Living in the city I do come in contact with my fair share of homeless, panhandlers, hobos, whatever label you choose. Now seeing as I don’t have the expendable income to support someone other than myself, I have to pick and choose who I will give money to. Most of the time it’s to the people who look like they will benefit from it or are trying to go somewhere with their life. Of course, the younger they are the more likely I am to lend a hand. (Is that wrong?)
I was recently watching a special on homeless children in America. And the whole thing they kept pushing was to donate money to give each homeless kid a backpack with a few school supplies, 2 boxed dinners, some cereal and a tub of peanut butter/jelly mix. They are saying what a huge deal it is that they are supplying these to the kids. This is horrifying. We should expect so much more to be done for them. That people care so little about children born into horrible situations and then having to live on the street. They didn’t ask for this, they are children, and we are just dumping them out of a help system when they turn 18, as if magically by then they can make it on their own. I didn’t make it on my own until I graduated college, and that was with love and support from my family. Not to mention a good education. I have heard about ’sleep outs’ in order to raise money and awareness for the homeless, what else can and should be done?
“You can spend the money on new housing for poor people and the homeless, or you can spend it on a football stadium or a golf course.” – Jello Biafra
~ Thomas Jefferson
