Good for you! So much better to go out and be a positive influence for people whose lives have crashed and burned, than to sit back and assume the government will take care of them. It wont.
I think the biggest problem for these folks is government. Socialist promises are seldom met and when people are mightily taxed for government services to take care of the less fortunate they feel that they've already done their part and are hard-pressed to do more. But most government funds go toward administration costs and very little aid is available to those who actually need it. If government downsized and stopped taxation for social programs (or programmes in your case) the folks would know that the unfortunate were on their own and would be more likely to do the sort of charity that church groups and concerned individuals like yourself have historically done. The homeless would be far better off under circumstances like that. Government is a thief: organized crime.
I have been homeless and so understand much of the problem. I was never a drug addict or alcoholic and so was able to take care of myself and find food, shelter and clothing when I had to. Thank God for charitable people like you, however. I believe that most folks are kind and giving if left to their own devices.
If you do this again, realize that most thrift stores will give cold-weather gear to homeless people if they simply ask. No need for you to buy clothing and distribute it, though some folks are so addled by their situation that they are unable or unwilling to fend for themselves. Food and drink is always appreciated, though.
Thank you for your support.
Sorry for the late reply. Been addicted to discord lately :)
You are bang on but not surprising if you have been through this. The gov are nothing but pirates who make money and half-hearted promises. Most homeless have so many mental issue that they also need attention along with accommodation. But if they accept the help and then relapse, they go back to the bottom of the board. A lot of the guys I spoke to said that they do not like to use the mainstream services because it surrounds them with drugs/alcohol. Its' a horrible assumption to make but there seems to be the type of homeless who couldn't care less and then those who really need help but a too messed up to access it. Misplaced help that looks good on the surface but does nothing but generate profit. The charity shops have strict instructions to only hand out a phone number so the "homeless person" can be seen to and guided to a shelter. They wouldn't even reduce the prices for me. I was shocked to be honest. What's worse is that when I saw Ben, who I mentioned in the article, he told me someone had phoned this group to come out and see him. That was at 14:00 and when I saw him at 18:00, nobody had come. It is completely down to us now. Thanks for that cracking comment. Appreciate the feedback.
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I'm shocked by this but not surprised. The government tends to do everything it can to interfere with charity that doesn't flow through their coffers.
I was also involved in a firestorm disaster in California where my house burned down along with 1200 others (why I was homeless) and for 3 days there was no government intervention. The local Buddhist were handing out cash, the churches and the Red Cross was handing out bottles of water and the local stadium filled up with donated goods from the public. When the government did finally did enter the fray, their first act was to put a stop to most of the charity from the public sector. While the charitable organizations were freely handing out commodities and money, to receive anything from the government you had to provide identity documents and proof that you had been paying your taxes.
Central government is corrupt, divisive and parasitic. We'd be far better off without it.
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So true buddy we are 100% improved without the gov. We have evolved and the system is straining to hold us back. Shame they have all the guns... Man that is fucking awful how they treated you. They love leaving you guys in the mire, when a natural disaster hits. Sounds like you already have the community around you and they just spoil it. But we both know that. Mad world my friend and lets hope steemit clears a path :)
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The funny thing about people being left to their own devices is that during a normal day, they will be rude, cut in front of you in traffic, cheat you, ignore you, be condescending, but when disaster strikes, those same people suddenly become giving and caring and not because it's the right thing to do but because it's in their nature. People are a strange animal. Keep up your good work.
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We certainly are, buddy. Maybe we will get it right one day...
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