I Should Have Done More

[Animate]

You did the right thing, and enough.

 

It does sort of depend where one lives, though. Here, homeless people are not that visible, so it is easy to be generous every time. In other places, like San Diego with scores of street people, one must have to to be so hard and cold just to get by every day.

 

Ironically, it is a bit of luxury to not be jaded and to still feel for people that ask for help on the street - does that make any sense?

[GeddysMullet]

I've never had a bad experience with offering someone food. When I was spending a lot of time in New York City, I used to carry extra snacks with me so that I could offer them if I was asked for food. I never had anyone refuse or be rude.

 

I once gave money to a rather jolly homeless man with nice smile, a begging cup and a great tenor voice who sang some old jazz song to me. I know he was probably collecting money for booze or drugs but I figured he'd earnt it.

[JohnnyBlaze]

QUOTE (ReGorLaTroy @ Sep 30 2012, 06:54 AM)

QUOTE (JohnnyBlaze @ Sep 29 2012, 05:45 AM) I used to work in a rather large mental health facility where all the residents/clients had been previously homeless. I'm 100% sure that NONE of them wanted to be homeless. How do I know? Well, because all of them stayed at the facility for as long as they possibly could [there were some politics behind how long they could stay]. Anyway, since the facility didn't have any lockdown rules (for longer-term residents anyway) they could've walked out and been homeless again if they wanted...but they NEVER did. And I'll never believe that most of those that are homeless want to be. Sure, there must be some that actually want to be homeless but that percentage must be rather low. I don't know...people will f**k you over in any walk of life. But that shouldn't stop you from trying to do some good. And I think the op did some good (even if he thinks he could've done more). I've been there...   ...as the cool fall days come along each year and the nights start getting colder I am reminded just how fortunate and blessed I am.   A pastor let me sleep in the last pew of the church at night as long as I was out by morning before anyone got there in the morning.   I guess that is why this thread hit home. I'm glad someone out there helped you out. And yeah, this thread is a sensitive topic for me too. Homelessness will probably NEVER be solved completely but ignoring or shutting out the world can't be the right thing to do.

[The Cat 3]

QUOTE (JohnnyBlaze @ Oct 2 2012, 08:07 AM)

QUOTE (ReGorLaTroy @ Sep 30 2012, 06:54 AM) QUOTE (JohnnyBlaze @ Sep 29 2012, 05:45 AM) I used to work in a rather large mental health facility where all the residents/clients had been previously homeless. I'm 100% sure that NONE of them wanted to be homeless. How do I know? Well, because all of them stayed at the facility for as long as they possibly could [there were some politics behind how long they could stay]. Anyway, since the facility didn't have any lockdown rules (for longer-term residents anyway) they could've walked out and been homeless again if they wanted...but they NEVER did. And I'll never believe that most of those that are homeless want to be. Sure, there must be some that actually want to be homeless but that percentage must be rather low. I don't know...people will f**k you over in any walk of life. But that shouldn't stop you from trying to do some good. And I think the op did some good (even if he thinks he could've done more). I've been there...   ...as the cool fall days come along each year and the nights start getting colder I am reminded just how fortunate and blessed I am.   A pastor let me sleep in the last pew of the church at night as long as I was out by morning before anyone got there in the morning.   I guess that is why this thread hit home. I'm glad someone out there helped you out. And yeah, this thread is a sensitive topic for me too. Homelessness will probably NEVER be solved completely but ignoring or shutting out the world can't be the right thing to do. Thanks Johnny...   ...I am blessed wa-a-a-a-ay beyond what I deserve, that much is certain.