My heart is broken whenever I see homeless people (Oakland: camp, living)

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

How about you do something about it and help out. Oh right, that actually requires effort and time.

I guess its back to typing on an internet forum while I pat myself on the back. That will change the lives of homeless. Food... Water... homeless dont need that -signed tulemut

Dude, you’ve been reading my posts for years ... are you telling me you haven’t read my background with the homeless? Over 30 years, as a military retired war veteran who has been luckier than many others in life, I have been assisting veterans, and some non-vets, with evictions, housing, benefits acquisitions, health/treatment referrals and enrollments, suicide and substance abuse counseling. I have literally gone into the woods, on my own dime for expenses, to bring out homeless vets, take them to VA hospitals and facilities for appointments, enrollments, treatments ... helped them through the halls, holding them up, wheeling their chairs, sitting with them during exams, putting them up in motel rooms, staying overnight with them sometimes, going to their funerals ... I belong to a veteran’s organization that runs a couple houses that provide rooms to homeless vets in treatment programs. I make inspections and repairs on those properties. I have taken vets in on temporary stays. I have bought a couple cars so they can get to work. Just bought one a wreck of a little cottage house on a rent-to-own basis this past year, because he’s an excellent carpenter / remodeler who is suicidally depressed with PTSD but I am sure this will give him reason to live along with the dog I bought him (and so far he is making the rent, fixing the place up, got a full-time job, quit smoking, cut his drinking down to couple beers after work level, and crazy in love with his dog).

So you can stuff your snotty accusations, kid.

[CorporateCowboy]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

Where have you volunteered? How many times have you bought food? Water? Groceries?

You can put your monetary score card away. I have no need to divulge the amount I've donated to the homeless/mentally ill/ZSFG, because it doesn't mean anything in this forum (and it's juvenile of you to even ask/brag you have given more). The solution is bigger than buying a bottle of water or some groceries, obviously; but as a result of your comment (and your previous posts), it's clear to me you have no genuine interest in contributing to a solution/alleviating the problem monetarily (or any other way) - in SF or elsewhere.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by CorporateCowboy

You can put your monetary score card away. I have no need to divulge the amount I've donated to the homeless/mentally ill/ZSFG, because it doesn't mean anything in this forum (and it's juvenile of you to even ask/brag you have given more). The solution is bigger than buying a bottle of water or some groceries, obviously; but as a result of your comment (and your previous posts), it's clear to me you have no genuine interest in contributing to a solution/alleviating the problem monetarily (or any other way) - in SF or elsewhere.

Exactly so. And what I also said that apparently triggered bmw’s comment.

Though I have personally invested a lot of time and money assisting veterans, including homeless vets, I do not expect others to do similar. I have done what I have out of a continuation of service in which men and women lived and worked together under duress and necessarily relied on each other for each others’ lives. Outside of that path, in fact, I generally suggest most people not ‘take strangers in’ and do be cautious about much personal contact that involves giving cash or much of value where there is any potential to be surveyed as to name, home address, work address, etc., by people living in desperate conditions. Conversation is fine. It’s good. A fiver or sandwich, fine. Blankets, socks, etc. are all good as part of some group outreach. But individual outreach of any depth calls for knowledge and experience.

This is obviously no game. It is a disease of our society and culture. Individuals cannot be expected to solve cultural problems of this magnitude. These comments we frequently read challenging individuals to take the street people into their homes if they care so much ... are just shallow nonsense.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by CorporateCowboy

You can put your monetary score card away. I have no need to divulge the amount I've donated to the homeless/mentally ill/ZSFG, because it doesn't mean anything in this forum (and it's juvenile of you to even ask/brag you have given more). The solution is bigger than buying a bottle of water or some groceries, obviously; but as a result of your comment (and your previous posts), it's clear to me you have no genuine interest in contributing to a solution/alleviating the problem monetarily (or any other way) - in SF or elsewhere.

Right you do nothing personally besides point your finger at others and society.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

Right you do nothing personally besides point your finger at others and society.

It’s not a personal issue and it’s not a personal competition. Our entire culture is breeding this illness. You don’t cure that with scorecard gestures.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

It’s not a personal issue and it’s not a personal competition. Our entire culture is breeding this illness. You don’t cure that with scorecard gestures.

That's like saying individuals recycling and cleaning up their garbage makes no difference in terms of the environment. It's always easier to blame someone else or tell someone else to change.

[DonaldJTrump]

i dont give anything to homeless...not even a penny

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by TashaPosh

I can help........or feel empathy......without inviting any stranger into my home. I feel empathy for stray kittens too.....I don’t have to house them all to *be no different than a jaded person*.....

Feelings... everyone has them.

Putting your feelings into action is the hard part... although some truly do... as my remarkable high school teacher who truly walked the walked... he was a regular at Saint Anthony's Dining Room in SF... one Thanksgiving he was serving as he always did... donating 20 hours per week.

One of the diners step in ahead of all the others and my teacher gave him a small portion saying he could come back for more... the person did not like that and demanded more and when he did not get it took the tray and smacked it across teachers face requiring 30 stitches and it looked horrific for a very long time and scars to this day... the edge of the tray violently acted like a blade slicing his face.

Sure enough... the next weekend he was back serving just as he has always done... a very rare man indeed and practice.

There are people down on their luck and those that just need a hand up... there are also plenty that game the system...

Local SF TV station did undercover reporting on pan handling that found some Homeless actually owned homes and one woman owned a late model Mercedes... pan handling was just how she paid the bills... when questioned she said it makes people feel good to help and giving makes them feel good so no harm.

I think one profession with many jaded is law enforcement... know many that started idealistic but reality does set in...

[CorporateCowboy]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

Individuals cannot be expected to solve cultural problems of this magnitude. These comments we frequently read challenging individuals to take the street people into their homes if they care so much ... are just shallow nonsense.

I agree, but we shouldn't use this as an excuse to distance ourselves from it either - or make it larger than life i.e. 'nothing we can do'. Everyone can contribute - it begins with a sense of empathy/responsibility to do something. Additionally, there is a difference between those who find themselves temporarily without shelter vs. chronic homelessness; people have a difficult time differentiating between the two (and the role mental illness/addiction plays in the latter).

[Ultrarunner]

It is the scammers I detest...

I was working landscape and woman with a dog/shoppingcart approaches asking if I like dogs and I said yes... she then explains they are homeless and her dog has not had anything to eat and she needs money for dog food.

I said wait here... I can help and walked to my truck and pulled out 5lb of dog food and handed it to her... (I had bought the dog food for my neighbor and would buy another on the way home)

The woman looks at me and refuses... I told her I was giving it to her and her dog would have food for at least a week... her reply floored me... she said she didn't want it... her dog only eats special food that costs $20... and there you go... on my way to being jaded at 19.

I have many similar and for years I could not step out of my service truck without being approached... remember one from my OPD ride along... he had a rap sheet which I mentioned to him... and that was the end of it... he changed the way he spoke and started cussing as he walked away.

A lot of people use to say they had car trouble and needed a tow... I said I have AAA and can help?... not a single person ever took me up on it... not once and I was sincere.

At work having to clean up human feces and trash each morning has also made me jaded... there are plenty of trash urns serviced daily yet it is more fun to smash liquor bottles than place in the urn...

Hot water hose, Pine-sol and scrub broom the doorways at 4:30 am each morning can't help but change a person... yet I continue to help those in need.