Homeless people

[Gracie]

My family and me went for a walk along the sea front yesterday and there was a homeless man huddled in one of the sea front shelters, he looked cold and hungry so will all dug deep and gave him a tenner. We had a coffee in a cafe about an hour later we walked back and the man had got himself two bottles of wine and was drinking away. I didn't know whether to feel more sorry for him or be angry, of course we would have felt better if he had gone and got himself a hot meal.

 

I suppose what I'm trying to say is we felt we didn't do him any favours if he has a drink problem, still didn't stop my friend and me making cheese sandwiches and taking them to him by which time he was merrily drunk.

 

I know there are thousands of homeless people and to be honest we never give them a thought most of the time, I find it heart breaking at the thought of people on the streets over Christmas, apart from helping various Charities what else can we do? The above won't stop me trying to help if I see anyone on the streets again. Just hope his hangover was worth it

 

Grace

[Poppy]

The advice is never to give money. Food, hot drink etc, but not money. You must be ready for abuse - since what they want is money - for booze or drugs, but that's really the last thing they need.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-25749158

[Poppy]

Another good piece here

http://www.eastlondonlines.co.uk/2014/03/spare-a-little-change-should-we-give-money-to-the-homeless/

[Baitrunner]

There has been written about the socio-economics as to how people get like this and how do you turn it round so not going to go there on this post.

 

How to help...A friend of mine cooks once a month at a homeless shelter and last year he did the Christmas dinner for their "guests" . A lot of the food they cook they buy themselves (as in the volunteers) so I guess this is one way to help out. 

 

Writing this I feel sad that I haven't done anything similar myself yet.  

 

I am sure we will get lots of other suggestions as to best way to help.

[Gracie]

Thank you for the links Poppy, certainly opened my eyes, next time I will give food and not money, probably didn't do him any favours at all, live and learn

 

Grace

[MauriceMynah]

You know... the strangest thing happened to me yesterday! I was sitting in this bus shelter wondering about the world, when along came........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry Gracie, I couldn't resist...

[Mowjo]

Gracie! I had a similar thing happen a few years ago but I sat down with the guy and got talking to him, I asked why he spent the money I gave him on drink and he told me it block things out, I later learned he had lost his daughter in a fire and went to pieces, he lost his job because of it, it broke his marriage because neither could handle it and he ended up on the streets, every year up until we moved here I used to buy him a bottle of whiskey every Christmas and if I saw him in the street I'd always give him my loose change, I know there are a lot of fakes out there, but it taught me never to judge people, I never felt any guilt about giving him the money or drink it's what he needed to help deal with life, as they say "there but for the grace of God go I" I must admit though I only do that if I know they are regulars, I don't give to strangers,,

 

Frank,,,

[Hylander]

Look at it from another perspective Gracie.   He might not have been able to have a good old Christmas Drink and now he has, coupled with the fact that you took sarnies as well.  I reckon it is a Christmas he will not forget.      What really matters is you and your family cared.   Well done to you all.     God made us all different, so rather than feel bad because he bought a couple of bottles of wine, just think how you gave him some joy.

[Gracie]

Frank, your post made me weep, that poor, poor man and how very kind of you to look after him like you did. I am a bit of a soft touch to be honest, I know that if I ever come across a child/teen I think I would take them home with me as your post points out the reasons for some being on the streets is heart wrenching. How could anyone blame him for turning to drink after losing a child.

 

Hylander, a lovely post, I never thought of it like that, thank you

 

Grace

[ranworthbreeze]

Tan will always give a small donation to the Salvation Army if nothing else at this time of the year.
They provide many front line services for the less fortunate in life especially at this time of the year.

 

Regards

Alan

[BroadScot]

Hi Alan,

 

We called into the SA Citadel in Ayr the other day to hand in Baby tops and Bonnets that Ruth knitted. By all accounts she said it was very busy. I am pleased to hear also today, that the Foodbanks are well stocked to hand out items over the Christmas period.

 

Iain.

[Poppy]

Used to support the old Sally Ann, until they got involved with 'Work Fair'.

[brandenjg]

I think you did the right thing Gracie even if it was a different outcome than you'd predicted. This isn't an exact science but you tend to find the ones that ask for change will spend it on things to block their mind and the ones that dont ask spend it on food.

You must remember there is alot of help out there for the homeless nowadays so they aren't all as in need as they seem.

Offering help to someone is always commendable, but some people dont want the help or wont do anything to help themselves.

Branden

[watershed]

Well done,Gracie, you did(IMHO) the right thing. It can/could be any of us in that situation with the wrong circumstances in our lives.

Although I'd have bought rum not wine.

Happy Christmas to you all

[Mowjo]

We give to a few Charities, the main ones being the Air Ambulance because they saved Judi's brothers life and the RNLI, we also donate to a couple of Childrens hospital charities because before I met Jude she had a disabled child that sadly passed away, but lately there are two things really annoying me! the first is all these adverts on TV, they no longers ask for anything you can spare! it's all donate £10 a month, and as we found out they don't stop there once you start donating they will phone you up and ask if you can increase your donation, I'm sure this monthly donation puts a lot of people off of giving, the second one is we only give to UK based charities, because I feel we have been sending aid abroad for as long as I can remember and nothing seems to change and we have given billions in aid, what actually killed it for me was I used to do maintenance work in a lot of the Embassy's and their private property's, won't go into details as I'd have to kill you all!, but several of them are what we call Third World where we send all the money, when you see the Embassadors driving around in Rolls Royces and living in £5 million appartments in Park Lane, it makes me wonder where all this money we send ends up, but the thing that really gets me is when people including friends tell me I should give to these charities and try to put me on a guilt trip, Charity is just that! it's my choice and my money and I choose to donate to UK charities, I hate this guilt thing that all these TV adds and the street collectors try, perhaps they would do better showing us what and where the money actually goes, the ones I donate to I actually know the diffence it makes,, sorry for the rant but earlier I was accosted by a collector at Tesco's who was trying to get a monthly donation, when I said I sorry only donate to UK charities, he came back with it's Ok for you sitting there stuffing your face over Christmas while all these people are starving, plus all the usuall guilt stuff, it was lucky that Jude was with me or he may have ended up in the Bin next to him,,

 

Frank,,,,

[Baitrunner]

Quite controversial Frank, but I agree with a lot you have said here. 

 

Have a look at you next letter from the tax man to show you where all your tax has been spent, there is a small amount that goes to "overseas aid" already - whatever that is.

 

My Mum always used to say "charity begins at home" - but she was a soft touch and was always helping other people out.

 

Still, they don't seem to struggle buying guns, bullets and rocket launchers.

 

I still feel sorry for the kids growing up in those environments, but does money really help?