket; diffferent bags for males and female. For females, tampons and pads, for males razors and shaving cream. Soap and shampoo for both...stuff like that.

You could go into any dollar store and get all these thigns really cheap and could probably fill a bookbag for $10. Plus the cost of a bookbag for another $10ish. So for a $20 investment you could help one homeless person and provide them with a lot of things to help out. Maybe tuck an extra $5 into the bookbags cause having some cash is always nice, and could be used for bus fare or something. Also maybe encloe info on homeless shelters and food banks .

I often think abotu this idea and how easy it would be to do and how many people it coud help..as soon as I'm in a better place myself I hope to get this off the ground...

Cause every morning when I drove to school, I saw a man and a woman folding up their blankets, they had just woken up after a night of sleepign under the highway overpass. I passed them folding up their blankets each morning and wished I could help.

So that's sort of off topic.



This is a REALLY good idea!
I can't believe no one has come up with it yet!

Hello_Kitty27
08-16-2008, 12:11 AM
I remember this thread from a while back....it did get rather heated. Anyway....here's my 2 cents.

I've been homeless & I've lived in a car. Either way, it sucks. WHY was I homeless? Because I was one of those mentally ill crazy folks that couldn't afford medicine. I instead was the lady raves on the street corner about the coming of the end of the world and the government trying to steal my thoughts. I took money people gave me, and I took food people gave me. The outreach places in my area weren't all that helpful for people who were nuts, unless we just wanted to get kicked in and out of hospitals every other week or so for not being able to pay, otherwise we were screwed.

I give money, food, clothes, and anything else I can to homeless people. There are people out there that really don't have anywhere to go and nobody gives a shit about them, and it's not their fault.

Gingerlee, while I respect what you're saying and what you went through, I personally choose not to sit there and differentiate between who actually needs help and who doesn't. Like I said, I'm somehwat jaded, for a million different reasons. But...I usually still offer food to people, but in my experience, throughout Chicago, most of the "homeless" get downright pissed off and irate at the offer of food and not money.

Lena
08-16-2008, 02:57 AM
I agree with this. There is absolutely no reason to be homeless due to poverty where I live. If you are homeless, it's because of mental illness and I don't trust a mentally ill street person to wisely spend the money I give them.

You know there are people who would say the same thing about strippers. Actually, most of what's been said in this thread about homeless people I've heard said about strippers.

kandie_kitten
08-16-2008, 05:03 AM
I'm literally shaking fromr eading this thread.

Have any one of you [reaching the praises of shelters actually been to a homeless shelter?

They aren't lovely places where you get a nice bed and a hot meal in a safe place.

There are horrible beatings, rapes, and thefts in shelters. Many people spend one night there, and then decide that struggling on the street is better than being raped in their shelter bed.

Food kitchens...well, many homeless are mentally disabled, physically disabled, or just plain ignorant of where /how to get to them.


And they could just get a job at McDonalds? How do you expect them to do that, without an address for the application, a phoen number, a shower for the interview, and decent clothes?

And as for this "stand at 7-11" and get picked up as a migrant worker...well for one, and not even addressing the 40 statements wrong, what if they aren't able-bodied enough to do that?

Mr Hyde
08-16-2008, 05:12 AM
I would give money to a homeless person who is obviously physically unable to work.

Otherwise you are enabling a lifestyle that could be changed for the better.

Jenny
08-16-2008, 05:17 AM
I personally think all the conviction that every second homeless person is a scam artist is just... deflection.

The vast majority of North Americans are one paycheck away from homelessness. That means if they lose their jobs, and don't find another within 4 weeks - 8 or maybe 12 if they stretch out the eviction process - they will have nowhere to live. Everyone who thinks there is "no good reason to be homeless" - check out the reality of the resources available to the homeless. Not only are they unpleasant and frequently unsafe, they are not nearly plentiful enough to deal with any urban homeless problem. It is obviously more difficult for the mentally ill, the physically ill or people who had to suddenly leave a home - abused spouses or children. Has there ever been a scam artist? Of course - but the chances are excellent that the homeless person you see on the corner is actually a homeless person. Not to mention - it is difficult to make thousands of dollars as a panhandler. Everyone makes it sound so easy, like everyone is hurling money at you. It's not. It is not, in fact, an easy scam because there are too many homeless and too few people with a sense of great generosity to strangers.

That said - I don't like being approached with a "hustle" because I find it threatening, especially late at night; to me that feels a lot different than a "spare change?" when I'm walking by. I would not have given the OP's guy change either.

NewMoon
08-16-2008, 05:21 AM
You know there are people who would say the same thing about strippers. Actually, most of what's been said in this thread about homeless people I've heard said about strippers.
I already addressed this issue above. Yes, it's possible that strippers are spending money on drugs. However, we EARNED the money. It's also possible when you buy your groceries that the owner is using the money to feed his drug addiction. I'm not concerned with how my money is spent when I pay for a product or service. I'm concerned how my money is spent when I make a donation.

If the money I pay to buy my groceries ends up supporting a marijuana grow-op, I don't think that is really my business because I have my groceries and they earned the money. If money that I DONATE out of the goodwill of my heart goes to support a marijuana grow-op I would be pissed.

NewMoon
08-16-2008, 05:23 AM
There are horrible beatings, rapes, and thefts in shelters. Many people spend one night there, and then decide that struggling on the street is better than being raped in their shelter bed.

I'm only speaking from my experiences with homelessness in my city. Theft is common, rape is not.

And even if our homeless shelters were plagued with rape and what not, I'd rather donate money to improve the shelters so that we could have safe shelters than give money to homeless people when I don't know how my money will be spent.

NewMoon
08-16-2008, 05:24 AM
I personally think all the conviction that every second homeless person is a scam artist is just... deflection.

The vast majority of North Americans are one paycheck away from homelessness. That means if they lose their jobs, and don't find another within 4 weeks - 8 or maybe 12 if they stretch out the eviction process - they will have nowhere to live. Everyone who thinks there is "no good reason to be homeless" - check out the reality of the resources available to the homeless. Not only are they unpleasant and frequently unsafe, they are not nearly plentiful enough to deal with any urban homeless problem. It is obviously more difficult for the mentally ill, the physically ill or people who had to suddenly leave a home - abused spouses or children. Has there ever been a scam artist? Of course - but the chances are excellent that the homeless person you see on the corner is actually a homeless person. Not to mention - it is difficult to make thousands of dollars as a panhandler. Everyone makes it sound so easy, like everyone is hurling money at you. It's not. It is not, in fact, an easy scam because there are too many homeless and too few people with a sense of great generosity to strangers.

That said - I don't like being approached with a "hustle" because I find it threatening, especially late at night; to me that feels a lot different than a "spare change?" when I'm walking by. I would not have given the OP's guy change either. Let's suppose you are correct that the vast majority of homeless people are truly homeless and that the city is unequiped with the resources to help them.

I would still rather pay money to organizations that help the homeless so that my city could become equiped to help them than give money directly to them.

Mr Hyde
08-16-2008, 05:32 AM
Congrats, you've just helped about 1/100th of the homeless population. Help for the homeless is a) minimal and b) does VERY little for those who don't come looking for it.

If I give money to a homeless person, I've helped 1/100000000th of the homeless population. And probably not really helped but enabled.

Jenny
08-16-2008, 05:46 AM
Let's suppose you are correct that the vast majority of homeless people are truly homeless and that the city is unequiped with the resources to help them.

I would still rather pay money to organizations that help the homeless so that my city could become equiped to help them than give money directly to them.
I don't see it as an either-or situation. I think institution building is great and important. However when I give my 75 cents to someone on the street it is more about immediate relief for that person.

Although, NM - just putting this out there. I don't think Lena or Paige is comparing the charitable giving to a homeless person with a stripper earning money. I think they are comparing ease with which we are all stereotyped.

NewMoon
08-16-2008, 05:52 AM
^^^For me personally, it IS an either/or situation because I only have so much money to give.

I always wanted to add for interest's sake that the City of Ottawa has added "kindness meters" around downtown. The purposes of these meters is to keep "time" on them at all times like a parking meter. The money is donated to homeless shelters. People are encouraged to give to the meters rather than to the hands of the homeless.

I understand that stereotypes surrounding the homeless are comparable to other groups which are stereotyped. However, I don't think my views of the homeless are based on stereotypes at all. I know there are scam-artists and I know there are mentally ill people who are truly in need. Either way, I still choose to donate to organizations over individuals.

Jenny
08-16-2008, 06:04 AM
^^^For me personally, it IS an either/or situation because I only have so much money to give.
Fair enough. I mean I don't give panhandlers a $20 at a time. I literally give small pocket change, so panhandlers to me are not that kind of planned giving. But just for the record - I didn't say that the homeless population was divided between the mentally ill and scam artists.


People are encouraged to give to the meters rather than to the hands of the homeless.
Out of curiosity - if you asked the homeless people if those meters were helpful to them, what do you think they would say? I mean, maybe you should consider that "encouragement" from the point of view of the "bread, not circuses" school of thought. Is it really an effort to promote kindness, or is it an effort to make panhandling harder and less successful in an effort to drive the homeless population somewhere else to save the delicate eyes of the more fortunate population?


I understand that stereotypes surrounding the homeless are comparable to other groups which are stereotyped. However, I don't think my views of the homeless are based on stereotypes at all. I know there are scam-artists and I know there are mentally ill people who are truly in need. Either way, I still choose to donate to organizations over individuals.
Sure - I'm just saying that pointing out the difference between charitable giving and earning is not (at least I don't think it is) really substantively speaking to the points that were made earlier about people saying similar things about strippers and homeless.

NewMoon
08-16-2008, 06:14 AM
Fair enough. I mean I don't give panhandlers a $20 at a time. I literally give small pocket change, so panhandlers to me are not that kind of planned giving. I guess for me the equivalent is the "kindness meters". That is where I give my "unplanned givings".


But just for the record - I didn't say that the homeless population was divided between the mentally ill and scam artists. Understood. I generally divide the "homeless" into 3 groups - scam artists, people feeding addictions, and people plagued by poverty.



Out of curiosity - if you asked the homeless people if those meters were helpful to them, what do you think they would say?

I believe the homeless person on the streets would say it is unhelpful because they are not at the shelter reaping the benefits. But I think that if you went to the shelters these meters support, the residents would tell you they indeed help.



I mean, maybe you should consider that "encouragement" from the point of view of the "bread, not circuses" school of thought. Is it really an effort to promote kindness, or is it an effort to make panhandling harder and less successful in an effort to drive the homeless population somewhere else to save the delicate eyes of the more fortunate population? On one level, I believe you are correct. A politician in Ottawa was heavily criticized last year for comparing the homeless to "pigeons" and telling us "don't feed the pigeons." So the motivation of the meters may be to get the homeless off the streets because it's embarrassing to our goverment to have the streets 100 meters from Parliament plagued with street people. But if it still helps them, I support it. Other cities have done way worse such as offering free one-way bus tickets to the homeless and I kid you not!



Sure - I'm just saying that pointing out the difference between charitable giving and earning is not (at least I don't think it is) really substantively speaking to the points that were made earlier about people saying similar things about strippers and homeless.

The way I interpreted the discussion was

Me: I am concerned with how my donations are spent.
Others: You could say the same thing about giving money to strippers.
Me: I went on about the differences between paying for a service and a charitable donation.

If the issue was comparing stereotyped groups, then pointing out the differences between charitable giving and earning was not useful to the discussion.

vixenfire
08-16-2008, 06:20 AM
Giving money to homeless people does not help them, you, nor anyone else, long term.In fact, when people give money to homeless people I feel as if they are contributing to making them stay homeless and creating more homeless people. The worse it is to be homeless, the more people will strive to avoid becoming one, and frankly that means not trying/using drugs, theres just no good reason to be homeless in any western country if you are free of those kind of "habits". Honestly the only way to help is to create jobs, improve education and make drugs unattractive(whoever finds out how to do that is a genius).

Jenny
08-16-2008, 06:25 AM
I believe the homeless person on the streets would say it is unhelpful because they are not at the shelter reaping the benefits. But I think that if you went to the shelters these meters support, the residents would tell you they indeed help.
I'd be interested, actually - are there more beds, more security, more buildings? How is this quantified?


But if it still helps them, I support it. Other cities have done way worse such as offering free one-way bus tickets to the homeless and I kid you not!
I think the Ontario government was doing this at one point. However, I would be interested in whether these "kindness meters" help more numbers or more substantively than giving the money to homeless people directly. I would personally not feel good karma in bypassing a human being in need to put 2 quarters in a meter for use later on. Are there more human beings in the shelters and being reintegrated into the work force as a result of these meters?


The way I interpreted the discussion was

Me: I am concerned with how my donations are spent.
Others: You could say the same thing about giving money to strippers.
Me: I went on about the differences between paying for a service and a charitable donation.

If the issue was comparing stereotyped groups, then pointing out the differences between charitable giving and earning was not useful to the discussion.
I think maybe what people were jumping on was the assumption that it would be spent or would likely be spent on something "bad". People saying "yes, but people say the same things about strippers" was perhaps intended to make people think about the value of stereotyping homeless people and what they would spend their money on, not arguing that stripping was akin to panhandling.

Jenny
08-16-2008, 06:28 AM
Giving money to homeless people does not help them, you, nor anyone else, long term.
It's intended to help them in the immediate term.


In fact, when people give money to homeless people I feel as if they are contributing to making them stay homeless and creating more homeless people. The worse it is to be homeless, the more people will strive to avoid becoming one,
Are you arguing right now that we shouldn't give to homeless people, because the hungrier and colder they are the more they will have incentive to not be homeless?

NewMoon
08-16-2008, 06:46 AM
I'd be interested, actually - are there more beds, more security, more buildings? How is this quantified? Interesting question and I would love to have the answer! I donate to charities pretty frequently and I generally trust that the money I give to reputable organizations is being put to good use but I would like more information.



I think maybe what people were jumping on was the assumption that it would be spent or would likely be spent on something "bad". People saying "yes, but people say the same things about strippers" was perhaps intended to make people think about the value of stereotyping homeless people and what they would spend their money on, not arguing that stripping was akin to panhandling. I wasn't assuming it would be spent on something "bad" but rather I was assuming that the possibility it will be spent on something "bad" is greater when I give it directly to the hands of a homeless person than to an organization. I have more faith in, for example, the Salvation Army than a random Joe on the street.

NewMoon
08-16-2008, 06:48 AM
It's intended to help them in the immediate term. Like I said a couple pages ago, I feel this is a bandaid solution. I'm reminded of a proverb that teaches when you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day but when you teach him to fish, you feed him for life.

I'm not claiming that the little money I give it somehow going to solve all homeless problems. I just like to maximize the benefit of my dollar.

vixenfire
08-16-2008, 06:50 AM
It's intended to help them in the immediate term.


Are you arguing right now that we shouldn't give to homeless people, because the hungrier and colder they are the more they will have incentive to not be homeless?

Fact is that the more society backs up around the situation of being homeless, the more homeless people you will find. In other words, by supporting the homeless, you are contributing to creating more homeless people. Thus, seeing this from a different perspective, giving to the homeless provides a shedding of guilt and makes the giver feel better at the expense of creating more suffering longterm.

miabella
08-16-2008, 11:51 AM
if giving them a job counts as giving them money, then i suppose i have given money to the homeless. otherwise, i don't give money directly to homeless people.

RoseLeigh
08-16-2008, 12:02 PM
Yeah, my brother goes to Harvard, and while I'm sure there are tons of homeless people, there are so many people strategically placed throughout the surrounding campus area....I jsut feel a god portion of them are scammers. I'm sorry, I just don't trust people.

A LOT of those homeless kids/20 somethings in Harvard Square just take the T in from Arlington or wherever. They HAVE homes. It's really annoying.

The homeless people near my school are famous for chasing you down the street or harassing you if you don't give them money. I donate to charities, but I very rarely give anything to cup-shakers.

StarryEyes
08-16-2008, 12:52 PM
Yes, I'll admit it, I do give money to homeless people. Just a dollar. Or I'll give them my leftover food if I am leaving a restaurant. Or I also keep clothes I've worn in my trunk and if I see someone who could use a t-shirt or something I'll give it to them. I also donate clothing to women's shelters and salvation armies.

But if they are in obvious good physical/mental health and can otherwise get a job or if I get a vibe from them that screams "SCAM ARTIST!" I won't donate.

On Thanksgiving a few years back I went to a church where they served Thankgiving dinner to the homesless. Buses dropped off homeless people in droves. I used to wait tables so I served them dinner. They could also get a shower, have a shave/haircut, and even medical exam and new clothes. They were very very appreciative and felt very loved. It was probably one of the nicest Thanksgiving I've had.

ExoticEngineer
08-16-2008, 12:58 PM
I had this idea to help homeless people last year, but I haven't been in a good enough situation myself to impliment the idea. It was started by SW, actually, after a similar thread with suggestion on what homeless people need.

My idea was to set up a website accepting donations of items and money to buy items, off a list I created detailing what was needed. Buy bookbags and fill them with items from the list, and have volunteers drive aroud and deliver the bookbags to the homeless on the street.

Items in the bookbag would be socks, underwear, a few bottles of water, some sandwiches, some snack type food and other non perishable, ready to eat foods, a small blanket; diffferent bags for males and female. For females, tampons and pads, for males razors and shaving cream. Soap and shampoo for both...stuff like that.

You could go into any dollar store and get all these thigns really cheap and could probably fill a bookbag for $10. Plus the cost of a bookbag for another $10ish. So for a $20 investment you could help one homeless person and provide them with a lot of things to help out. Maybe tuck an extra $5 into the bookbags cause having some cash is always nice, and could be used for bus fare or something. Also maybe encloe info on homeless shelters and food banks .

I often think abotu this idea and how easy it would be to do and how many people it coud help..as soon as I'm in a better place myself I hope to get this off the ground...

Cause every morning when I drove to school, I saw a man and a woman folding up their blankets, they had just woken up after a night of sleepign under the highway overpass. I passed them folding up their blankets each morning and wished I could help.

So that's sort of off topic.

If you truly want to do this, I will help you get the website done. As for what I put in bold...sometimes doing something self-less has a way of coming back to you..thus potentially putting you in a better place.

Yes. I do give. I didn't always but I was enlightened a while back thanks to some very wise ladies on SW.

Jenny
08-16-2008, 01:30 PM
I think that is a lovely idea - but I think you can do better than $10 per bag. My roommate buys them in large numbers at something like .50 to a $1 per bag. My school sold them instead of giving out plastic at the bookstore for $1 per bag. If you're interested you can probably find out - or I can ask someone who does purchasing for promotions. I think I got a backpack at Ikea for like $6.

Further - great ideas for contents, but I would strongly not recommend even buying non-perishable food in the dollar store. I had a conversation once with a purchaser from one. He strongly recommended against buying foodstuff from dollar stores. If you go to no-frills or costco or walmart it'll actually be cheaper anyway.

Great project. You would probably also need some kind of certification if you expected people to donate money - people will be reluctant to donate if they cannot verify the authenticity, you know? Is there some kind of pay pal system that offers that?

Dixie_Vancouver
08-16-2008, 01:39 PM
Reminds of the South Park episode where they are overrun by homeless.

That episode was on last night. :D

TWICE when I bought a homeless person food they asked me if I could go back and get them something else, too. The second guy even complained that the drink I got him wasn't the right kind.

Also there was a time a while back where I switched jobs, and thanks to a glitch in payroll, didn't get paid for a month and a half. The same homeless people always used to bug me, and finally one guy got too up in my face and said, "I KNOW you have money, you've got that rich bitch look about you," and I just LOST IT. I screamed at him for like, five minutes straight I was so mad.

Or or or there was the time, this girl had a sign that said something to the effect of needing $2.50 or something for a Greyhound ticket. So of course, me being a sucker, I gave her the $2.50 and went to have lunch. When I came back, she was still there with her sign.

Aaaand last time I told someone I didn't have any change (which was true, I only carry debit and credit with me) he told me to fuck off. So no, I don't give money to homeless people.

I do give to the food bank, though, and other organizations. I definitely believe in helping people, but just giving them change seems enabling to me.

ExoticEngineer
08-16-2008, 01:41 PM
I can set up a website and purchase and SSI cert. for it. Make all the transactions go through paypal.

There would have to be a place where people could send the items...all of that would have to be organized. But I would be more than happy to create the website. It's what I do anyway.

Dixie_Vancouver
08-16-2008, 01:46 PM
^^ I'd be glad to help out with that, if there's any way I can. Or, at least, donate!

Mr Hyde
08-16-2008, 01:51 PM
Let's try a theoretical here...

Starting tomorrow, no one EVER gives the homeless any money directly, but instead takes what they might have given in pocket change and donates it to homeless shelters, whose goal is to get the homeless off the streets and into real housing, with real jobs, or to help the ones who have mental problems get help, etc.

OR....we continue as we are now, with people giving pocket change to the homeless.

Which scenario helps the problem more?

callah44
08-16-2008, 02:04 PM
I do have to agree with this statement. Maybe it's because I live in a big city in California....in America there is help if you want it and KNOW where to get it.

In addition, I have a few fooked up stories of incidences when people have asked for money, and I think we all have. The one condition that has left me permanently jaded and skeptical is when people ask for handouts and EXPECT it, acting like by asking they have a right to it, and if you say no or hand them merely a few dollars they are either rude to you or unappreciative. This does not fit all homeless people, as many are incredibly gracious and in true need. However, I have experienced this enough, as well as the intimidation factor, to not give people the time of day when they ask me for something. I feel like Ive earned the right to not respond to someone in passing if I dont want to. Period.


So as someone who also lives in a big city in California I can say not all homeless are the same.

I am in awe of the intelligence in this thread.

Interesting.....see the part where I say, "This does not fit all homeless people, as many are incredibly gracious and in true need...."

I am in awe of the ability of "people from large cities in california" to read properly.::)

Jenny
08-16-2008, 02:15 PM
Planning an institution without immediate relief is not a sensible kind of institution building. Giving someone change is not intended to feed them for life - it is intended to help them through that day. No matter how ambitious and likely (or unlikely) the institutional aid, it cannot address immediate need. So your theoretical has set up a false dichotomy that is not a useful way of addressing the problem.

Let's try a theoretical here...

Starting tomorrow, no one EVER gives the homeless any money directly, but instead takes what they might have given in pocket change and donates it to homeless shelters, whose goal is to get the homeless off the streets and into real housing, with real jobs, or to help the ones who have mental problems get help, etc.

OR....we continue as we are now, with people giving pocket change to the homeless.

Which scenario helps the problem more?

doc-catfish
08-16-2008, 02:28 PM
I wish we'd all take a deep breath here and realize that some of us give to the homeless for the same reason that some of us don't. We want to choose the action that will best serve that person in the long run.

Yes, I've given out spare change before on a few occasions, particularly did it back in my college days when I didn't have much change to spare because I came across a lot of homeless back then. Not so much now.

I particularly remember one morning parking in a school parking lot just steps from a day labor center and one particularly aggressive panhandler came over and asked if I had some money for "food". Having a heavy backpack on board, a splitting headache, a six block walk to class, and no time to spare, I said no and turned away. He yells at me, "I hope you starve to death!". Returning to my car that afternoon, I found that someone had thrown a cinder block through my drivers side door.

Needless to say, I never used that parking lot again, and haven't had a terribly favorable impression of the homeless ever since.

Jenny
08-16-2008, 02:39 PM
I wish we'd all take a deep breath here and realize that some of us give to the homeless for the same reason that some of us don't. We want to choose the action that will best serve that person in the long run.
And that's fine. I think though, that there aren't many people who do give spare change to homeless saying "You should never give money to charities! That is an awful thing to do!" except in defence of their own charitable impulse. While some posters reasonably support giving to institutions without impugning those who also give directly, some... are not. Like I don't think anyone here thinks it is wrong to donate to charitable institutions; I think they just also don't think there is anything wrong with them giving their buck to a guy sitting cocooned in a blanket on a streetcorner, you know? And as New Moon pointed out - both kinds of giving are important and worthy.


I particularly remember one morning parking in a school parking lot just steps from a day labor center and one particularly aggressive panhandler came over and asked if I had some money for "food". Having a heavy backpack on board, a splitting headache, a six block walk to class, and no time to spare, I said no and turned away. He yells at me, "I hope you starve to death!". Returning to my car that afternoon, I found that someone had thrown a cinder block through my drivers side door.

Needless to say, I never used that parking lot again, and haven't had a terribly favorable impression of the homeless ever since.
Really? And I bet no non-homeless stranger has ever committed vandalism or said something rude to you. Honestly, I get worse walking down the street at night on a regular basis, but you probably wouldn't think that I was wise to form an unfavourable impression of guys because of that. Just putting that out there. Most homeless people won't do things like that, if for no other reason than because they are very vulnerable to law enforcement.

Andygirl
08-16-2008, 02:45 PM
I would suggest reading Grand Central Winter, by Lee Stringer if you really want to learn a few things about homelessness. It's a brilliantly written book by a man who spent many years on the street. The foreward is written by Kurt Vonnegut. Excellent read. It really challenged a lot of my views on the homeless.

NewMoon, I think you'd really get a lot out of it. Instead of just spouting off your uninformed opinions it might actually give you some facts you can work with. And maybe, just maybe, you'd be able admit that you really don't know jack about what it is to be homeless and what it would take to fix the problem.

NewMoon
08-16-2008, 02:45 PM
I particularly remember one morning parking in a school parking lot just steps from a day labor center and one particularly aggressive panhandler came over and asked if I had some money for "food". Having a heavy backpack on board, a splitting headache, a six block walk to class, and no time to spare, I said no and turned away. He yells at me, "I hope you starve to death!". Returning to my car that afternoon, I found that someone had thrown a cinder block through my drivers side door.

Needless to say, I never used that parking lot again, and haven't had a terribly favorable impression of the homeless ever since.
What was his ethnic background? What was his gender? How old was he?

Do you hold the same impression of all people who match the above, just like you judge those who have a similar residency staus to this person?