Some of the HAO's would rather see you not give to anyone on the streets so it forces them into their organizations for supposed assistance. Thus, they keep their numbers up for funding purposes. Sorry, I do not agree with this belief.
For instance, if you give a pair of shoes to someone on the street, literally on the street I mean. Not someone who came into an organizations building looking for something. Rather someone you have encountered on the street. You have given that person some important comfort to get them through that day.
You might have just given that person a reason to want to live another day.
And if you did, then that means you have just been given another day to try and help them further along to getting off the streets. You just performed,,, what I call....well, you provided,,,,"RID"
"RID" (Respect, Integrity, Determination)
Giving something to someone on the streets in my opinion and experience allows the person we are trying to help to just be a tiny bit more comfortable for a brief period. It might make it just a little easier to brush their teeth the next morning,,,or might keep them dry at night so that when they wake up the next morning they actually can maybe feel a tiny bit more like a person. It just gives them a little break. So, makes them comfortable on the streets? Tell me,,,just how comfortable do you think it can get sleeping under a bridge, or in a cemetery, or in the woods,,,,,with no money. So yes, I am willing to make them a little more comfortable on the streets because I know I am going to do everything I can to get them off the streets in the long run.Here is the scenerio, one of many ways to look at it. Say you are an individual just wanting to do good. And you go and bring a bunch of pizza's to homeless people on the street because you heard they were hungry. Welllll, thats a very nice thing to do and I am glad you have done it. However, you need to be aware of the whole picture. Earlier in the day the same people you just gave those pizza's to,,,(we do it also),,,,they worked for someone and made $30 or they panhandled and made alot more then that. They immediately spent it on drugs and alcohol within 15 minutes to an hour of earning that money. THAT is why they were hungry. Because they spent all the money they made on the drugs and alcohol. So, what has just happened is you have fed them and went back to your home where you will go to sleep in your comfortable bed and get up and take a nice shower and put on your clean clothes. You get my point. You do not see what happens at night or all day. You need to. My point here is, if you are going to be giving things, no matter what it is,,,,,be aware of the situations,,,,make a commitment to try and move the people you gave to, forward. The best way is to maybe volunteer with a group or an HAO organization so you know what you are working with. The problem or issue is, if you give just to give you might actually end up doing damage. They get a "false" comfort. You make it easier for the person to say to themselves,,,,"I can buy these drugs/alcohol because I know I will get some food tonight from so and so",,,,,,,,follow my point?
Then, when that person falls and has major problems with the law, medical etc,,,HAO's like us are left to pick up the pieces at 2:00am etc. Yes, we will feed, clothe, launder and provide shelter, showers etc etc,,,,but we know who we are dealing with, what they do, and we know where we are going with it.
Soooo, all I am saying is thank you for giving,,,,thank you for caring.
When you give,,,,keep your eyes wide open,,,keep aware,,,,,educate yourself before hand and be there to really make a difference in the persons life,,,,give to move them forward. To "RID" them of the streets.
Straight Ahead Outreach-Taking Back Your Life, goes by what I call,,,,, “RID”,,,,,
RID our homeless “friends” of the Streets.
“RID”(Respect, Integrity, Determination)
