Story: Nuns in full habits and friars go into Skid Row giving free food and water

[joeybaggz]

You claimed: “the people raised $400,000. for him, and he spent it on drugs”

I think I said he spent it on drugs and a trailer. Maybe I should have said, a portion of it was spent…

The only source for that claim is D’Amico, one of the couple who spent the GoFundMe money they raised under false pretenses.

No, he admitted to spending it on drugs. He admits to a drug habit. You might want to read his side of the story.

Do try to control your contempt for the homeless.

Don’t have contempt for the homeless. For people who twist words in a post ……

 

[angel12]

Don’t have contempt for the homeless. For people who twist words in a post ……

You show it by what you say about them. There’s nothing to twist.

Muting this thread – I’ve seen enough falsehoods for one day.

 

[mrsdizzyd]

Muting this thread …

Excellent idea.

I cannot stand this kind of attitude toward the homeless. Compassion is what’s called for.

 

[joeybaggz]

I have said that with effort and a will to work, one can better their circumstances. I have said it takes effort to do that. I have never called the homeless lazy and I do recognize that it is difficult to change one’s poor circumstances. I have never talked about or castigated those with undiagnosed mental illnesses and as to those with drug habits, well, others have quit and gotten sober, so there really shouldn’t be any hand wringing sanctioning of those who can’t quit, probably because they don’t want to. Have portrayed an unfortunate situation with a homeless vet, honestly, yet the words are twisted to make it look I am judging the 'victim" of the scam. I am castigated for saying that with effort, those who undergo the trial of homelessness can, better their circumstance, albeit changes must be made. That has been interpreted as my having contempt for the homeless. I guess some posters have nothing but contempt for the idea that in America, one can pull oneself up out of dire circumstances. Or maybe as the old adage goes, " God helps those who help themselves."
As Chesterton once said, “tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions.” I think excess compassion might fit under that umbrella. I am of the conviction that as I’ve already said, one can better their life’s circumstances with work and will. Of course to some, that’s a falsehood.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

And I would imagine that here in the U.S. the problem of people not addicts, or chronically homeless is a growing concern.

I was stunned to be in DC in winter and see the homeless sleeping on top of the subway vents to try and stay warm.

Just because there is one job per person, does that mean it will pay enough for housing, and there is enough housing.
I believe you guys have a labour shortage in some parts because of the Mexican worker issue and employers now not able to pay real wages.

Years ago, a few decades back, homelessness was due to the causes you have stated. It’s not like that anymore. Look at homelessness due to that stock market crash, floods, hurricanes bushfires

 

[SeriousQuestion]

I’m no good at emoji charades. Let me try

 

[Gertabelle]

You are spot on with your assessment of what it takes to have even the slightest hope of ever getting off the streets.

An old friend of mine works in a homeless shelter that is run by the local Episcopalian church (just up the street from the Catholic homeless shelter). He’s a psychologist that works with those trying to overcome the traumas they’ve experienced that led to or as a result of their homelessness.

His shelter offers showers, mailboxes, bus tokens, job training, and they just opened a new building offering long-term housing (they’d only offered overnight before).

Those working with the homeless in Denver are really trying to help these men and women get off the streets. But it is waaaayyyy more than just telling them, “Hey, you could do this if you really wanted to.”

Denver is outrageously expensive these days. But if someone is already homeless, how are they supposed to move to a new city if they don’t have transportation, or money, or a job or housing waiting in that new city? If they’re going to just be moving from one homeless shelter system to another (in the new city), I can understand why they’d want to stay where they are, where they already know how the system works and can feel relatively confident that they won’t starve or freeze to death.

the majority of people who live on the streets are there by choice.

I don’t know where you came up with your statistic regarding the majority. Read it somewhere perhaps? Or do you think that having once not had a place of your own, and staying with friends, means you know all about it?

The fact that you had friends who lent you a place to stay puts you in a category of homeless that is different from those living on the streets. Still, you were homeless for a time.

Volunteer at a shelter. Get to know the people there as real people – and share the hope of your story with them, and listen to the pains that brought them where they are, and what they think is insurmountable and is keeping them where they are. You could make such a difference by being a beacon of hope!