Feed the homeless? Go to jail.

In 2005, I was homeless for 22 weeks.

Why? My duplex was sold to a guy who had made3 his dough from selling stolen cars and promptly et out the front unit to become a crack distributor. After daily burgularies and death threats to move out, I called the Police. They promptly kicked me out so as not to disrupt the sales of crack to the neighbourhood. I then rented another apartment only for the landlord to pocket my rent and change to lock the day before I was to move in. I later sued him successfully for several thousands.

-- During that 22 weeks...

- I was NOT unemployed, but self-employed. And I managed to keep clean and keep my company afloat despite living in my car.

- I did NOT claim a nickel in welfare.

- I did NOT beg for food.

- I did NOT need psychiatric treatment and neither applied nor received any.

....Please explain exactly why someone such as me should have needed psychiatric treatment?

....Please explain exactly why my friend who tried to cheer me up with a trip to MacDonalds should have been jailed?

....Please explain exactly why I should have been moved out the city?

....Please explain exactly why you think I was just a lazy welfare scrounger having not claimed a penny off the taxpayer?

....Please explain exactly why the Police were right to boot me out of my home to remove an embarressment to the crack dealers?

I think if you are going to feed a bum, just take him home and adopt him. Build him a hobo house out back and dig him a pit toilet, then you can have your pet wino and feed him all you want.

Brief, you heartless bastard. You go bowling, probably drank beer and maybe had a hamburger, while the homeless meth addicts are starving? You mean to say that you go out and work every day, save your money, acquire assets, and you don't just give it all away to mentally deranged alcoholic thieves? What is wrong with you?

Same reason the parks put up signs saying "please do not feed the wildlife." Reason being is they will grow dependent on handouts and not learn, or they will forget, how to fend for themselves.

LOL, yeah, I'm just an asshole.

What about the sick, disabled and/or elderly homeless? What do you think should be done with those?

We have a mission in Downtown Dayton called Gospel Light. The needy can go there for meals, classes, clothes, etc. It's an all encompassing mission that feeds as well as educates. That's the ideal mission, of course, but not always a possibility...

Also, it feels GOOD to serve in whatever way we can, when we can. We can only hope that the kindness we show to others will cause others to be kind...

You know, pay it forward.

I think if you are going to feed a bum, just take him home and adopt him. Build him a hobo house out back and dig him a pit toilet, then you can have your pet wino and feed him all you want.

It's really that bad. Local ordinances are being passed here in hopes that the homeless will move on to greener pastures.

They have nothing, yet they're hated...

Most have mental issues that prevent them from functioning normally in modern society.

So they deserve to starve to death?
They deserve to suffer more for something that may not even be their fault?

Whatever man, this no compassion for the homeless thing really grinds my gears!


What if I decided that I wanted to be homeless? Shouldn't I be free to do so?

THIS IS AMERICA DAMN IT.

[Edited] (No reason given)

There's no reason anyone should be homeless, homelessness is a choice.

I'm probably about to tick more than a few of you off but please take a moment to consider what I'm saying before flaming on.

First, if you watched the video you will see that they have banned public homeless food shares on public property. This means they can still give them groceries and meals in churches, private homes or other venues. Although I do not know the mindset of those in charge I assume that this is an effort to divert the homeless from areas that they have been a problem in.

Please be honest with yourselves for a minute. If you have a park near your home, a home that you've worked a life time to buy and you take your children to that park, are you going to stay there and let your children play where there are homeless adults are roaming around? I'm not talking about other children here, I'm talking about full grown average homeless people. If you are honest here instead of just trying to appear compassionate to the forum I think most of you would take your children home and bar the doors.

I don't see a thing wrong with limiting the venue for these food share programs. I obviously don't know about every other city but in mine there are a number of designated places for the homeless to acquire either a home cooked meal or easy make groceries.

Here is what I can comment on from personal experience. My mother has run a food panty for the last 10 years or so. There are several specific times each week where the homeless can come in and get groceries. These consist mostly of pre-made easy to carry foods. Their bag will consist of all food groups and usually contain self heating MRE's. Under the new law mentioned in the op's post this pantry would not be affected since it is not on public land. The homeless will still be able to have meals and not go hungry.

I've worked there on and off through the years when they need help. The people who come in are diverse. In my opinion and experience a little less than half of them are very nice people who have just found themselves in a terrible situation. They are not drug users, they are not opposed to working if given the chance. Often when supplies in the pantries front room get low and additional food needs to be moved from the back a request will be given out for help moving the items. These are the clients that most often volunteer to help the pantry workers. Some have mental deficiencies that have contributed to their circumstance. They are people who I truly believe if given a hand up will rise above their personal situations and have a better life.

Then there are the others. These are the drug users, the takers, the self entitled jack a$$es that believe they've some how been wronged and the world owes them something. Most of these are just flat out horrible. They will complain about the brand of food they are getting. One literally spit in the face of a volunteer because he didn't like the peanut butter he was given. This man was not mentally deficient, he was an ass. These people are usually the young ones. They are mostly angry and belligerent many do drugs on the property. In truth if it was up to me I would refuse to serve them. Lucky for them my Mother is a nicer person than I am.

So I ask you, are these the type of people that you want in your public areas around your children? Be honest now. Teaching your children to be compassionate and the value of public service is important. My Son has helped at the pantry since he was 8. But do you really want a park where there are used needles in the sand. Do you want your child playing on a toy that someone has defecated under? If you think I am exaggerating please take a moment to call up the people in charge of maintenance of your public areas or the police for that matter.

I'm sorry for the wall of text, I guess this subject just touched a nerve. So, let me sum all of this up. The news story referenced is reporting on a ban of food shares on publicly maintained property. It says nothing about stopping food share taking place on private property or state, city or county designated areas. As someone who has worked with more homeless people than most of you have ever spoken to, I don't think this is a bad thing. In truth it can help regulate the quality of the food dispensed and offer a safe place to get what they need.

Now I offer a challenge to the members here. Please at least once volunteer at your local kitchen or pantry. Most are not subsidized by the government and are always in need of donations and volunteers. During the holidays and in cold weather the demand always increases. If you have older children have them volunteer as well. You will meet some people that you'd prefer not to help but you will meet some wonderful people too.

Thank you for indulging my rant.


(edited for spelling)

No. When a person has seen hard times, he wants to help others in the same boat. Some of you guys have much to go through I can see.

Just speaking from experience.

Try an experiment.

Those who get something free will share easily, those who work for it, will hesitate. It's natural.

The rant is okay...but I'm surprised one or more of the whiners on here didn't accuse you bringing your drama to the thread. Anyway...the pro homeless people on here just want to argue AND WOULD NEVER open their own homes for the "homeless". They just want to bash Brief...me or the others that say it's mostly a choice that junkies...alchies...scofflaws and derelicts make. I refuse to let most of these use the mental illness excuses anymore as many want to use it as a crutch for sympathy and an advantage to take/steal for free what others have worked for. Many to most choose the lifestyle and because of the enablers in society have come to believe that they're owed something for nothing. And I especially like those that bash my opinion and ASSume that I haven't been or ever helped someone down on their luck that needed a HAND UP and not necessarily a handout. To this day I will still give up a few dollars and/or food when I see the very old on the streets. Although...I've become better at telling who the "old" are and not just some drugged out 40 yr old that's pretending to be old.

Notice how none of the pro homeless enablers on here even mentioned the fact that the "homeless" could be fed at a number of other places. Again...they just want to argue...but if they lived right next to a park their children play in and saw the amount of needles...trash...condoms...feces and trash that's left behind by these weasels they'd be furious with their city officials for allowing it and not cleaning it up.

Good on you and your family for helping. I would have a different approach to feeding the "homeless" at a fixed location and would give you more than a once over before I handed you anything that didn't involve a boot in the butt.
Maybe I'd have Brief as my doorman to help hand out boots.