giving to homeless

littlecorazon

Cities seem to attract homelessness (I visited LA 6 times in my entire life becuase I hated how dirty it was). I just watched a documentary on Portland's homeless and I do not feel one bit sad for them.

I hate to judge their circumstances because I have never met a homeless person to comprenhend how they got that way BUT...a lot of the homeless in Eugene or Portland seem to be very young and strong enough to work. I think they are just lazy - the documentary showed this 20 yr old stating she made more money asking people than when she worked at McDonalds.

When we moved here we gave the homeless lots of clothes and shoes because I felt bad thinking unemployment was bad here BUT that's it.

OregonGetaways

Before you decide to stay on your judgemental high horse, consider that a majority of homeless are mentally ill. Yes, there are a fair number of homeless people who do not want to live within the confines of society but before you apply that judgement to all of them, consider whether they might be mentally ill. Most are.

 
Oregon (same with California & Washington) has fairly moderate weather in comparison to many other states so we end up with more than our fair share of homeless. Imagine being a homeless mentally ill person in Arizona's summer heat or Michigan's bitter, winter cold.

 It's generally not prudent to give $ to the homeless, regardless of mental health issues but there are many ways you can help them. Donate goods, cash and volunteer at organizations like Outside In, DePaul Treatment Center and various family shelters.
 

littlecorazon

thanks for shedding some light.. i did not even think that some could have disabilities so i do appreacite you opening my eyes.

I like the idea of volunteering somewhere to help out instead of complaining about them.

PDX

Just wanted to add that a significant number of our homeless also fall into the 'dual diagnosis' category where they are battling both mental illnesses and addictions.

Blue.fox

I give when I can, which is often. Also, if you're squeamish about handing strangers $ (This can be dangerous) check out America's Second harvest. I give monthly to this org-they turn a little bit of $ into a lot of food that would have otherwise gone to waste.

 And just some 'food' for thought: You get back from the Universe what you put into it. Maybe consider your Karma before you pass judgement...I'm happy that your path has been so blessed that you've never known homelessness. I wish this for everyone.

 

 

Blue.fox

Oh, what was the documentary? I love documentaries!

mthoodbride

If you want a true picture of the homeless situation in Portland, read "Voices from the Street," published in 2007. I guarantee that it will open your eyes. They sell it at Powell's Books and you can get it on amazon.com too.

Also, check out www.sistersoftheroad.org an organization here that helps the homeless through working at their cafe.

Homelessness is a situation, not a permanent condition. And while mental illness and drug/alcohol addiction are indeed a part of the homeless population -- not all of the homeless experience it. Oftentimes these ills are a symptom of the tragedy of being on the street, not the cause.

littlecorazon

Thanks for the input ladies. 

 The documentary was:

MSNBC DOCUMENTARY THE RUNAWAYS PORTLAND HOMELESS KIDS
29 year-old BNN Producer Paul Schwartzreich spent 3 weeks living daily life with a group of Portland street kids and videoing the experience every step of the way.  What he found was a long way from the stereotype. Some kids run from abusive families, but some runaways have made a conscious choice to live on the street. They're smart and self-aware and understand how to manage and manipulate every aspect of authority - from social services to their own parents. They've opted out of everything, and now find themselves unable to go home. The shocking thing is that heroin is often an antidote to boredom. . .it's not as much escaping as trying to fill days that are without meaning". "The Runaways" is a groundbreaking program. We've dug deeper, and shot longer, immersing viewers in the story. The result - a brand new perspective that challenges the conventional wisdom and takes our viewers deep inside a world they've heard about but can now see through the eyes of the kids who live it every day." Schwartzreich shot over 100 hours of extraordinary footage to show the lives of his characters for this hour-long primetime documentary.

littlecorazon

sorry I forgot to post a link where you can read more about it:

http://www.cameraplanet.com/divphps/feature_display.php?f_id=40&d_id=6

LisiLynn

Okay, so I have to chime in here. My neice was one of the children described above. She ran away from home because her parents were making her go to school! I know, I know what mean parents! Anyway, she thought it was "fun" to live on the streets for the most part and she gained an unrealistic sense of independence. She realized she can stay alive w/ out the help of Mom and Dad, but as stated above your life will be w/ out meaning. She knows tons of homeless teens who are homeless by choice. Many have come from bad situations but don't want to accept resources like foster care and would rather do what they want w/ no authority. Its so sad. These are the homeless I refuse to give money too.