Homelessness

[banksy]

I was just wondering if any members had been unfortunate enough to be homeless at any stage in their lives?

It seems to me that not all homeless people are there through their own fault.True some have drug and /or alcohol addictions,but others have been lost in the system suffering horrendous mental health problems.
I come into contact with people who rely on hand outs from so called soup kitchens across this City.Some may have suffered a major trauma such as bereavement etc,and began to suffer mentally.Others have no family to rely on,some choose to have nothing to do with them.
There are many reasons why people end up on the streets,and if you take the time to talk to these people,you may just scratch beneath the surface of how they ended up in their predicament.
Of course then there are the obvious drug and alcohol addictions that we see on our streets in most towns and cities every day.Some don't want help..some do. The ones that do generally have to wait a long time to get help from a proffesional,such as re-hab,but they can see a GP,if they are registered with one,most aren't.
So they may be lucky enough to get into a hostel wher there are limited places,get a roof over their head,and a good meal.
They will have to pay rent out of their benefit(as most but not all are unemployed) and with what's left learn to manage their finances,and not spend it on substances,as a lot do.
There is a way out but it's a long road back from homelessness,but given a little guidance,people can learn to help themselves,and improve their lives.Getting off our dangerous streets is a starting point,the rest is up to the individual.
Maybe next time you begin to stereotype these people(as i have done in the past) stop and have a chat,some will be out forn what they can get,but others are good ,genuine people who may have lost their home due to a divorce,repossesion etc.It's good to talk and you will be able to weed out the genuine ones using your own judgement.
I'd like to wish all members a happy and prosperous New Year ...take care.

[Spiderman]

Many years ago there was a guy who used to sit outside the Ridings shopping centre in Wakefield with his dog, I dropped a couple of quid in his tin, he didn't even look up or acknowledge me.
A colleague who was with me at the time laughed at my so called stupidity, I rebuked him & said "Hopefully you'll never find yourself in that position"
"What position?" He answered laughing, he then went on to tell me that the guy's parents lived in a £2m mansion & he had walked out in a strop when he was told to get a job & stop sponging, he allegedly returned to his parents a couple of times a week for food.

[Deleted User 728]

I came out of a club one night and it was about 2am, I guess. I'd had a skinful and was walking back to my house with some mates and as the bar was in a less than salubrious part of town, we had to walk through a couple of subways and one of those car parks within a large roundabout/junction type place - we used to call it "Six Dials".
It was pretty close to the red light district and just up from St.Mary's, so we're talking working class here ...
Anyway .. there was a tramp outside the club and as I was in a good mood and quite flush for some reason, I gave the fella a fiver and went on my very merry way.

Fast forward about three or four years and I was walking through town with a girlfriend and again I was in a good mood and I saw a tramp and started fishing in my pocket for some change. This doesn't happen very often as I tend to think a lot of "homeless" should just shape up so don't think I do this all the time because I don't. I've heard too many stories about how much money they really have and what they "earn" in a day, plus most of 'em don't look homeless these days, but this was a proper, genuine, string-for-a-belt and bird-plop-in-the-beard tramp.
Before I could give him anything he was shaking my hand and saying he wouldn't take a penny ... bemused I asked him why and he said "You don't remember me because you'd 'ad a few, but I remember you .. outside Aggie Gray's - you gave me a fiver !"

I'd totally forgotten about it ...

My girlfriend was really impressed, the fella was genuinely touched and I had the best feeling in the world.

For a bona fide hobo that money would have meant something, especially as it was over twenty years ago now, but it couldn't have meant more to him than it did to me for him remembering and making my day all those years later ...

[johnh]

You have to be careful when donating. There was an article in a national paper this year about a guy in London who lived in a luxurious flat and was earning £300 per day begging in London. A few years ago I made a decision only to donate to local charities. I won't have anything to do with the 'professional' charities who have slick marketing and Chief Execs who earn £120k per year. For example, I used to issue and collect envelopes for a big charity, then, when I had my knee replaced I couldn't do it. When I told the charity on the phone, the guy at the other end asked me for a £25 donation! I work on the basis that local charities know their area and can make sure that a high proportion of your donation goes to a deserving cause. My parents were parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes Church on Cardigan Road, Leeds for over 40 years. This church provides meals for the homeless on Friday and Sunday evenings (see their website) and this is a good example of a local charity doing good, and knowing that a high proportion (probably 100%) of your donation goes where it is needed.

[Spiderman]

I remember when I had a Saturday job on Leeds market, Barnsley Bob used to come by selling pens or old Moores Almanac.
When he died it was discovered that he had a mansion & wads of cash that he never touched, I believe he was an ex World war 2 pilot.