The Homeless.

[Unknown Entity]

Everywhere has them. They're usually found in doorways, wrapped in layers with an old blanket or sleeping bag, with a plastic cup for spare change. What I'd like to know is what do you do when you see them? Are you one of the types that walk on past and pretend that they aren't there? Do you give them your spare change or cash? Have any stories to share?

My mum and my grandmother were homeless for a while once when my mum was a little younger than me now. Women and children seem to get different treatment to men, but that didn't mean that they didn't sleep rough some nights. They were eventually taken in by the Salvation Army, and then my nan met someone and they moved in with him. So my mum has raised me to take notice of them, and not just walk on by without a second thought. On the few occasions that I have, I've always felt bad afterwards too.

I have parted with change a couple of times, when I've had it to spare. I've bought a homeless guy McDonalds cheese burger one lunch time when I was getting myself something once, and got a cup of tea for one in the tube station down the road from where I live on one very cold morning. It is just little things like that which make a difference to someone's day. I know 50p, a cheese burger or a tea is nothing important to me particular, but for someone who has nothing, just that small act of kindness has got be be something.

There was this middle aged woman who used to sit outside of Boots near a shopping center I go to, who always looked so frightened and cold. Me and my mum used to spare her change whenever we were up there and walked past if she was there. Right across from where she used to sit was a newspaper stall, and I found out from the guy there one day when I was up there alone that she'd died one very cold winter evening (he knew I'd say hi to her because he saw us so often). It was really horrible news, but I know that wherever she is now, it's got to be one hell of a lot better than sitting in a doorway waiting for the time to come.

Every homeless person has a story to why they're homeless, and I don't think enough is being done to treat the problem. Most of us are fortunate to have family and friends to turn to when we have nowhere else to go, and then an education to find even the smallest amount of work to keep food in our stomachs.

I did watch this program one evening about how a lot of "homeless" people only act homeless as a side job, and actually come from a decent household. In some areas of London, a homeless person can beg for hundreds of pounds a day. It does make you wonder who really is and isn't, but there are a lot of genuine ones about - like that lady.

So yeah... that's it really from me. Time to hear from you guys.

[loaf]

When I see them, I just do my own thing. No law tells me to give them my money.

Now when one of them asks me for change, I think real fast and decide if my 30 cents is worth it (mainly if I'm feeling generous)

I lock my car when they walk by. (office space lol)

A story?
Was at the Vegas Strip with my mom and sister. A homeless man walks to my car and asks for some food. My mom tells him to look around him at the buildings and get a job. The man started to go crazy yelling and shit. Then the light went green and we left.

[Leon]

Been aware of them since I was in my early teens. During those days, I'd give them some money when it wasn't really mine. It was usually when my mom sent me to the store, and I only gave enough to make sure it didn't make anyone suspicious. Money was hard to come by us those days, so I could only give a few quarters.

Nowadays we definitely have more, and I even have a job. However, given the responsibilities we each have in the house, it's still not enough to make a huge difference. It does bring me a pain in the gut when we can't even help one. Though I am glad whenever I hear news about them getting help.

[Dodie16]

When I would have to cross the Garrison Avenue bridge to get to Oklahoma, I would sometimes see this homeless guy living by the river. I suppose he really wasn't "homeless", since he lived in a shelter made out of tires, and you could see it pretty clearly once you got to a certain part of the bridge. A couple of classmates of mine actually did an interview with him. They said he was really cool, but a little out there. He wore a captain's hat when he would walk around places, so my two classmates gave him the nickname of "The Captain".

Other than that...can't say I had too many experiences with people who are homeless. I have given to charities and such in the past, like giving a bit of money or a few of my clothes/possessions. I hope that doing that bit helped someone, somewhere.

[Zell Dincht]

Living in a city that provides many, many services for those in need leaves me with difficult decisions every time I encounter someone on the streets Which is generally several times a day. Then I remember looking at my property taxes and where those go, and then think about the taxes of every other owner in my building, etc. etc.

Unknown and I share a similar story, my mother and her mother were both homeless for a time in the 70's. I've heard first hand stories of what it was like and really do feel badly for those that receive the shitty cards in life that led them to the streets.

I don't think I could afford to give any more funding to services... and perhaps I come from a place of privilege that lets me get away with that.

[Xanatos]

My home was destroyed during the war, if it weren't for some generous people I could have ended homeless. Despite the fact that war ended fairly recently there are few homeless in area where I live, though quite few poor I'm afraid. I always have spare change on me, I use bus after all, I don't have problem giving it to those who need it more than I do, thing is, you can't tell difference anymore between truly unfortunate and those who pretend to be...

My country has serious problems with enormous Gipsy population, not the ones you see on TV shows, hard work, work in general is unknown term to them, only few chose education, and work I'm afraid. You can't walk a minute without one showing up, and asking for spare change, spare change only, really. One time a gipsy asked me few bob so he could buy some food, apparently he was hungry, I didn't have money at that time but I did have bag of chips. I gave him that instead, he threw it saying what the **** was he supposed to do with it, since then I rarely pay any attention to them.

[Pete]

I don't really deal with the homeless. Do I feel badly for them? Sometimes. Then again, sometimes you can smell the booze on them, or see the drugs in front of them, plain as day.

I've heard stories of regular people, with nice homes, going out in the street, pretending to be homeless, and then making good money off of the change and bills thrown at them. Ever since then, I've been a little leery. Then again, I bought a burger for a homeless guy once, and he bitched because it had pickles.

**** that noise.

[Furore]

I get a few homeless people on some of my sites, most are fair dinkum.

I see this one guy, Sy, a fair bit and he's certainly an interesting character. He's very talkative but I'd guess he's done too many drugs as his topics often seem delusional with a few things like the psych ward that never change, mixed with things that constantly change. I tend to share whatever snacks I've packed with me and give him a few smokes or otherwise he collects bits of paper and the little bits of tobacco left in cigarette butts which takes him a while. He also has a tendency to randomly help staff at the surrounding stores which creeps them out to the point store security boot him out. Oh, and every so often he'll be gone a fortnight and return with a massive bag of weed from God knows where.

Other then that, there's two men and a lady, all middle aged who I let stay on my site as it has cover to protect them from rain and they're easy enough to observe meaning there's minimal threat. Sometimes they might want a chat or smoke, it's all good.

[Selcopa]

Ive done some volunteer work with homeless people, donated a bit of money.

Majority of whom I worked with were some of the most ungrateful people you met, even feeling entitled to the things we were giving them.

Some people who are homeless are unfortunate, Pursuit of Happiness comes to mind, but like in that movie, it's somewhat short lived, some people have mental issues, and thats a damn shame, and you would hope for some help for them.

The rest are just unsuccessful people who have lost the drive to do anything beyond survive, and just barely that, simply because they don't even have the will to allow themselves to die, seems like a significant portion are in this camp, which is why i would prefer for funds to be targeted specifically to certain individual homeless, which is something you can't do with a big bureaucracy, which requires the individual to step up and determine who these people are and help them.

[winterborn86]

It may sound horrible, but I just walk past them. The reason why I don't give money to them is because I don't know what they are going to do with that. They could be homeless through no fault of their own or they could be homeless because they spent all their rent money on booze and drugs, I can't tell which is which, so I'm not about to hand over money for them put it towards their bad habit.

[Locke4God]

Yeah, WOW, you can't give money to every homeless person you ever see. It sucks to be homeless, but if everybody were that big of a softy, then I'd quit my job, grow out my beard, and go lay in a corner with a cup beside me. So the world needs most people to pass by and not give them much, or else there'd be no room for personal growth.

That being said, I will give to a guy if he seems genuinely in pursuit of bettering himself. I have stopped before to buy a gift card from a nearby grocery store that carries minimal amounts of alchohol, and returned the card to the homeless person. If they were about providing for themselves, they'd have used it. I consider that very selfless.

If you've never been to DC though you should go. You'll change your mind about giving to every homeless person because there are litterly people who makes 10's of thousands being professional bums up there.