Helping the Homeless

[Demosthenes]

I managed a HMO for homeless people for a while. Real eye opener and I had to deal with a lot. Mostly because the majority of my residents were just out of prison. I liked helping out genuine cases. My days in the job were numbered though when I found a lad hanged in his room. Absolutely gutting then and still eats at me now.

 

[tidyman]

The sad thing is, it should be a shock to walk past a homeless person in a country as rich as this with the welfare system we have. Reality is, I probably walk past, on average about 20 of them a day and it hardly registers.

Occasionally I'll realise I've not seen someone for a while in their usual spot and hope it's because they've moved on to another spot or even got themselves sorted. Try not to think about what is probably a more likely third option.

I've just walked past the two blokes in their usual spot, huddled together in the doorway of the Premier Inn on Portland St, on my way to work. How these people survive the winner I have no idea. And some people begrudge them a drink.

I'm sure we'll get the usual bollocks about how everyone knows a bloke who lives in a detached house in Hale and makes £50K a year begging. But ignore that bullshit. It's a terrible state of affairs. Albeit, I have no answers to solve it.

 

[kinkysleftfoot]

I never give beggars any cash.
A large amount of beggars are alcoholic and or drug dependant.

Many aren't actually homeless, and you'll be surprised how much some beggars can earn during the week.

Giving them money does not solve the problem.

I do however give food to local food banks, and I have had chats to beggars and bought them coffee and pies.

Want to help?
Don't help them feed their drug habits.

A large amount are also ex squaddies, I always give something, even housed one after finding out he was ex infantry

 

[cyberblue]

I find homelessness such a worry as it could happen to anyone.

This ^. All it takes is a run of bad lack. The tragedy of it is that many of them needn't be sleeping on the streets. Personally speaking, I have plenty of people in my life who'd help me out if I ever needed a place to stay, and I'm sure most people here could say the same. For a lot of homeless people, however, they feel they are unable to ask their family and friends for help, for any number of reasons (pride, fear, etc.) That's the saddest part of it, for me.

I give to Crisis every year because, in addition to providing warm beds and meals, they also help to rehabilitate homeless people and encourage them to overcome any issues or difficulties that might be preventing them from seeking help from family and friends. There are other homeless charities but I reckon they're the best. It's shitty though that we even need charities for this sort of thing - no one should be homeless in a country as supposedly developed and affluent as ours.

For people begging on the streets, don't give them money (hot food and drink much better), but do talk to them, even just to acknowledge them or say hello. Just being treated like people is probably worth more to them.

Trouble is now a days ther eis so manyof them if we stopped & talked to all of them we would never go anywhere

 

[r.soleofsalford]

The sad thing is, it should be a shock to walk past a homeless person in a country as rich as this with the welfare system we have. Reality is, I probably walk past, on average about 20 of them a day and it hardly registers.

Occasionally I'll realise I've not seen someone for a while in their usual spot and hope it's because they've moved on to another spot or even got themselves sorted. Try not to think about what is probably a more likely third option.

I've just walked past the two blokes in their usual spot, huddled together in the doorway of the Premier Inn on Portland St, on my way to work. How these people survive the winner I have no idea. And some people begrudge them a drink.

I'm sure we'll get the usual bollocks about how everyone knows a bloke who lives in a detached house in Hale and makes £50K a year begging. But ignore that bullshit. It's a terrible state of affairs. Albeit, I have no answers to solve it.

they may be in brazil supporting that pile of shit