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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The homeless generally have one or all of the following:
mental illness/ alcoholism/ addiction/ prior felon (unable to get jobs)

Many don't want public services because of the screening.[/quote]

Your generalization of the homeless is very convenient.  Reducing them to one-dimensional caricatures thru disparaging labels takes away their humanity allowing you to be unapologetically apathetic to their individual experiences and challenges.  Good job  :thumbup: [/quote]

I'm the original poster here.  My  comment comes from someone who has served 23,000 lunches (self funded) once a week on the street to homeless who lined up for
lunch.  How many homeless have you personally fed, clothed or homed with your personal monies?

Generally the homeless also help each other, live in camps and have self appointed leaders.  Again, my comments came from someone who has actually served
23,000 lunches (self funded) to the unhomed.

How many homeless have you fed?  On your own monies?[/quote]

As my artisan childhood friend who fell into depression after the death of his mother and slowly spiraled into steadily worsening circumstances resulting in him being homeless would say, [i]"If you gonna draw my picture then use the whole damn box don't try and color me with just one crayon and think you've captured my essence." [/i]

So like I said, reducing the homeless to one-dimensional caricatures thru disparaging labels takes away their humanity and it doesn't matter how many lunches you've served or how many monies you've donated.
If you're offended because I had the audacity think you're a presumptuous pissant and didn't take into account the entirety of your individual life experiences how do you think the homeless people you conveniently simplify as drunks, addicts, and felons feel?  You think they'd be offended by your dismissal of their individual life experiences?[/quote]

New poster.

Immediate PP, since you dismiss as "presumptuous" the poster's regularly giving food to people who apparently wanted or needed that food: Please tell us how you personally have helped anyone. Did you interview people to ensure you understood all their "individual life experiences," as you put it yourself, before you handed them sandwiches or poured cups of coffee? Or do you prefer that no one hand out food because you see that as condescending? I get it. You think it's oversimplification to say that many homeless people have issues of addiction and/or issues with law enforcement; will you be less pissed if we add "mental health issues" too, since that's also true? Maybe you're actually focused on not labeling the homeless; fine. There's a point there. But you are coming across as blasting away at people who provide real, material help. Do you really picture the OP standing there saying, "Poor homeless person, you're an addict, have this banana!"

What do you propose, if feeding people is just too condescending to you? Or should individuals not do it? How about better support systems? Housing and health and employment and mental health programs? Sure. Will those be in place in time for tomorrow's breakfast? Maybe by dinnertime?

If you are out there doing something specific and ongoing like OP and her friend, please tell us what it is so we can try it too. If not, why not?[/quote]

Hello NP.  I said homeless people aren't one-dimensional caricatures and opined against negatively labeling them.  You and everyone else are the masterminds with all the answers so you don't need me, you're more than capable of determining what should/shouldn't be done with the homeless.  I'm just suggesting you show [i]them [/i]some respect as individuals in the process.  Take care.[/quote]

DP. So the answer is that you do nothing. Got it.[/quote]

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