im sorry but the homeless ware i live were family's that lost there homes because they lost there jobs couldn't pay there mortgage and now cant get jobs because they are homeless believe me not all homeless are junkies some are family's that lost there jobs because of budget cuts at work im lucky to be on disability cause in my town there is no work for over 100 miles every job is full u see the same people working 2 and 3 part time jobs just to keep there homes safe

What do you use as an address when you live under a bridge, but need to fill out an employment application? How likely is it, if you don't have a relative or close friend in the immediate area, that will you will get hired if you can't put 'under the bridge on Third Street' as your address?

Seems like a spiral that would be pretty hard to get out of. Can't get a car cuz you don't have a job, can't get a job cuz you don't have a car...same for a house.

[edit on 1-10-2009 by KSPigpen]

Originally posted by exile1981
I know there must be nice homeless people out there but I've run into a few real bad ones. I had a guy stop me one time and point out his wife and kids living in the back of a station wagon. He asked for money for gas so they could drive onwards to Calgary. I offered him a day job at the manufacturing plant I ran sweeping floors for $14/hr cash and I offered to buy lunch for him and the family, and he told me to go f myself because he was a programmer not a janitor. I walked away, felt bad for the kids but I figured they weren't truly suffering if he was willing to turn down an honest days work.

Then I once was hit up by a very scruffy man outside a grocery store who asked for money for food. I went inside and bought him a cofee (it was cold) and a hot sub and gave it to him. He trew them on the ground and spit on me saying he wanted the money not the sub.

Now when I go to the grocery store I watch the homeless begging for money and then I watch them walk across the street to the liquir store to by booze when the have enough.

Yes, and I have experienced this too. Most of us who have lived in big cities have. I have lived in Seattle and visited many other large cities.

It's a matter of choice. You can choose to turn away all that ask for help. That's your choice. Don't despise them because they ask. Don't despise them because they spend that money on alcohol.

I give every time I can. Just recently I was in Battle Creek, MI. I was out and about looking over some field engineering some of my men did. Two guys, a woman and her baby come up. One guy asks if I have any money I could spare. You see, the guys eyes were dialated. He reaked of alcohol. I simply grabbed a $20 I had in my pocket for my lunch and dinner and handed it to him with a smile.

I simply said I hope you will feed yourself, your friends and that baby. The guy hugged me and thanked me.

Did that money go to alchohol and drugs? Probably. But you see, I choose to take a chance. I choose to be human.

It's a matter of perspective. I can guarantee that most of you would have cringed at the site of this group. Were they homeless? No. But they were human beings that needed help. Although I am not wealthy by any means and really couldn't afford to give that $20 up at that time, I chose to take the chance on humanity. Something that is sorely lacking in the newest generation to take the streets.

I think that alot of you who are blasting the homeless are not taking into account the possibility that they may not have anybody who is in a position to help them out. We're talking inner city here for the most part, and in many places the community is just NOT there to help the homeless.
It's easy to sit here and judge others from afar without even knowing the slightest bit about these people. How do you get a job when you can't even wash yourself or your clothes, put down a home address or telephone number? There are no jobs here in Detroit, there is NO recourse unless one is UNUSUALLY lucky. The same goes for many other cities across the country.

Our country wastes trillions on war&death and we don't make that much of a stink about it, but we can't throw a few billion at the homelessness?
This kind of crap makes me ashamed to be an American more often than I would like to admit. And if you don't like it, well kiss my grits. You go ahead and puff yourself up, ignorantly babbling about "America!!!" while the rest of us deny ignorance.

Surprised at the lack of empathy. But that is the American way. Pull yourself up by your "bootstraps". All I can say is, "There but for the grace of god, go I.

I remeber anold george carlin stnad up act one time..he was talking about the homeless. IN america, we have the war on drugs, cancer, diseases, the money shelled out for finding the cure and to stop it all..but no war on homelessness* why? BEcuase thiers no moneyt o be made in it.,...part of that great spirit of gernerosity we hear so much about in this country..its bull. If you could find the corprate swine, and crroked politician, who can find a way to skim a few million form heloing the homeless, yuode begin to see the streets of america clean up quick!
No one wnats to help eachother. We have something in this country, called NIMBY Not in my backyard. some want to open ashelter, fo the homeless, or retarded popel so they can work their way into the communti..people dont want anyting that helps anyone else near them..except military bases! they dont mind those.why? jobs..a guy will say, yeah i'llt ake a littel radiation if it gets me a job..people have be screwd over for so long in this country, those are the kind of descisions their forced to make.

Some people don't chose to become homeless, there forced to.

On the news today I was hearing about how a guy has just been redundant from his 21,000 pound job a year and now everything he owes backpayments for he cant because the JSA only gives him 45 pound a week (to feed his family, pay the bills and house etc.) Not just this guy but thousands out there are in the same situation, all they care about is making sure their kids are fed, do you really think that on 45 pounds a week there concerned about 50' plasma TVs or how to buy the newest Ferrari.

Im just thankful I live with my parents still until this recession is over or at least im in a stable job where I can pay my way for a simple small flat and food on the table, some people dont even have that luxury especially with elderly relatives, children or those caring for disabled family members.

On another note..we have a few homeless in our city. I remember one time, when iw as16, worknig at a food store, they told me to watch this one older out fo shape woman when she coems in. Shed try to hide food in paper bags she brought in with ehr in a carriage. One time, me and night duty manger approched her, god did she smell..she got very defensive, sounded like she had a mans smokers voice..she opened her wallet up, she msut have had at least $600 in $20 bills wrapped up..maybe it was more. Some homeless have money, form cans they collected over time, but they dont spend it* in a sense thier richer than we are! as they are free of the tax system*
Some are crazy too..when we were 15, a friend of mine one night entering summer, near hald bad aprt of downtown at night, saw a homeless woman with a carriage. my frined ran over and knocked it over...she puleld a kinfe out on him and yelled and screamed. I never saw my frined swat and his heart beat so fast out of fear before.

Originally posted by liquidsmoke206
people in tent cities are one thing, but I live in a city with more homeless people than any city I have ever seen, anywhere in the world. Believe me these people are scumbags, they actually get upset if you don't give them ENOUGH money! And there's so many of them, they like being homeless, and they are definitely on drugs!

I don't give money to them, or if I do I make them humiliate themselves for a quarter.
This town needs to get get these losers out....maybe a tent city for them at the bottom of elliot bay....

I know none of you scum will ever read this, but just get a job you hopeless scumbag losers....

Go live in a tent city and then try and find employment, find someone, anyone to employ you. You would not even get through the door.

Congratulations for humiliating them for a quarter, that is very grown up of you, I hope one day, you will fall on hard times and have to humiliate yourself for a quarter.

Yes some people are there cos of drug / drink addiction, but an ignorant attitude like yours only leads to hate.

Originally posted by exile1981
I know there must be nice homeless people out there but I've run into a few real bad ones. I had a guy stop me one time and point out his wife and kids living in the back of a station wagon. He asked for money for gas so they could drive onwards to Calgary. I offered him a day job at the manufacturing plant I ran sweeping floors for $14/hr cash and I offered to buy lunch for him and the family, and he told me to go f myself because he was a programmer not a janitor. I walked away, felt bad for the kids but I figured they weren't truly suffering if he was willing to turn down an honest days work.

Then I once was hit up by a very scruffy man outside a grocery store who asked for money for food. I went inside and bought him a cofee (it was cold) and a hot sub and gave it to him. He trew them on the ground and spit on me saying he wanted the money not the sub.

Now when I go to the grocery store I watch the homeless begging for money and then I watch them walk across the street to the liquir store to by booze when the have enough.

I live in Alberta too and I've seen an increase in homelessness over past few years in Edmonton. In my area of town (Alberta Avenue) the folks are incredibly violent towards people who don't give money to the panhandlers. The police do nothing about this and leave the responsibility up to the Hope Mission or Bissell Centre to make sure things don't get out of hand.

I've tried my best to help these guys but it seems my efforts are hampered by those who take advantage of the help they receive (i.e addicts). I don't intend on giving up, for one it could me who becomes homeless because of effects of the current recession.

When I see them I think "But for the Grace of God, go I".

We never know what's going to happen. Our lives are filled with uncertainty. I read posts all too often from our follow ats members who are living out of their cars, using the computer in the public library to post.
Things change. Nobody expects to wind up homeless, but it happens.

Most of the homeless in my town were veterans or mentally ill. The community and VA stepped in, and built them a "lodge". It's been great having a home-base to use to transition them back into society.

We never know. Things are uncertain. We should be grateful. And show compassion.

I was homeless for a while after I left my husband. He was very violent. I was pregnant.

No one would even let me sleep on their couch. The local battered women's shelter wouldn't help me because he volunteered there. He was a very respected government employee.

Finally got into government housing months after my baby was born. Long waiting lists. Tried looking for a job.

Everyone wanted you to be able to work nights and weekends. Day cares were only open 6am to 6pm and closed on the weekend. I had no one to watch my daughter to go to work. Leaving baby home alone to work several hours a day/night is unsafe and illegal.

I didn't get my first job until my daughter was old enough to stay home alone. No one would help me for all those years. I had to become a career student and live off financial aid to get by during those years.

Now I am unemployed again and living off the small amount of child support and alimony I get each month. I have been job hunting for months now. Even though I receive only $573/month total, I was turned down for medical assistance and food stamps. The reason being you aren't allowed any income at all, even a dollar, to get medical assistance. And I got turned down for food stamps because even though I turned in the paperwork TWICE, they claimed I did not turn in the paperwork. So, I left a message with the legal aid number given on my second denial letter and am still waiting to at least get help with food.

Not everyone out there has someone willing to help him/her.

You know, I utterly despair of this stinking world. Some are so heartless and self obsessed that it defies belief. When I read a post that shows humanity I am often taken aback and feel emotional at the realisation there are good people out there. On a larger scale we have these criminals in charge, heading the governments, corporations and banks who live in a different world, a different reality. They don’t even know what it is to worry about anything to do with money.
It is criminal that if this were to be the only life we have, that from the moment we are old enough we are meant to slave away, merely for the benefit of these scum in this system. That we are meant to work our entire lives, then have a few years where we are too tired and jaded to enjoy them, and then die. It is all wrong. It is all wrong that you cannot even survive let alone enjoy the life you have been given without money. It is a travesty that this money is held, coveted and protected from the masses by the few.

There are people dying every minute because they are starving. There are people who have never known the luxury of running, or hot water. There are people who don’t even know what a bath or shower is. There are people who have never had the luxury of a three course meal, a trip to the mall, new clothes or a haircut. There are people who have never owned a car, a house, or had any education to speak of. There are people who have never been to a theatre, read a book or watched a film. There are people who toil away all the hours of the day, lie down in the factory to sleep a few hours then get back up to do another 18 hours work just to get enough to be able to just about feed their family. And they will do that until the day they keel over. There are people who have never had a holiday, never seen the sea, the beach. Most people do not ever get to see their dreams realised and it breaks my heart. If this is the only life we have, that is just so evil it’s beyond words.

And then there are the people who drive the top cars, eat at the finest restaurants, swan around the world as the chosen ones and can have anything at all that they desire. But rather than passing on the joy and enabling others to enjoy the same comforts, they scheme and plot to make even more money off the backs of the minions they despise. There are people eating the finest food while mulling over what other taxes and ways of making money they can impose on the people. Soon they will have taxed everyone so far, and raised prices so far that nobody except them will be able to live. And before some fool protests that they worked hard to get there. NO, they normally have not. They have worked hard treading on everyone, but that is about it.

There are trillions spent on war, on killing people. There are so many working to deprive the masses of natural medicine that actually would heal them without side effects that need another 3 drugs to counteract them. There are people spending years apparently trying to find cures for diseases, and I bet they found them years ago, but deny them to the people as that would stop the gravy train.

Every single person in this world should have basic shelter, food, clothing and heating. And after that, if people want to strive for possessions then they can. Imagine the creativity unleashed if that were the world we lived in. Instead it is a stinking pile of dung.

If we do go on, if there is some spiritual afterlife, then these people who have lived to suppress creativity, destroy dreams and to defeat, make impoverished and then keep the poor down will hopefully get what’s coming to them. In the meantime I will just weep at the lost dreams and hopes.

"Seriously, it may be cruel to say it, but I really do hope all those with such a disgusting attitude to others end up in this situation. Maybe that's what it would take to instil some compassion and understanding in you people?"

It is easier to simplify a complex issue by passing judgment on others than it is to have compassion and understanding for others not as fortunate as you. Some guy just spent $34 million for the ultimate ego trip of traveling to the space station. Do you know how many people $34 million can feed? Not really my business what he does with his money, just using it as an example of how shallow and phony humanity has really become.

Unfortunately, compassion and understanding is not profitable, like greed is. I think kicking people when they are down is something which is done by people who have a weak and cowardly character. It takes a lot more inner strength to help someone in need than it does to pretend they do not exist...or worse...humiliate them.

Compassion for the poor is a special quality. It comes from living it, or having it happen to someone you know. Hard hearts come from greed, envy, selfishness, and having plenty.

In the Bible, every time a nation had plenty, they turned away from God. After all, what did they need God for? They had everything they needed.

My guess is that God is in more of those homeless people campsites than in many of the fancy homes of the upper and middle class.

And He likes it, so watch out. There may be more of it, starting with you or someone you know.

Maybe it's God's way of turning the heart of the nation back to Him.

I would not wish it upon anyone. Remember how the Pharaoh cursed the Hebrews, and the curse came back on him? Watch out how you condemn others....

[edit on 1-10-2009 by Jim Scott]

Well let the truth be told.

Taco Bell and Burger King STILL have a "HELP WANTED!" sign posted up on the door.

How ironic eh?

At the least offer them a shower and a ride to the place to show them how to get a job.
If they refuse, THEN you can lay into them.

[edit on 1-10-2009 by muzzleflash]