"A fortunate life'

[engine driver]

Over the last couple of weeks several incidents have occupied my thinking about life. I feel that although some things have been a great blow to me I have moved on . Losing my wife of 57 years was something that many of us experience and in my case my wife's death was due to Alzheimer's Disease I wont dwell on that except to say that there are many of us who have experienced caring for a loved one who has this dreadful disease.
Just the other day my partner and I ,who I must say has opened up my life again and her circumstances are very much the same as mine ,were on our way to have a coffee, I was approached by a man who asked if I could spare $5.00. My immediate reaction was to say ''Sorry no I can't spare it'' . This of course was a lie but was a reaction that was something that I now regret. This man along with others was no doubt homeless and sleeping on the local railway platform. I recall whilst spending a year in the UK seeing people sleeping in doorways in London, Saying this could never happen in my country Australia , but it has !!I I live in a rural city ,some 400KM from the nearest larger city to think that there are homeless people living like I witnessed in London so many years ago is a shock I regret not giving that man $5.00, It shames me to know that he no doubt considers me a mean b*****d.

 

[Tigger.ufo]

Do you know of a local charity who help the homeless near you? Perhaps they need volunteers or donations that you might be able to help with.

Please don't be ashamed of your initial reaction, it is very common when you are asked by a stranger for money. Something else that can help is paying for a meal/coffee in cafes that they will provide for someone in need later.

 

[engine driver]

Sorry Tigger, charities are not my scene . In many cases religion rears it's ugly face ,I am a non believer .

 

[Sky]

IMO you did the right thing Peter. The chances are he would have spent it on fags, booze or drugs anyway which won't have done him any favours at all.

Many times I've bought people food and helped in several other ways, but I would never give them cash. On one occasion, I bought someone a sleeping bag in a camping shop only to discover a few hours later that he had just returned it for a refund.

 

[Garry Edwards]

IMO you did the right thing Peter. The chances are he would have spent it on fags, booze or drugs anyway which won't have done him any favours at all.

Many times I've bought people food and helped in several other ways, but I would never give them cash. On one occasion, I bought someone a sleeping bag in a camping shop only to discover a few hours later that he had just returned it for a refund.

I agree. Some will be genuine cases, most though are professional beggars who make far more from begging than they would from working.

Sorry Tigger, charities are not my scene . In many cases religion rears it's ugly face ,I am a non believer .

I agree, up to a point, I don't want to encourage religion either. But some of these religious organisations do very good work with the homeless, for example the Salvation Army, perhaps we should support the work that they do even if we are against religion?

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

... But some of these religious organisations do very good work with the homeless, for example the Salvation Army, perhaps we should support the work that they do even if we are against religion?

I think the sensible answer is "yes".

 

[camairish]

There are many soup kitchens running within our busiest towns and cities that have no religious connections at all, also cafés and other outreach projects. If you have the time and health then occasional volunteering can be both fun and rewarding. It’s not for everyone but it’s a good way to give back using your time rather than money. Your initial reaction is not regrettable, most of us would have done the same. I used to think that homeless people with dogs used them to garner the sympathy vote, in reality many of those with dogs have lost all trust in people and would give their dog a meal before feeding themselves. The bitter blow for many is that a lot of hostels will not accept pets and so these poor people choose to spend the night outdoors rather than be separated from their pal. Nothing is ever as simple as it appears. Thanks for sharing your experience.