Will You Help?

1. What do you do when you see a homeless person, begging for money, with cardboard for a blanket in the wintertime? Do you pass him/her by, or stop and care?

When I see a homeless person, my entire heart breaks. The person I see, broken, in rags, and alone, was someone once, that people looked around at and said "Hello!" Now, they pass them by, and calmly go about their day, eating their lunch, going home to their homes, sitting in front of a cozy fire watching television, drinking hot tea, where they sleep in a bed with real blankets, and they still feel like they accomplished many things during their day, and they may have. But, what happened to that person's compassion for the one without those things, has society become so ignorant that we cannot see that they have feelings just like we do,that they are human and have needs like we do, but they have lost their way. WHY? Maybe they got into something and it escalated out of control, and they are now addicts, and are so weak they cannot help themselves, they only think of how to feed their habit. But, shouldn't we as humans help them? If they were given a chance to get help, and a"Hello, how are you today?" from us,it may make them feel human again. Yes, I help them, I offer them a bed to sleep in, and I will give them food to eat, for one day, it may be you or I on the cold sidewalk begging for food, and thinking about when we had everything, and how if one person maybe would help us get a foot in the door to find work, then there would be a change in their lifestyle, in yours or mine ? Somehow, this person, lost their way in life, whether it was through drugs, alcohol,or loss of a job they once had. When you go to bed, and you are under your warn blankets, think about the man, the woman, the ones who are outside sleepig in the alley, cold, alone.... and crying for help. I mean, really think about them when you go to bed, and realize how warm you are and how you just enjoyed a great meal, while they ate out of garbage cans..maybe then we all will think twice when we see a homeless person and stop..and talk to them, and maybe just maybe, you can help one become a member of society again, if you just take their hand and help them through their broken paths back to a straight and long bright road. We all have made mistakes and have been forgiven by someone, so, why can't we forgive them for their problems, and help in some way, take an exra sandwich with you and some hot tea, to give them, offer them a bed to sleep in, in exchange for money, help them provided they seek help, and go to see a physchologist, or counsillor. Will you help?


I Will Never Be Homeless


I will never be homeless,

It won't happen to me.

I will never be homeless,

I'm doing so well, don't you see?

I have a good job, a nice house and a car,

I have everything I need to go far.

I am not like those Welfare bums,

To whom prosperity never comes.

You know, the ones who don't want to work,

Any kind of physical labour, they shirk.

All they want to do is drink,

Some are not clean, and they stink.

Then, I see a man, lying in the street,

A tattered coat around him and no shoes on his feet.

But, I sense that something is wrong,

That somehow, this man does not belong.

So, I decide to stop to say hello,

And ask him why he fell so low.

He once worked on a street called Bay,

Making good money every day.

Then, one day his job was gone.

He was told, "just go on home."

He soon just didn't care,

His purpose in life no longer there.

He lost his family, his home, and his car.

In just a few months, he fell so far.

So here he was, on the street,

With a tattered coat around him and no shoes on his feet.

Then I saw the lines on his face and the pain in his eyes,

I will never be homeless, will I?

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A Busy Street


Welfare, UIC, FBA,

Facts of street life every day.

Liquor, beer, crack coc aine,

Found in almost every lane.

The panhandler casts a hopeful eye,

To all the people passing by.

The hooker, on the corner there,

Smokes, and fusses with her hair.

The guy in the doorway, what's he smoking?

Could that be a joint he's toking?

See that guy by the door?

He's just been to the liquor store.

Lost denizens of the street,

Many of whom you'll never meet.

But they're all human, with faces and names,

No different from us, just the same.

They have aspirations, hopes, and dreams,

They have stories to tell, reams and reams.

So, don't ignore them as you pass by,

Let these people give you the eye.

Talk to them, sit down on the curb.

Let their world, your world disturb.

Do you dare to let them tell?

Of their long, long trip to Hell?

Homeless For Christmas


All alone he sat, on the sidewalk cold,

Ragged coat, beaten hat, stooped over, looking old.


He asked for change for a coffee and a smoke,

Of all the people passing by, who thought him just a joke.


He was just another homeless guy, another bum on the street,

On the street, he'll probably die, right at the Christmas shoppers' feet.


It's the time of good will to men, when, for all, we're supposed to care. We hear that time and time again. Why then was he still there? On the dirty side of town, Where does this man go? On his sodden way down?


Nobody knows about his past, nobody knows his sad story. Why has he gone down so fast? All the way to ruin from glory.


I came upon him on the street and put five dollars in his hat,

Right about then, we began to talk, I joined him where he sat.


"Do you have a smoke?" he asked as I sat down,

Soon he was enjoying his smoke, there on the dirty side of town.


He told me the story of his life, about the trail of abuse and neglect. How his soul "died" when he lost his wife, how his family he began to reject.


He finally hit rock bottom. He had nowhere else to go.

Where the booze had finally got him, what then? He didn't know.


I said, "I know how you feel, helpless and alone."

"You need a bed and a hot meal, and someplace to call home."


I'll send you to a friend of mine, he'll help you on your way,

And the bus fare I will lend, you go and see him today."


"He runs the South-Side Mission, on the other side of town,"

"You talk to him, he'll listen. Get him to show you around."


I gave him the change for the bus and heartily shook his hand,

I thought, "He's the same as one of us, throughout this great big land."


As I watched him go down the street, I wondered to myself, "will he come back?" Will we ever again meet, on the better side of the tracks?"


I realized it was getting late, I had to get to a Christmas Party,

I hurried to make my appointed date, for eggnog and turkey hearty.


As I hurried on through the snow, I wondered to myself,

"Where does all our compassion go? Is it put upon the shelf?"


At this Christmas time of year,

Let us think of those who are with us all the year.


The homeless, the hungry, the destitute, who live on our streets each day. Let us show them a better route, where they can find their way.


It's Christmas time, Do you care? Will you help another one?

Come on people, show you care. Do what the Master would have done.


Just think, if that was you, sitting on the sidewalk cold,

Wouldn't you want some help too? Or would you rather die in the cold?










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[edit on 28-1-2005 by realorritt]

This man may be hungry...he may have fought in the war, he is someone's brother, so why is he alone?




Homeless, Across the street from Union Square Park, New York City.
“Dawn” It’s gotten bitterly cold in the North East. This day I spotted Dawn bundled up with a cup panhandling. She had spent the previous night sleeping in a parking garage. I have posted a picture and short story about Dawn here before. She gave me a short page of her writing that is included back then. You might want to have a look at it.
(See 08/30/04)
www.fotolog.net...

This world is so wrong it is impossible for me to describe how I feel about it.

When I was a child, I was in a loving family and knew that my parents would be there for me. If anything went wrong, they would make things better. I believed that the world was a good one, full of happy people who cared for each other. I believed in the innate goodness of humanity (although at that age, I didn't even know the word). I belived in black and white. That the police were all good, that the country was the best in the world (which, despite Tony Blair, I still believe today) and that the Government was here to serve the people.

We didn't understand hypocrisy, doublespeak or greed. We were just children and we played our games heedless of the wide world outside. We had heard of homeless people of course, but didn't understand. In our naive innocence we thought that they chose to be so. That they didn't like to live in houses. That they were like the rangers and hunters of old who chose to sleep under the stars. We were so wrong.

I can still remember thinking those things. And the shock when I realised the truth. When I learned what the world is really like. That money is not merely a means to transcend the limitation of barter, but is treated like a deity by many people. That there are those who will sacrifice thousands for their agenda of greed. I will not go on - I could talk of this for hours and still not scratch the surface. And one of the symptoms of this love of self and greed is the number of homeless people in the so-called civilised countries of the world.

We expect this in third world countries, places who are yet to benefit from our technological resources, but in London ?, New York ?, Los Angeles ?

What on earth is going on ?

There are enough resources for every human being on earth to live a decent life. But the system as it exists denies that to millions. We do not live in the Middle Ages now. We are supposed to be civilised human beings and yet we allow this ?

To answer your question realorritt, if I have money in my pocket and come across a homelss person I will always give him something. I don't care what he uses it for. Food, drink, even alcohol if it will help him to forget his misery for an hour or two. Once he takes it in his hand, it is his to do with as he feels best. Many people say that they refuse to give to the homeless because they will "only use it for drink". That is just a pathetic excuse not to give in the first place. Alongside the money, I often give information. As a Samaritan volunteer in the 90's, I learned of places where the homeless can go for food and a place to sleep. I tell them of these places and many times receive the reply that they didn't even know these places existed.

Hopefully we will learn to be compassionate to our fellow human beings.
If we don't , there's no hope for us.

that goodness and kindness are not in eveyone.
I wil reply further to this later pisk.

Not to trivialize the intention of this thread, but here is something that you may not be aware of: Some people actually WANT to be homeless!

In my younger years, I use to just hang out by myself in the Village (NYC). Well for some reason one day I started up a conversation with a few older, homeless men and ended up hanging out with them all day. It was actually a really cool experience that did not stop at that one time. So it turns out that some people are so fed-up with 'the system' in corporite america that they would rather deal without the convienences that we all take for granted in order to avoid it. The men I talked to traveled the eastern seaboard through the seasons and even had different people to stay with in different states when they passed by. These men were intelligent and well-read (they even pointed out a few good reads for me while we were in a Barnes & Nobels); they completely broke the sterotype of the drunk bum sleeping on the street. They were possibly more honest to themselves then anyone that I have ever met.

I can only hope that I have that sort of conviction for what I believe in some day.

Originally posted by Jonna
Not to trivialize the intention of this thread, but here is something that you may not be aware of: Some people actually WANT to be homeless!

In my younger years, I use to just hang out by myself in the Village (NYC). Well for some reason one day I started up a conversation with a few older, homeless men and ended up hanging out with them all day. It was actually a really cool experience that did not stop at that one time. So it turns out that some people are so fed-up with 'the system' in corporite america that they would rather deal without the convienences that we all take for granted in order to avoid it. The men I talked to traveled the eastern seaboard through the seasons and even had different people to stay with in different states when they passed by. These men were intelligent and well-read (they even pointed out a few good reads for me while we were in a Barnes & Nobels); they completely broke the sterotype of the drunk bum sleeping on the street. They were possibly more honest to themselves then anyone that I have ever met.

I can only hope that I have that sort of conviction for what I believe in some day.

I know what you are saying, as Ihave experienced quite a few who are extremely intelligent, and can make you laugh for days and tell you things, as they see it, they can also tell you stories that make you see things you once thought about in a totally different way,
Well, for me, I have not yet told anyone why or how I got involved with homeless people, but, I will say, it was because of a man, a man who saw me twice in my entire life, and the last time I saw that man, I had to bury him, after he rejected to see me, which tore me apart. That man was my father.
I don't think I will add anymore right now, it is very hard to talk about for me.