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Originally Posted by jane032657
Interesting topic. I am presently volunteering as an Executive Director (my profession) to help open a shelter for the homeless in Daytona/Volusia County where we live part of the year. The word homeless describes a state of being, not a person. The people who are homeless cannot be categorized under one umbrella. Certainly there are some who are fully functional but for whatever reason, prefer this life. However, there are so many people who are not as together as the rest of us. Addictions, Mental Health, Veterans with PTSD and other issues which changed their lives, those who lost their home or their jobs, those disenfranchised for so many sad reasons. Opportunity to get clean, or sober, or cleaned up and have some health care; to have some help getting into housing and job training, and life skill training, sometimes a hand up, sometimes unification with family. One day, take someone to coffee and buy them a meal and hear their story. It is so easy to judge until you get to the heart of the person. Not everyone who is homeless is just wanting to have a sign and a quarter given. People are people, everyone is different. And so many people are a paycheck away from finding themselves destitute. Consider your blessings a gift for your good fortune in life, and offer some hope to someone, even if it is just some kind words. You do not know what a difference you make to someone when you just listen and give a smile and some hope.
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First and foremost thank you for helping. At one time, I was working with spanish speaking in PA who either lived on the streets or close to it, and since in Florida have spent some time on the streets of Tampa, ALTHOUGH in no way close to the dedication you are giving.
I am of the opinion that it is part of our ever growing mental health crisis in this country, and to those who simply are posting here to JUDGE and LECTURE, I pray to God that you or yours are never in such a state as some of these folks.
God bless anyone who helps another human being as we are all God's creatures and thus deserve more than "get a job" or such emotions.
YES, lots of "con artists" playing us and use this situation, but we are, and have been in the past,
but the rich, banks, etc also "play" us
but they dress nice and will never fail in our society.
Keep up your good work because the divide between rich and poor continues to widen and the number at the bottom just grows.
Somehow these people are thought of as worse than rich and powerful who take advantage, and we make that judgement with zero knowledge or how they got where they are.
Again, God bless you