My heart is broken whenever I see homeless people (tax, food)

[jencam]

Originally Posted by CorporateCowboy

It's best to assist the various programs/charities/locations throughout the City in this endeavor, particularly if you want to help on a larger scale (rather than randomly 'passing out turkey dinners'). There are many potential issues in re: food sharing/distribution.

That said, 'throwing it in the trash' is unlikely (and an odd thing to mention when discussing feeding the homeless/mentally ill on Thanksgiving).

Happy Thanksgiving.

Some don't want the food and will put it in the trash. All I was suggesting is ASK if they would like to have it instead of just handing it to them. I'm not an expert on drugs, but my understanding is when high they've o interest in food until they come down.

[TashaPosh]

Originally Posted by jencam

Some don't want the food and will put it in the trash. All I was suggesting is ASK if they would like to have it instead of just handing it to them. I'm not an expert on drugs, but my understanding is when high they've o interest in food until they come down.

Don’t pass out food to people that are high IMO or on the streets.......volunteer in a soup kitchen or give money to the homeless shelters or food pantries......

[Huckleberry3911948]

You have been given good advice start giving to them not money and you will quickly see through the illusion

[TashaPosh]

Originally Posted by Huckleberry3911948

You have been given good advice start giving to them not money and you will quickly see through the illusion

There is no illusion tho....about the homeless needing help & food....even tho it takes Thanksgiving for some to see IMO.......

[jencam]

Originally Posted by TashaPosh

Don’t pass out food to people that are high IMO or on the streets.......volunteer in a soup kitchen or give money to the homeless shelters or food pantries......

OP wants to take it to them. I think that is great. IDK if everyone can get to those places. We have NO soup kitchens or any sort of place that hands out hot food. Only food pantries to get uncooked food. Police and Salvation Army here took food for TG to homes. IDK what was done or not done for homeless.

[TashaPosh]

Originally Posted by jencam

OP wants to take it to them. I think that is great. IDK if everyone can get to those places. We have NO soup kitchens or any sort of place that hands out hot food. Only food pantries to get uncooked food. Police and Salvation Army here took food for TG to homes. IDK what was done or not done for homeless.

It would be hard to lug food around on the streets in Sf.....& risky to approach people on the streets IMO......

You can volunteer or donate to the Sf Food Bank that has feed the homeless programs... but I like Raphael House...a family homeless shelter. I’m going to hostess a fundraiser......

[Ultrarunner]

I have friends and co-workers become motivated... they prepared food looking for those on the street... it never went well.

One year... a group at work said instead of a Christmas party for staff we should invite a woman's shelter in for an evening with dinner, gifts for kids and Santa... it was done very nice and coordinated with the shelter... employees were asked to buy and bring age appropriate gifts for the kids... and we had 100% participation.

It also did not go well... I had to ask Post-Op if the motivation was to feel good or to really help...

The event took place two consecutive years... even the true believers bowed out...

It is one thing to have an idealist vision and something else when vision meets reality...

It was a fight that broke out between two of the women and their kids that put an end to it... I am sure good was done but seeing grown women throwing punches was a wake up call... and these were all people screened and living in shelters with their kids.

Of course there are ways to help... some organizations do a very good job of putting donations to work and some welcome volunteers through structured programs... some are faith based and some not...

Very few truly walk the walk in every sense... I can honestly say in my entire experience only one would fit the bill... he has been beaten, robbed... given his last dollar and the shirt off his back... my High School Science Teacher and we are still in contact all these years later...

In down times he can be seen with a table and information about the evils of Nuclear War at the transit hub and subscribes to the belief of Gandhi in terms of Non-Violence... a rare individual indeed and not without personal problems as his wife is not always on the same page... when he gives away their food and invites total strangers to eat at the table...

[Matadora]

Originally Posted by Huckleberry3911948

You have been given good advice start giving to them not money and you will quickly see through the illusion

I read these comments recently in an article about the SF homeless issue and I think they make valid points.

It's no different than what happened when they started feeding the Bears in Yellowstone. Big beautiful animals stopped hunting and sat on their butts waiting for handouts. Eventually the Rangers realized the problem and eliminated all feeding. This is exactly the same. Stop the services and take away the homeless peoples belongings and they will slowly disperse. But progressive insanity prevents this. There is no other possible affordable workable solution.

I thought I was the only one that realized that...But, it is a business now-advocating for the homelessness. Make the homeless responsible for themselves and a whole heck of a lot of people will be out of a cushy job.

How much would it cost to build a prison for the homeless? In this prison they would be forced to receive help for drug addiction and mental disorders. AFTER discharge they are given some money, and a housing allowance, to get back on their feet. They would be monitored to make sure they were not slipping back.

They are simply not allowed to be homeless.

FCI Dublin is California minimum security prison that holds 1,300 inmates. Assume each homeless person spends 6 months there, that means 3,000 people can be removed from the streets each year. In three years, likely every single homeless person has been processed through, receiving 6 months mandatory treatment for drugs and mental illness. Those not processed likely move on to other cities. Cost would be around $20 million per year (that is DOUBLE the average prisoner cost per year for a low security prison). In 2016, total spending (including housing and treatment) was believed to be $241 million annually for San Francisco. So we have 10 times the money we need to make this work.

It sounds harsh, but it is how Rhode Island and Switzerland deal with the problem - they basically don't allow it. They arrest the homeless, which sufficiently strips them of rights and allows social workers to actually accomplish something with them.

It is logical and works. which is why it won't happen.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by Ceece

I feel bad too but not in a "i want to give them something" way. There are resources for them to get things so donate to those places if you want to help, then ask yourself why people are still begging on the streets....

What resources? I think that if you look into that you will find that those resources are few and far between. In Sacramento the only place that feeds the poor daily is near downtown but there are homeless all over the county. The only women's shelter has a waiting list of something like 140 days, last year a homeless woman in a wheelchair died waiting outside for a bed. Veteran's do ok for some reason people are trying to outdo each other providing services to Vets and that's great but there's virtually nothing being done for other homeless people.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

What resources? I think that if you look into that you will find that those resources are few and far between. In Sacramento the only place that feeds the poor daily is near downtown but there are homeless all over the county. The only women's shelter has a waiting list of something like 140 days, last year a homeless woman in a wheelchair died waiting outside for a bed. Veteran's do ok for some reason people are trying to outdo each other providing services to Vets and that's great but there's virtually nothing being done for other homeless people.

Yes. I focus mostly on vets because I am one and that’s how I was drawn in ... and my contacts on behalf of vets aren’t only for housing issues ... I get calls from time to time from vets who got my number from another vet, etc., and want some input on how to navigate the VA and military appeals system. Sometimes it includes housing / evictions. Sometimes not. But I have posted numerous times on these CD threads about the greater options for vets than non-vets. I see the cardboard “Homeless vet” signs everyday and know:
a.) most sign holders aren't veterans
b.) though there are a lot of homeless vets (but fewer than the signs), they can come in any time they want and get assistance. I understand the reasons why some of those don’t ... but they do have a better path if / when they choose to get off the street.