No empathy for the homeless/poor

[HeWillProvide]

how do you respond to people who think the homeless need to “just get a job”
or the poor holding signs out on the street for money are just there because “they put themselves there”, etc.?

 

[royal_archer]

how do you respond to people who think the homeless need to “just get a job”
or the poor holding signs out on the street for money are just there because “they put themselves there”, etc.?

By offering the homeless people opportunities and seeing if they take them.

 

[Benadam]

Most have some psychological obstacle that keeps them marginalized. Some have resigned themselves to their situation, some would be bettered by some constructive help. I know of a 50ish bearded man who rides a bike and peddles little wire sculptures of motorcycles at a local convenience store. Very good imo. I find it too difficult to give them money at offramps but I will give whatever change is in my pocket otherwise.

I feel they are just people who for whatever reason aren’t able to be socialized adequately eneough to hold a regular job. It doesn’t matter to me why.

 

[rodomonte]

Most have some psychological obstacle that keeps them marginalized. Some have resigned themselves to their situation, some would be bettered by some constructive help. I know of a 50ish bearded man who rides a bike and peddles little wire sculptures of motorcycles at a local convenience store. Very good imo. I find it too difficult to give them money at offramps but I will give whatever change is in my pocket otherwise.

I feel they are just people who for whatever reason aren’t able to be socialized adequately eneough to hold a regular job. It doesn’t matter to me why.

Having been in a homless shelter relatively recently, I can say I never saw any of those people panhandling locally, except for one who had also been my roommate in a group home. I knew he was a hardcore addict. One panhandler I saw regularly posted himself right in front of a casino. He would periodically take the donated change into the casino and put it into the slot machines. There was also a woman who panhandled while walking. I often saw her playing slots too, and every time I did, I said, “So that’s what you do with the money people give you.” She didn’t appreciate that.

The chronic panhandlers are virtually all alcoholics or drug addicts. I never give them anything. They don’t want food. They can’t hold jobs long because of their addictions. Some are persistent or aggressive panhandlers. They will give you some sob story as you try to walk away. They are all lying. I have even complained to some people who have given these panhandlers money, because they are enablers. Their hearts are in the right place, but their brains just ain’t workin’.

 

[Benadam]

Having been in a homless shelter relatively recently, I can say I never saw any of those people panhandling locally, except for one who had also been my roommate in a group home. I knew he was a hardcore addict. One panhandler I saw regularly posted himself right in front of a casino. He would periodically take the donated change into the casino and put it into the slot machines. There was also a woman who panhandled while walking. I often saw her playing slots too, and every time I did, I said, “So that’s what you do with the money people give you.” She didn’t appreciate that.

The chronic panhandlers are virtually all alcoholics or drug addicts. I never give them anything. They don’t want food. They can’t hold jobs long because of their addictions. Some are persistent or aggressive panhandlers. They will give you some sob story as you try to walk away. They are all lying. I have even complained to some people who have given these panhandlers money, because they are enablers. Their hearts are in the right place, but their brains just ain’t workin’.

I understand your point. And I know it’s true that I’ve given some folks a means to deny their hearts deepest desires. Whether conscious of them or not.

I believe there are few who would do with the money you would have done. I also believe that most ofthese people are at different stages of working out their particualr obstacles to becoming socialized. That there is little or nothing available to them that could bring them to the place that awakens them to the desire to change their behavior. Refusing them their folly will most likely deepen the wound that causes their misery and strengthen their resolve to aquire their chosen salve by other more destructive means. If any of them realize their need for help of a more constructive kind, I think the people who helped them relieve their pain while down, no matter how, were a large part of why they had faith eneough in themselves to do it.

In short, I think most of these people are working out their particular issues, medicating themselves, are at different stages of coming out of it, if at all, and there is little I know how to do to make it happen.

The ones that would be able to make use of what royal would offer are few.

 

[Holly3278]

how do you respond to people who think the homeless need to “just get a job”
or the poor holding signs out on the street for money are just there because “they put themselves there”, etc.?

Personally, I feel sorry for them. I think that they need to be helped to find the local welfare office and the services that could be available to them such as food stamps, medicaid, and subsidized housing. Also, if they have medical bills that need to be paid, they may need help finding their local Claimaid office or other medical financial aid office.

That said, if I see someone on the street begging for money, I’d ask them if they were hungry and if they wanted something to eat. If they did want something to eat, I’d buy them a sandwich or something. If they needed some clothes, I might give them a gift card to a local clothing store or something. If they needed a place to stay, I wouldn’t let them stay at my place out of concern for my safety but I would try to help them find a homeless shelter or possibly a priest or St. Vincent De Paul Society or something like that could give them the money for a night at a hotel or something.

Also, I think that it is very important to pray for the homeless and the poor. Jesus’ ministry was largely devoted to the poor and homeless as we see in the Gospels. We should imitate Jesus’ example and be kind to the poor and homeless. If you have unused food that you’ll probably never use, give it to the local food bank. If you have clothing that you have outgrown, give it to the local St. Vincent De Paul store. Have an old television or other appliance that you no longer need? Again, give it to the St. Vincent De Paul store in your area. By doing these things, you can help the homeless and poor out tremendously.

 

[royal_archer]

I understand your point. And I know it’s true that I’ve given some folks a means to deny their hearts deepest desires. Whether conscious of them or not.

I believe there are few who would do with the money you would have done. I also believe that most ofthese people are at different stages of working out their particualr obstacles to becoming socialized. That there is little or nothing available to them that could bring them to the place that awakens them to the desire to change their behavior. Refusing them their folly will most likely deepen the wound that causes their misery and strengthen their resolve to aquire their chosen salve by other more destructive means. If any of them realize their need for help of a more constructive kind, I think the people who helped them relieve their pain while down, no matter how, were a large part of why they had faith eneough in themselves to do it.

In short, I think most of these people are working out their particular issues, medicating themselves, are at different stages of coming out of it, if at all, and there is little I know how to do to make it happen.

The ones that would be able to make use of what royal would offer are few.

With those that you describe they may need a bit of a nudge. of course feeding their addictions does not help. Perhaps a work camp where they can earn a living under controlled conditions until they adjust to the new lifestyle.

 

[Benadam]

With those that you describe they may need a bit of a nudge. of course feeding their addictions does not help. Perhaps a work camp where they can earn a living under controlled conditions until they adjust to the new lifestyle.

Maybe there is some things I don’t understand. If a drug is what makes a person happy and that drug is expensive, how can they feed such an expensive addiction without having a job?

 

[lelhajj]

Maybe there is some things I don’t understand. If a drug is what makes a person happy and that drug is expensive, how can they feed such an expensive addiction without having a job?

They ask for money to their families first. Once the family and friends can not help them anymore, they sacrifice food and other material, selling them, etc, Sometimes they might steal, and at the end, they finish alone and begging for money on the streets. Their addiction to drugs is so powerful that they must continue doing it. The little self steem that they still have gets worse gradually until there is no more self steem or pride in them. It is a need, stronger than the basic necessity of feeding ourselves, that is the reason why these people need so much the family support, psychological one also, patience plus love and compassion. They need people around them that really cares for them.
It is a vicious cycle that even if they migh at some point, try to get out of their addiction, they are so vulnerable that any minor pressure in their lives might make them relapse. It is like fighting the devil each day, the constant temptation and the phsical need and urgency just to have the drug into their body. I believe also that if we try to make them closer to God, to our faith, might make them stronger to resist temptation.

 

[royal_archer]

Maybe there is some things I don’t understand. If a drug is what makes a person happy and that drug is expensive, how can they feed such an expensive addiction without having a job?

Begging, welfare, muggings, and other forms of thefts as well as if they have previous assetts.

 

[centurionguard]

Personally I believe we have to look at the homeless and poor asking for a hand-out of change without judgment. Something I’m sure the late Mother Theresa of Calcutta would have us do. Giving freely from our heart and looking at the homeless/poor as if they were precisely Jesus Himself asking for a hand-out. In fact if we are perceptive enough in our Christ-like attitudes we should be able to see Jesus Himself standing there disheveled behind the disguise of dirty smelly cloths inside these same homeless/poor we meet from time to time.

Too bad though most people can’t see beyond superficial trappings. Sure you might meet the odd drunkard or obnoxious homeless asking for some small change, but its not the general rule in my experience. Every Sunday after Mass we have homeless people waiting with old used coffee cups at the bottom of the main granite stairs respectfully asking for a hand out. Most parishioners are receptive to it by giving them change in which I do the same if I have some. Others bring their defensive walls up because of cultural bias judgment.

 

[mini_me640]

I think the people that stand at interstate exit ramps week after week who locals know aren’t homeless (b/c they recognize the people) asking for money make people skeptical about anyone panhandling…

 

[TheresaLS]

While I was in New Orleans some years ago I met an old gentleman who said he was homeless and one could assume he was poor. He made planes out of beer cans and I asked if it was profitable…he said it kept him in beer!!!

 

[jmcrae]

how do you respond to people who think the homeless need to “just get a job”
or the poor holding signs out on the street for money are just there because “they put themselves there”, etc.?

There are people who just need a hand up (not a hand out) and there are people who make a lifestyle of begging, and there are people who in fact live in beautiful homes, who go out begging for a lark, to see how many people they can trick into giving them money.

What I do is I give my money to agencies like the Drop In Centre, the Mustard Seed, and Inn from the Cold, and I let their expertly trained personnel sort them all out and get them the help that they need, whether it’s just supper and a bed for tonight, or more long-term help, or just tell them to go on along home and quit bothering the people.

 

[jmcrae]

Personally I believe we have to look at the homeless and poor asking for a hand-out of change without judgment. Something I’m sure the late Mother Theresa of Calcutta would have us do.

Blessed Teresa never gave hand-outs - she gave medical care, education, and job training. She started up an Order of Sisters who run a help agency, called the Sisters of Charity.

If you truly want to help the homeless, give something to the good Sisters - they make a whole world of difference.

 

[Victorious]

Give them a Sacred Heart badge with a dollar bill wrapped around it.

 

[Brendan]

Give them a Sacred Heart badge with a dollar bill wrapped around it.

No, give them a Sacred Heart badge with the address of a good, faithful, local Catholic assistance group. Give that dollar to the group. Give a few more dollars to that group. Then sign up to help at that group.

That’s the Catholic way

 

[Victorious]

No, give them a Sacred Heart badge with the address of a local Catholic assistance agency. Give that dollar to the agency. Give a few more dollars to that agency. Then sign up to help at that agency.

You put the dollar around the badge so they don’t just throw away the badge.

 

[centurionguard]

Blessed Teresa never gave hand-outs - she gave medical care, education, and job training. She started up an Order of Sisters who run a help agency, called the Sisters of Charity.

If you truly want to help the homeless, give something to the good Sisters - they make a whole world of difference.

Blessed Teresa never gave hand-outs - she gave medical care, education, and job training. She started up an Order of Sisters who run a help agency, called the Sisters of Charity.

So she never gave hand-outs in your opinion. Just a quibble of words on your part don’t you think? You knew exactly what I was driving at in what I said in my post.

So you believe nobody shouldn’t give the poor change from their pockets if that is all they can give at the present time? Come on now. Tell me how many Catholics or people on the street who see the poor begging in the streets have the resources within their direct means to nurse-maid and direct a poor person to an educational institution or job training at that given moment? Who is going to house these poor people and feed them in the mean time until they can have access to these services. It’s one hell of an undertaking and responsibility that your immediately proposing. As for medical attention…most poor people know how to find a hospital or hopefully find a Samaritan who would be willing to drive them there. Who ever said Social Welfare Services offered all these poor people in the street these kind of services? Not every Catholic Diocese can afford to set up a mission and offer help to such people. The demand is immense and far bigger than you or I will ever probably ever know.

It’s easy to dispose problems of the poor in a comfortable nutshell thinking all will be just right and wish it away so it won’t affect someones conscious.

Take a weeks travel into any cities multiple soup kitchens and look at the droves of poor people on the street seeking probably the only meal they will eat during that day.

I despise people who judge poor people and say its their fault they got themselves in the mess their in. I’m a welfare bum who is terminally ill. I can do very little for myself.
Thankfully; I have a beloved mother who is also terminally ill who is kindly helping me while I live on a measly $300.00 a month welfare cheque. Try living in those shoes.

Peace
Chris

 

[josephdaniel29]

how do you respond to people who think the homeless need to “just get a job”
or the poor holding signs out on the street for money are just there because “they put themselves there”, etc.?

Well with a few exceptions they did put themselves there. The sooner a person understands that the sooner they can get themselves out of the position they are in.

Yours in Christ
Joe