Homeless, and what we have in place for them is just weak!

[edwest2]

In Detroit, there are homeless at freeway exits. I don’t know where they sleep at night. I pass along a few dollars when I can. Doing nothing means doing nothing. I know I can’t help all of them. None that I’ve seen seemed mentally ill.

Some years back, before the economic mess, Michigan decided to close some mental health centers. They knew that would mean some of those people would end up on the street.

I know people are very busy and stressed. Each of us has personal issues, and likely money issues, that concern us. Between work and being a parent, there might not be enough time and money left to help out. I suggest dropping even a little bit of change into the poor box at Church. I think it also helps to ignore the idea that giving a little is somehow too little. Some of these people look for deposit cans to get a dollar.

God bless,
Ed

 

[nsper7]

Is having cable television all that important? Or an RV? Or a vacation which doesn’t involve crashing with the relatives?

Actually, in a modern economy, it is important. If everyone started living more simply, the economy would collapse since unemployment would skyrocket (with your examples, all those who work in the cable, RV construction/repair, and tourism would be out of a job). The minority of people working in fields providing basic necessities would be carrying everyone else. Simply put, a mess.

Also, I do not believe that the Church requires, under pain of sin, that people forego such things.

 

[edwest2]

Actually, in a modern economy, it is important. If everyone started living more simply, the economy would collapse since unemployment would skyrocket (with your examples, all those who work in the cable, RV construction/repair, and tourism would be out of a job). The minority of people working in fields providing basic necessities would be carrying everyone else. Simply put, a mess.

Also, I do not believe that the Church requires, under pain of sin, that people forego such things.

“the economy would collapse”? We are going from one extreme to another. Do you always buy things with the idea that you need to keep somebody employed or because you actually need it?

I rarely think about who I might be employing when I buy something. I do think about the billions of dollars being made by the oil companies when I buy gas. I don’t buy gadgets like iphones because I know I can live without them. I’ll never get an iPad unless my work requires it one day, and I’ll certainly never get an electronic book reader - ever.

I know - there’s no money in giving away money but there should be some sort of happy balance. Got a little spare change? Drop it in the poor box at Church.

In fact, the majority of people in this country only make enough money for the basics: food, rent/mortgage, clothes, car payment, gas and so on.

I like the example of Bill and Melinda Gates but as they say, every little bit helps.

God bless,
Ed

 

[edwest2]

Here’s an idea. All those people on Wall Street who got bonuses every year (but only half in 2008) should empty their wallets for just one day, rent a dump truck, and drive up to a local Salvation Army. With millions of dollars, they should be able to help a few more people.

God bless,
Ed

 

[nsper7]

I rarely think about who I might be employing when I buy something. I do think about the billions of dollars being made by the oil companies when I buy gas. I don’t buy gadgets like iphones because I know I can live without them. I’ll never get an iPad unless my work requires it one day, and I’ll certainly never get an electronic book reader - ever.

So, are you saying it’s a sin to own an iPad or electronic book reader? Personally, I own neither and, in terms of reading, I prefer the old-fashioned book made with paper–reading too much from the computer just makes my eyes go wacky.

 

[nsper7]

Here’s an idea. All those people on Wall Street who got bonuses every year (but only half in 2008) should empty their wallets for just one day, rent a dump truck, and drive up to a local Salvation Army. With millions of dollars, they should be able to help a few more people.

God bless,
Ed

Something tells me they carry very little cash in their wallets. A lot of people just use Debit cards–I know I usually no cash on me, but I have money in my bank account and then use my Debit card if there is something I need/want to buy.

 

[Aquinas62]

I am going out to buy a E book reader now… I am running out of shelf space…

 

[centurionguard]

Interesting topic. I remember many years ago watching an episode of Star Trek TNG where one of the main characters stated that in the 23rd century poverty was defeated after a global third world war in the 21st Century that cost the world 650 million lives. Obsession of riches and material wealth was no longer the driving force of the world.

Yes were speaking about lofty fiction here. I have often asked myself what would it take to change the mindset of the human race even if there was a catastrophic event in the world. Would the human race still be obsessed by riches and wealth?

What has two world wars taught the human race? Nothing really with the exception of so called sophisticated advancements in human technology and science, which in itself has only become another religion unto itself to many people.

Something extremely radical has to take place in this world to change the heart of the human race. A monumental chastisement from God?

I see the entire human race today in a desert not unlike the days of Moses bringing God’s chosen people into the promised land. Most of us know the ending of this story like that of the majority people of Moses who never made it out of the desert.

Would a bloody Third World War with three-quarters of the population of the earth dead change the mindset of the human heart possessed by riches and wealth?

A Radical observation yes. What do you think?

 

[shelby2014]

Interesting topic. I remember many years ago watching an episode of Star Trek TNG where one of the main characters stated that in the 23rd century poverty was defeated after a global third world war in the 21st Century that cost the world 650 million lives. Obsession of riches and material wealth was no longer the driving force of the world.

Yes were speaking about lofty fiction here. I have often asked myself what would it take to change the mindset of the human race even if there was a catastrophic event in the world. Would the human race still be obsessed by riches and wealth?

What has two world wars taught the human race? Nothing really with the exception of so called sophisticated advancements in human technology and science, which in itself has only become another religion unto itself to many people.

Something extremely radical has to take place in this world to change the heart of the human race. A monumental chastisement from God?

I see the entire human race today in a desert not unlike the days of Moses bringing God’s chosen people into the promised land. Most of us know the ending of this story like that of the majority people of Moses who never made it out of the desert.

Would a bloody Third World War with three-quarters of the population of the earth dead change the mindset of the human heart possessed by riches and wealth?

A Radical observation yes. What do you think?

I’d say the opposite. We’ve been on the earth how long? I think if something radical happened it would be every man (or family) for themselves. We have seen how radical natural disasters can bring out the worst in people (rioting and looting after Katrina and the Haiti earthquake). While it can also bring out the best in people (millions of dollars of aid and lots of people volunteering). But this is incredibly off topic.

Well, actually it’s not. People will look after themselves and those closest to them first. Then they can look after strangers. We see the same thing now, which is why things are so bad - some of us are just barely getting by, others are saving for the future, and still others have a very generous idea of what a necessity is (ipod). So then giving to the homeless comes last. That’s why God instituted the tithing - FIRST fruits.

People just don’t want to give so much that they are in the same siutation in three months when they’ve lost their job and have no savings to live off of.

 

[centurionguard]

I’d say the opposite. We’ve been on the earth how long? I think if something radical happened it would be every man (or family) for themselves. We have seen how radical natural disasters can bring out the worst in people (rioting and looting after Katrina and the Haiti earthquake). While it can also bring out the best in people (millions of dollars of aid and lots of people volunteering). But this is incredibly off topic.

Well, actually it’s not. People will look after themselves and those closest to them first. Then they can look after strangers. We see the same thing now, which is why things are so bad - some of us are just barely getting by, others are saving for the future, and still others have a very generous idea of what a necessity is (ipod). So then giving to the homeless comes last. That’s why God instituted the tithing - FIRST fruits.

People just don’t want to give so much that they are in the same siutation in three months when they’ve lost their job and have no savings to live off of.

People just don’t want to give so much that they are in the same siutation in three months when they’ve lost their job and have no savings to live off of.

Very true. Being in a very similar situation myself I know well how this feels.
I haven’t been able to work in the last seven years due to several debilitating heath problems and terminal illness.

I am often perplexed by the prophecy that Jesus Himself made, saying that the world would always have the poor in their mist.

Sadly wealth in this world is not shared equally and if you take what Jesus said literally, poverty in this world will never be defeated because those who hold power and wealth are not willing to fore-go the extra effort to defeat poverty. Too many corrupt governments in this world who feel the need to lord it over the powerless and misfortuned even in poorer countries.

 

[edwest2]

The homeless are not capable of civil unrest. The military, which is very expensive, is draining away resources to protect us against outside threats. If you are a world superpower, then you need it.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is doing what they can. A recent issue of Forbes related the story of getting billionnaires on board to help the world’s poor. But people do have legitimate reasons for living in low crime neighborhoods and sending their kids to ‘better’ schools but all of that costs money.

God tells us to be good stewards of the resources He gives us.

God bless,
Ed

 

[dixieagle]

I live in a community where there are few resources for homeless people, and fairly significant groups of homeless folks living beneath underpasses, in the woods, etc. Catholic Social Services does what it can, with some limited housing assistance, and there is a group of Protestant churches that participate in Family Promise, whereby homeless families can live in the church’s community center for a week, with members of the congregation helping with child care, meals, etc. Family Promise also has a mentoring program to help families achieve self-sufficiency. familypromise.org/About-Us

There are some terrific programs out there; my older daughter has worked in development and grant writing for two of them - one in Austin and now in San Francisco. The Austin group is St. Louise House, which provides and manages - with very strict rules - apartments for homeless women and their children. The women must be enrolled in school, job training, etc., and the goal is to get them out and on their own; the success rate is admirable. Most of them were battered women, and their stories are heartbreaking. saintlouisehouse.org/

The San Francisco organization, Homeless Prenatal Program, provides a wide range of programs and services to homeless pregnant women and their families, with the purpose of getting babies born at healthy birth weights and without effects from drugs. They have a very successful community health worker program whereby a number of their clients are trained and hired and become liaisons in the community. The success rate is phenomenal.

Investing time and money to assist homeless families and individuals is a win-win situation, but the need keeps growing and resources seem to be dwindling.

 

[centurionguard]

The homeless are not capable of civil unrest. The military, which is very expensive, is draining away resources to protect us against outside threats. If you are a world superpower, then you need it.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is doing what they can. A recent issue of Forbes related the story of getting billionaires on board to help the world’s poor. But people do have legitimate reasons for living in low crime neighborhoods and sending their kids to ‘better’ schools but all of that costs money.

God tells us to be good stewards of the resources He gives us.

God bless,
Ed

The homeless are not capable of civil unrest. The military, which is very expensive, is draining away resources to protect us against outside threats. If you are a world superpower, then you need it.

I want to be very charitable here when speaking about outside forces fortified against American soil. Specifically I’m speaking about the Iraq War. First of all I want say that as a Canadian I love Americans and couldn’t think of any better neighbor to Canadians as a whole. I have many relatives who are Americans. Many Americans speak about the Iraq War being unnecessary like many in the world. Too much secret cloak and dagger politics involved behind closed doors that even gain distrust amongst fellow Americans trying to figure the real reason behind this war, with unjust billions if not trillions of dollars spent on the Iraq war. More money than the First and Second World Wars combined. Surely this has substantially contributed to much poverty in the United States as it has with other western world countries (NATO) also involved in the Iraqi war.
This hoarding of (“Black Gold”)-Oil has been as much a contributing force to poverty in the Western World as it has in Third World Countries where people a starving to death in the most deplorable conditions with sickness out of control.

 

[edwest2]

I want to be very charitable here when speaking about outside forces fortified against American soil. Specifically I’m speaking about the Iraq War. First of all I want say that as a Canadian I love Americans and couldn’t think of any better neighbor to Canadians as a whole. I have many relatives who are Americans. Many Americans speak about the Iraq War being unnecessary like many in the world. Too much secret cloak and dagger politics involved behind closed doors that even gain distrust amongst fellow Americans trying to figure the real reason behind this war, with unjust billions if not trillions of dollars spent on the Iraq war. More money than the First and Second World Wars combined. Surely this has substantially contributed to much poverty in the United States as it has with other western world countries (NATO) also involved in the Iraqi war.
This hoarding of (“Black Gold”)-Oil has been as much a contributing force to poverty in the Western World as it has in Third World Countries where people a starving to death in the most deplorable conditions with sickness out of control.

I think the primary concern should be Wall Street. It brought the world to its knees. The world. Homes were purposely overvaluated, the disgusting Credit Default Swaps existed, and at least one institution, Lehman Brothers, folded after being around for about a century. That caused monies to dry up to charities. And a certain individual, who is now in prison, somehow managed to cause 50 billion dollars to disappear. Contrast that with pleas for help where one dollar a day can keep someone from starving.

Afghanistan is the current problem. The news about why we’re there is not hidden but it’s not trumpeted on the news like many celebrities. We know more about the eccentricities of some singer than the intricacies of that conflict. Here’s one fact: there is a 1,400 mile long pipeline going across Afghanistan to Turkey. Look it up.

And yes. People with money buy entire oil tankers, park them near South America, and when prices go up in the States, bring them in for unloading.

God bless,
Ed

 

[Aquinas62]

And yes. People with money buy entire oil tankers, park them near South America, and when prices go up in the States, bring them in for unloading.

God bless,
Ed

and there is a problem with this??

 

[centurionguard]

and there is a problem with this??

I certainly see a huge problem in Hoarding Oil, and not just from the absolute Greed aspect but as we see today in what is happening in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Greed aspect is just the beginning as we see here: seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/56838

And after British Petroleum pays United States multi-millions to clean up this environmental mess; what would make the average American think the clean-up is all over?

U.S. taxpayers will be footing most of the bill many decades after in the fall-out of this huge environmental disaster all because of Greed. How can one not see that this won’t have an impact on poverty in your country.

 

[edwest2]

and there is a problem with this??

What is Catholic teaching? The love of money is the root of all evil. I suggest you look up the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

God bless,
Ed

 

[edwest2]

A comedian whose act I dislike, made the following comment about billionnaires going for their second billion. “What are they going to do with it? Start their own space program?”

I think people should reject the MTV “too much is never enough” slogan and be good stewards of what God has given them.

God bless,
Ed

 

[zarathos_khan]

I found myself seeking shelter a couple of months ago, was told to talk to this and that charity, St. vincent, Share, etc. and we have all of these good programs out there to help the needy…well, the reality of it all, we have plenty of props, we have plenty of staff on hand, and no actual places for a homeless person to go, you are left to live in a ditch and have to do your best to hide yourself from authorities in the process, can’t even sleep in your car, it will get towed away if you try to do so, not even a place to park it legally overnight…

We don’t see the homeless because they are so afraid to make themselves known, entirely because they have to hide from society just for a basic place to sleep at, much less anything else. Out of sight, out of mind is how things are, if you do not fit in with the rest of the world, if you have not secured an expensive, overpriced roach motel, you are to die or else find an illegal place to reside at, or else, well, there is no real else, that’s your optons, unless some kind soul such as in my case with the shop I rent, allows me to sleep in the back of my truck and by the grace of God, secure a trailer to have some assemblence of living quarters.

My friends brother, he and his family, it took them two weeks to get into a shelter, they were told to live on the streets until a room was opened up, so they lived in their car for the two weeks, and the room opened up was only for a month, a month if you waited that long, is simply not enough time to get fully back on your feet for anybody, much less for a family… 50 rooms at this element, total for this entire area, and for only a month, that’s what it all is reduced to, … so you might want to think twice about the situation, telling someone down and out, “we have places and things in place for the homeless” we really don’t, we have a weak excuse for it and checking around, all of these places point to the very same spot.

I really loved the guys attitude when I told him where I was at, and what I was facing, total indifference along with chuckling, this so called contact person was not only totally unsympathetic, he thought it was amusing with how bad the system in place is, and he’s on well paying salary in the process. I look to this situation now, not just from an outside perspective, but from an inside one, and I’m totally appauled about the situation, it’s totally unacceptable and abhorent that this is all we have to choose from. It’s been said that the sign of a true church is one that takes care of the widows and orphans, this meaning, those that cannot fend for themselves nor have rights, well…we don’t have a church these days if we are held to these same standards, and I want to know what the Catholic church is going to do about it!!!

If it cannot, and I have to, I will very much be forced to tear down what exists and expose it for what it is, and along with the bastard progeny it produced, ie. the protestants that care nothing of these people in need in the process, and building our dear church, as our Lord Jesus Christ intended, back into it’s full glory, as he created it in the first place, separating the wheat from the chaff, and we have far too much chaff to separate out of it in the process. I’ll do my best to work for change within and have tried earnestly before, but it may very much require a more direct approach, for the need is quite dire and has been neglected far, far too long.

This is a rant of sorts, so bear with me, it’s also a wake up call for those that see the real need that’s in place, I have had absolutely enough with the luke warm approach to a very real need and I’m taking action about it in the here and now, and it very much starts in the now.

It is truly discusting the way we treat the homeless (i’ve been there myself on both ends) like where I live for instance. there are approx two thoulsand homeless in my city and a total of about 250 beds in the entire city. What is worse is that the local real estate developers are turning apartment buildings into condos and trying to get rent so high you’ll need a six figure income to have a bach apartment. welfare does nothing the average price for a one bedroom in the scumy areas of the city go for 500 and up while welfare pays a max of 285. How are these people gonna get out of their situation when we just don’t care. What we need is a communist revolution. say what you will about that psycho stalin but atleast there was no homeless in moscow and everyone had a job.

 

[Aquinas62]

What we need is a communist revolution. say what you will about that psycho stalin but atleast there was no homeless in moscow and everyone had a job.

The ones that had jobs sent the homeless to the gulag…