| Blogs > starwomyn > un·a·pol·o·get·ically STAR!!! |
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so much opulence yet so much poverty - So lets buy lunch! I used to encounter panhandlers when I lived in Ventura County, California. I had a homeless food stamp caseload and volunteered at a homeless winter shelter. There are some who would sell the food stamps in exchange for alcohol and drugs and eat at the soup kitchens. Afterwards, they would come into the office crying, "I'm hungry and the food stamps got lost in the river bottom flood." They could also make extra money collecting cans for recycling and at working for a day labor company. This was thier life and many were content with it. I can respect someone's choice to live that way but it doesn't mean I have to enable it. There is a fine line between giving someone a hand up or a continuous, never-ending hand-out. There are not so many panhandlers in my West Virginia community. The river bottoms actually have water in them and it's way too cold to sleep out in the winter. There are some who live out in the woods and live off the land. It was a surprise when I am encountered by so many panhandlers in Washington D.C. There are people sleeping on sidewalks and park benches. There is so much opulence yet so much poverty. Last year, a friend and I traveled to D.C. separately with plans to meet and travel home together. I was at the Union Station food court while she was at the Judicial Square food court. A young man asked me to buy him lunch. He even knew exactly what he wanted. No matter what his circumstances are, he is a human being who needs food. I purchased his lunch and did a quick prayer for him. I took the train to Judicial Square to meet my friend. She mentioned that she bought lunch for a man who asked her to do so. It's funny how we were on the same wave length.  Abracadabra  |
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There is this fine line of judging rather I am being suckered into enabling or actually being helpful. I am not sure either way. Abracadabra
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I was wondering if you could do a Door-dash order for me... Double Whopper, no cheese, Vanilla milkshake and fries, 36 pak of Coors Lite, and a 2019 GMC Canyon with a Diesel. Thanks Star!
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It seems the homeless camps in our river valley in Edmonton are a fire hazard.
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I am not aware of any homeless camps in our area, but there are homeless shelters and food kitchens to help them. One thing I have noticed, is the increased number of people standing on certain busy corners with signs asking for help, but they do not approach the cars unless someone calls them over. Be a prism, spreading God's light and love, not a mirror reflecting the world's hatred.
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problem is, help these people and more come. I saw homeless in DC many years ago and here in CA too. But now, there are homeless camps. Not only a fire hazard they are 'digging-in' on the Levees around Sac which is asking for disaster. Here in 'our town' they steal suitcases and peoples garbage bags and strew the mess everywhere, everywhere except walled communities BTW. Many years ago I saw 'homeless' in Cairo camped against the wall of the local Novotel. There is a huge vacuum for free stuff. You People who own property or your own house should think about these things in regard to our Southern border, and Politicians giving away the store. Was said in the 60's "tax the rich, feed the poor, till there are no rich no more" . And realize most of 'us' by comparison are rich. There are traditional ways to help disadvantaged peoples, and then there are the bleeding heart progressive ways using other peoples money
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I think the high cost of a place to live is the first problem. But you can't just keep building low income housing forever, on the other hand it seems every new house is fancy, and rents are stupid expensive here in CA anyway
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Granted with today's technology its about as easy to go a little fancy as plain. Efficiency seems to be the best quality built in. I watched Mexicans with coffee cans on a bet for nail bags building 2 story townhouse crakerbox duplexes starting well north of $300K, wonder who is raking in all that money (well besides the city first of all). Even newer houses aren't holding up real well it seems. So round and round it goes....
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'...on a belt...' i meant
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If you want to contribute to a panhandler, watch them awhile first for their shift change routine. Including their kiddos and puppies and pimps
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I think the high cost of a place to live is the first problem. But you can't just keep building low income housing forever, on the other hand it seems every new house is fancy, and rents are stupid expensive here in CA anyway Years ago, a coworker moved to CA and only lived there for about a year. I don't remember why they moved, but they came back to this area because the housing costs were almost triple there. A home big enough for their family was around a thousand dollars a month, whereas here it was just three to four hundred. Right now, my grandson and his wife pay over a thousand dollars a month for a one bedroom apartment in CA. The same here would be around four hundred. And the reasoning surely isn't the wages because they are similar. Maybe that is why we don't have as many homeless here? Be a prism, spreading God's light and love, not a mirror reflecting the world's hatred.
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