Pondering About The Many Homeless

Connie, I too, think about them, alot of people are only a paycheck from being homeless themselves. So whatever reason that they are in the situation that they are in, I dont think enough are done for these people, who seem to slip through the cracks. I pray for them, and yes, some nice warm clothing would be nice, or a hot meal too. We do have some Churches who do this, its like a soup kitchen. I dont think we have enough shelters for them to come in out of the cold. We even have a group of people who have actually stayed out all night themselves so that they can report to the public how hard and nasty it is to be in this situation. Our paper just ran a big article about the homeless. I think it will get worse instead of better, unless the housing market comes down some.
If I had the money, I had often thought about opening up something such as a shelter to give back something to the poor. But, I will never have that kind of money.

hand warmers and blankets are good also food

Connie, I don't have the link but there is a homeless guy who blogs from Nashville. If you google "homeless guy" and "Nashville" you'll find him. He has an excellent article tabbed at the top about what to give homeless people. A gift certificate to McDonald's is always appreciated. He also recommends travel-sized health and beauty aids. He says socks are always in need because being homeless is rough on your feet and you don't get to do laundry everyday. You can always give to organizations, but I think it's nice to give to individuals.

It's very thoughtful of you to post this. I think it will get a lot of people thinking.

Vickey,
I have always thought that I would like to build a community center in our county. We don't have any where for the teens to hang out that is safe. It is no wonder so many poeple do dope. I would like to have a shelter and soup kitchen on one floor of the community center.

Like you, I will never have the money. I just try to do what I can and do not feel that is enough.

If I had the financial resources, I would give everything I could to make them comfortable as long as they were "responsible" homeless people.

Amanda,
We do not have a McDonalds in our county. I dont know why but the homeless have really weight heavily on my mind this week more than ever.

The problem with giving to many of the organizations is that so much of the money is used to pay salary for the employees of the organization.

I run a county wide food pantry for low income families and nobody gets paid a cent for their work including myelf. But this is not the case for most nonprofit organizations.

Chuck,
I do understand what you mean by "responsible" homeless. All too often, they are not helped When they first become homeless and this only increases their depression and lack of feeling good about themselves.

I visit a certain McDonalds in Chicago every once in awhile in the early AMs. There are several homeless who pool their resources together and buy coffee and sandwiches (when they can afford them). I often chip in and get everyone some coffee. They don't show appreciation but are always glad to see me. I have learned much from talking with them. These men (and one woman) work and do things around their neighborhood daily to get money. They sometimes stay in shelters but often sleep in the park until they are caught by the police who just shuffle them along. Everytime I see them, I thank God for the blessings in my life. I have shelter, food, and an income to support all of that. Many people don't have that.

My sister does. I never do. There are a lot of homeless people out there, though. I know that many of them would appreciate anything at all that was given to them, but don't ask more, because they do not want a big fuss made about it. Youy know- it's kind of embarrassing to them. So, if you do give, try not to make a big deal about it, and they will appreciate it, and you, that much more!

I always give to the salvation army kettle pots when I go by them. That's about it. It makes me feel kind of bad I don't give more........but.......there are so many people in my area that rip people off, and pretend they are something that they are not!

That's what's hard too.......knowing "who" to give to.

We have a shelter in close proximity that I donate personal items and blankets to but there is a man that walks around our area who I am sure is homeless but he will not go to a shelter. My daughter and I have both offered to take him but he lies and says he has a place to stay. We know he is lying not just because of his appearance but because he was seen sleeping in a dumpster near my daughter's apartment building. In the summer my daughter would see him walking along the same route she took to work in the morning so she would carry bottles of water in her car and occasionally he would let her slip him some change. He is most probably mentally ill. He acts very shy when we try to communicate with him. We are worried about him freezing but he managed to survive the last winter somehow.

We just helped a friend get out of a men's shelter and get his own apt and a job. It is such a good feeling to help someone out. My SO has an issue though. This friend is not paying his bills now...My SO is disappointed and upset...I say we gave the friend a hand up the rest is up to him.

we give to our church in the form of monetary donations, food, and clothing. Our church is really good about helping out others less fortunate in the community. So I am very thankful for that. Currently, they are asking for donations of baby/toddler items such as diapers, clothes, blankets, etc. And they take donations for food year round as well. So we make it a point each week to bring as much canned/boxed/non-parishable food as we can to donate.

We have started just buying a few extra items each week. That way it's not such a strain on our budget, but we're still helping out those in need. We try to teach our son about generosity too.

Whenever we donate, we make him give the donation. We tell him what he's doing and try to instill good values and generosity in him. I really think it's paying off. He'll be 3 in January, so he's still young. But he's showing that he understands what he's doing. Each week when we head to church now, he says "Momma, get the bag of yummies." because he doesn't want me to forget our bag of food to donate. And when we walk in, he goes straight for the donation bin to make his donation.

I heard on the radio the other day that there are about 10,000 homeless people and families in my community. That's a startling number to me. I know that's one of my biggest fears. As someone said earlier, there are times when most of us are just one paycheck away from being homeless ourselves. So I try to think of that and make more donations and be more generous. We also give year round. We try to keep in mind that families in need are not only in need around the holidays.

Joe,
Do the policemen not try to help them get to a shelter? Do they just make them leave the benches?
That is so sad. I would think that part of their job would be to help them find shelter.
I am glad that you help them with food. That says a lot about your character.

Are there a lot of homeless in your area? Are there lots of children as well as adults?

Dawn,
That is the hard part. There are so many out there that one person just cant take care for them all.

I was almost in tears watching the new this morning. The homeless picking up coats and blankets from Star of Hope on television. Then shooting to a shot of them laying on the ground, with their cardboard beds. The ones in cars we never see or hear of.
They are out of work people to proud to beg. They could at least go in and have a meal.

Kay,
I know sometimes they dont go to shelters because they are afraid of large groups of people. It just breaks my heart to think of what these people are going through

I just cant understand why so many of them are offered shelter for the night and refuse it.

Danielle,
I too agree that there is only so much that we can do. They do need to take care of themselves when they are offered the opportunity like you offered that man.

Thank You for caring for Heavenly Father's Children.

The men I've come to know live in shelters and try to find work wherever and whenever they can. They have opened my eyes about the homeless. The statistics here in Chicago claim that there around 90,000 homeless in the entire region. About 1/2 of these are women and children. So, you can imagine that the women and children have needs that are pretty great. One good thing is that a child who becomes homeless can stay in their original school while they mother sorts things out. This is good and bad, depending on their situation. Some mothers and children are running away from abusive and deleterious husbands - so they need to go to another school to avoid detection. As a volunteer (I have never been asked to join a church at this shelter), I simply offer the basics (soap, water, toothbrushes, etc. etc.). I feel bad for the homeless because like most people, I am only a paycheck away from that circumstance myself. So, it is a "there but for the grace of God go I."

I just wish I could just help one individual with a hand up instead of a handout. That is all most of them want.

Jill,
Your son will learn a very valuable lesson by serving others. I think it is great that you involve him so much in the process. We did that to our daughters also. They even volunteered at the food pantry. Our daughters are grown now. They still are very compassionate toward others who are in need.

dh once saw a man walking w/ a young girl. They were headed under one of the bridges so dh went to make sure there wasn't anything funny going on. There was a whole family under there. Dh went back to the car and grabbed some snacks. We went back w/ some things the next day but they had moved on.
There are actually quite a few homeless people but the ones you see are usually men.

Norma,
It is a sad situation. With so many wealthy people in America, one would think that the homeless would not be happening like it is.

Donald,

Some shelters require that the homeless attend a church service to stay the night. For many, there are bad feelings about religion. For others, there is stealing that goes on in shelters and many have had bad experiences with the other homeless. Just like any situation, there are bullies who intimidate some of the homeless. They also refuse shelter because the agency that is providing shelter asks too many intrusive questions. These things have a way of keeping homeless people away. Another issue is alcoholism. For obvious reasons, they can't come to shelter drunk. When someone suffers from alcoholism, he/she is usually ashamed and doesn't want to call any attention to him/herself. These are some of the reasons but I'm sure there are many other reasons that I don't know.

Joe,
That just breaks my heart to think that there are children out there without heat, food and shelter. Does the welfare not help them out?

Thank you for taking care of Heavenly Father's children. I dont understand why there are so many homeless when there are empty house and appartments out there.
90,000 people is a lot of people. This should not be happening in our country. We are sending money over seas to other countries and our own people are suffering.

Joe,
I was not aware that they were required to attend a certain church. That is sad. Religion should never be pushed on anyone!

I know being an alcoholic is wrong but I can understand why some people would turn to alcohol. They feel so alone and unloved, the alcohol makes those feelings go into hybernation for a bit.

For the record, I dont drink and never have but I know people who are alcoholics. In fact my husband and I just took a family member to the Rehab center a couple days ago. His liver is already damaged from the alcohol and his lungs are damaged from the cigarettes. They said they just hoped it was not too late for him

Dani,
An entire family of homeless! Oh that breaks my heart. That is so very sad. I hope that there are not too many homeless out there tonight. It is really bad weather here in our state.

I think they mean that 90,000 people become homeless during the year. For many, they just need a start. Welfare protects some people but remember that welfare now only lasts 60 months. After that, recipients are taken off of the rolls. This has increased the homeless population. Another thing to consider is the definition of homeless. Those who have been forced to live with a relative are considered homeless in the Chicagoland area (an area covering five counties).

There is one shelter in Chicago that requires that every guest attend the church service. Most of the churches that provide shelter for the homeless do not require this, Connie. There are some other organizations that provide services to the homeless as well. I have been involved in the matter here in Chicago for over twenty years. They are always looking for volunteers. You have to be a little tough because the homeless men become somewhat combative at times. It is a great volunteer opportunity and the needs are so vast here that I can't help myself but be a part of it.

I think its great that you can help out someone in need whatever their situation.
Thanks for sharing and making others think of how fortunate they are not to be homeless.

Kim,
Do you have homeless in your area?

Joe,
At least all the churches dont require them to go to church meetings. I just think that is wrong on so many levels.

I have been to Chicago. It took us forever to get through that city. It was bumper to bumper traffic. I was just glad to get out of there. I had no idea that "Chicagoland" was 5 counties large. That is a lot of people.

I am so glad you are helping them out. You know if all of us did what we could do for the homeless, there would not be any!

One of the problems with most of the shelters is that they will only take people under 18 who are accompanied by an adult.

My daughter works with homeless gay and lesbian teens. A lot of these kids were thrown out when their parents found out they were gay. Isn't that grand?

There are a number of groups and organizations here working with these kids but there are legal issues dealing with minors. No one can even give them health care without a letter from a parent or guardian. These kids won't go into the system because many of them have been abused and punished for their sexuality in these homes. They break my heart.

Keep them in your thoughts this holiday season, help where you can.

Sharon,
What kind of parent throws out their own kid???????/
Not very Christian like!
I had no idea that they could not even get healthcare unless they have a letter from parents. I do know a couple families in our community who have "disowned" their children when they found out they were gay too. I dont understand how you can love someone and treat them this way. Even if the parents think this is a sin, they should love them anyway. Why do so many people think they have the right to abuse an other person?? I am really sorry to hear this

I will remember them.

Connie, it doesn't have to be McDonald's. A gift card to a restaurant, though, gives someone who is homeless a chance to get somewhere warm and hang out for a while. Someone may want something that's different than the mission for a night. Or they may just want a cup of coffee. The gift card is like buying them food without giving them money which might be used on something else.

FYI, I've given a lot of my CVS finds to homeless guys. It's also a great thing to do with the free samples you can use that you may not want.

As for religion, one of the missions in Knoxville requires church attendance in exchange for a meal and a cot. One does not. The Salvation Army usually does not.

Connie, I usually do not give to homeless missions. I would rather give directly to individuals or join in the efforts of others helping an individual. You're right...most of the money does go to running the organization and it's been proven that most organizations don't work.

Here, we're part of an experimental 10 year plan to end homelessness. One of the most important factors in the plan is housing first, meaning that the homeless person gets housing first. Other stuff like counseling, A & D treatment, job training follow. You can't really find and keep a job if you don't have a home.

I have given gifts to them before. The shelter here has an annual Christmas party, and I have taken gifts of gloves, blanket, hats...as well as some Christmas cookies. It is sad to think of people alone at Christmas. Sadder still to know that many of our homeless are veterans.

Amanda,
I would love to see the statistics on the experiment. Have they offered any yet?

Cheryl,
There does seem to be a lot of Veterans are homeless. I don't think we take good enough care of our Veterans. I just did an article a few days ago about our men and women serving in the Armed Forces now or in the past.

We have a gay/lesbian homeless shelter in Chicago because of the many young people who are thrown out of their homes for being gay/lesbian. Those young people feel alienated and alone and need help figuring out how to finish school and make decent life for themselves. This happens all over the country.

Connie,
There are 10 million people in Chicagoland which is why the figures are so high. We are really like caged animals in this region of the country.

This thread reminded of me how blessed you can be by helping some one else so I thought I would share this memory. When I was a little girl my great -grandmother was told that there was a family of homeless people sleeping in a big old buick. She took them in. Turns out they had come from Greece and only the father could speak English. My grandfather helped him get a job and find an apartment. It turns out he was a very hard worker. By the time I was in high school he owned a little restraurant. He would not let anyone in my family pay for a meal there. He always said that as long as he was alive, no one in my family would go hungry. He has since passed on. Fortunately i was never starving but had I been I would have known where to get some great food.

Kay,
Thank You so much for sharing that story with us. Sounds like your ancestors were wonderful compassionate people. It is nice to hear good stories or at least stories with happy endings.

Becca,
Thanks for you comment. I think that mercy goes along way.

Yes, Becca, but some homeless people use a relatives address, for example. I know one homeless guy who drives a bus for a local company. He picks up his paycheck but the records show his sister's address. He is luckier than some people. The homeless population is quite vast. You would be surprised how many people don't have a place to call home.

Joe,
I had no idea that they had a special shelter for Gay/Lesbian. I am sure they need lots of support when they are thrown out of the homes by those who are supposed to love them most. Makes you wonder how someone who is supposed to love you can do such a thing.

Joe,
Are there a lot of empty homes in the area or are there not enough homes for the people who live there?

We have an incredible housing shortage in the area. And, don't even get me started on affordable housing. I might would have to write an entire article to get through all of the issues there.

Joe,
That is so sad. There are many homes empty in our area. They are very few jobs available and most of them are min wage jobs. So the people who are below the poverty level is unreal.

It's interesting to me because all of the national indicators are that there are jobs. My suspicion is that there are not good jobs that a family of four can live on.

Actually, Chicagoland is quite prosperous. There are opportunities here that are unequaled throughout the rest of the midwest. People with a specialty in engineering, accounting, the law, and nursing do quite well in the area. The people who used to work in factories in good paying jobs are working at Home Depot for $10.00 per hour now. Those families are suffering.

Our area is made up of families who were born and raised here all their lives. Most have no college education at all. That is beginning to change but it is a slow process. There is only one traffic light in our entire county. So you can see we are not very heavily populated.

We still have lots of forests and hills. People still cut their own hay for their animals. People still raise their own food and animals. We seem to be behind the rest of the world but I love living here. My husband does have a good job and there is beauty all around us. The majority of the people are hard workers.

Joe,
You may be interested in these statistics for Webster County West Virginia. This is where I live.
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/54/54101.html

We drop off a lot of the freebies that I get at the local shelter. Also, when I get really great deals with coupons, I pass the items on to the shelter too. I seem to end up with a lot of things like toothpaste, deodorant, toothbrushes, etc. The shelter is always happy to see us, so I guess that they like them:)

Gwen,
I am sure they appreciate it very much. It is nice of you to help them out. I just cant imagine what it would be like to not have a home.

The other night I made too much for dinner & I REALLY wanted to give it to whoever we saw asking for help on the street. We drove around & didn't see anyone. :o( Maybe it's the thought that counts? I have gone into the grocery store to shop & bought something like trail mix & a drink for a person begging at the corner of the parking lot. I wish I could do more, but my family is hurting this year, however, we do have more than those on the street & if we were on the street I would be thankful for whomever wanted to help us out!

I use to live in a bigger area than I do now and when I use to try to give directly to the homeless, they would get mad if you tried to give them food or something helpful. Many wanted only money. I try to help shelters and soup kitchens instead because you know the ones who use them really need the food and will accept the help.

Tom,
I know this sounds bad but I worry that if I give them money, they will just buy alcohol with it. I know I am judging unrightously but that thought will not leave my mind.

Connie
I volunteer at a homeless shelter and one of the things that homeless people appreciate is a gift certificate (enough for their family) to someplace like McDonalds, especially those with indoor playgrounds. Why? Because they can go inside, use the restroom, let their kids have fun and have a meal in a warm setting. It may seem like a small thing but you'd be surprised how much something like that means, just eating a meal, having access to a "real" restroom (with hot and cold water) and a place for their kids to play for an hour or so. Believe it or not.
McDonalds often has specials that make it not so expensive to do this. It is a brief bit of relief.
Once, when my father was dying, we had a hotel room near the hospital. We paid for 3 nights but only used two. We gave our last night to a family who was living in the waiting room, too poor to afford the hotel. They cried with relief that they could have a bathroom of their own for the night, a bathtub, tv set and two beds. It was a luxury to them!

Jane,
It is so sad to think that entire familes are homeless. I just cant imagine the pain the parents must feel knowing they are unable to care for and protect your family.

That is wonderful thing to do. I bet they were excited to get to stay in a hotel room.

I would never give anything to the homeless. Sorry! I am just not sure where any of it would go, and I am struggling myself. I don't have any extra for charities.

Connie,we don't have any homeless shelters but alot of churches that help here.I see people holding up signs to work for food more than anything and its sad .If people that could help would only put theirself in their shoes,they would want someone to help them.

Shockingly there are about 40 million people in the united states alone that live below the poverty line. While the government tries to help we can all see that they're failing terribly....
united for a fair economy is helping to bring people out of this devastating state by fighting against the causes of poverty.... help us help them by joining our gather group, looking at our site at faireconomy.org or just spreading the word