I truely am the guy on the street. Dont get me wrong I own my own home. I work with the homeless. Those people that you see on the street holding the sign saying "Help me, cause I cant help myself."
Its probably not a good idea to give those folks money. Let me explain. Where I live, the homeless are not going hungry. Trust me they have numerous places they can go to eat, and people, like myself, that can give them access to shelter, clothing and mental health needs and substance abuse treatment.
I understand that giving them a dollar or two fills the need for compationate service but that money would be better spent donating it to one of the charitable organizations that serve this population.
Unfortuntatly a goodly number of these people are mentally ill and that is why they are on the street. They cant speak up for themselves, so they need people such as myself. I reach out to those that can not help themselves. When I engage people that dont trust anyone, I encounter the difficult task of creating a bond with people that live in fear, and dont trust that we will not hurt them.
If you are one of those good hearted souls, stay tuned for some education on how to make a postive difference. We all have the need for compationate service.
In loving service,
Jeff
