What does your city do to help the homeless?
546897
I know the question has been posed as a serious one to fellow Americans but since YAHOO ANSWERS is worldwide people in other parts of the world can also answer as conditions prevail therein.\nToday in INDIA  in many cities eviction of unauthorised construction either for dwelling or for office is a big issue to the Government and Other authorities and even the highest court of the country is possessed of this issue relating to one city or the other.\nThere are slum dwellers in every city and they are provided alternate living space and even pucca buildings at the cost of Govt. but then after occupation these pucca houses are sold or leased or rented and the slumdwellers removeto same place or nearby place or elsewhere.\nSo unless one is careful forced occupation always hangs as a democles sword on the head.Does it not look odd that the real homeless forcebly occupy some ones empty land and the buyer of the homeland is rendered homeless!!!\nAny civil suit in courts of law is time consuming and\nI heard that POSSESSION IS 90 % IN LAW.
345632
I donate frequently to the homeless shelter, work in the soup kitchen as a volunteer, etc.\nMost homeless shelters will gladly accept clothing, blankets, pillows, toilet paper, dishes, beds, and just about ANYTHING you can think of (toothbrushes, combs, soap).
384091
Give some to the people who need it, and charity
710187
Have you contacted your local Salvation Army? They have programs especially set up to help folks having a difficult time.
304224
Okay, let me ask you something.  Have you ever gone to feed the homeless yourself?  Have you ever been homeless?\nI have gone on compassionate missions to San Francisco, LA, downtown Tacoma, Portland Oregon, and Seattle to feed the homeless, and to give them blankets.  I can honestly say that many of them are alcoholics and/or drug addicts who don't care to better themselves. \nThe church I attended for several years offered some of them jobs, in exchange for food and shelter.  The homeless that we offered jobs to wanted the food and shelter, but didn't care to work.\nAs for the second part, for two weeks in '99 I chose to spend all my time with the homeless kids in downtown Tacoma.  I squatted with them, "spanged" (begging for spare change), and observed them closely.  What I saw was that they spent their money on drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes instead of getting their clothes cleaned, taking a shower at the YMCA or YWCA, or getting a hotel room.  I saw heroin, crank, and prostitution for said drugs.  I saw overdoses, disease, and degeneration.  I also saw that they were apathetic to change their situation, and that even with the numerous homeless shelters, they chose to stay in abandoned buildings.\nThe fact that there are homeless is a neverending problem, but it's also an abstract idea to those who speak out against it.  They have no idea, they haven't seen it firsthand like I have.  There are government programs to help these people, and they don't take the opportunity.  Therefore, if these people really want to help themselves, they do so, and they don't stay homeless!\nI know this sounds cold-hearted, but I really do feel for the homeless...just not as much as I did before I tried feeding them.  And I have even less sympathy because I saw it as closely as one can.\nEdit:  I commend the people who volunteer to work in soup kitchens, and in food banks.  But just WHAT is the government supposed to do?  Honestly.  Throw some money at the people?  How are we supposed to sort out the ones who want to better themselves from the drug addicts and alcoholics?  There are homeless shelters, food banks, soup kitchens, low-income housing, churches with good people who try to help...\nAnd I'll tell you what.  In those two weeks that I ran with the homeless, I never went hungry.  There were always people giving us money.  I think I made more money in those two weeks than I have at ANY job I've had...and all that without resorting to prostitution.\nAs I said, there are government programs.  They can help themselves.  Throwing money at them will solve nothing, except putting us even further in debt.\nOne more thing, my sister has five kids.  They live in a four bedroom house, and the rent is $850 a month.  Not bad for Washington State.  She and her husband have a monthly income of a little over $1500.  Their electric bill comes every other month and is usually close to $400 even though they conserve.  One more thing:  My sister has yet to use Welfare.  Those kids are well-fed and cared for.  \nThe unfortunate thing, as I said, is if the government put more money into programs for the impoverished, there are too many who would take advantage of it.  Do you know who would wind up paying the price?  The taxpayers!\nThat there are homeless is tragic.  But there is nothing the government can do.
730394
i think i understand your question a little.\nBeggers in any part of the country are hopeless and have no choice to make in their lives. It people who are generous who give enough money for organizations which can make a difference in people's lives. With people who do not care about the homeless and beggers, the world will never progress. Hopefully this answers your question. Take care\n\ntrisha
794580
Sure, why not. Giving a homeless person a job takes some reliability off the state/federal government! Hire two!
545528
http://www.hud.gov/local/in/homeless/shelters.cfm
238933
if they did would that do away with homelessness? no it would not. there are people that give money to help fight homelessness all the time. yet it's still around.why not just give everyone a home to live in ? why ? because that would be to easy...yes i know, where is all that money going to came from?   how about some of this money that the tax payers pay in everyday that gets wasted on stuff that doesn't help anyone.....churchs do their part in helping with the homeless, so lets not take away the help that they do have. because i don't see to many others trying to step in and save the day.
679025
You mean there are homeless shelters for other than people?
798544
it's all about federal money.  the feds are giving your city money for taking in victims of hurricane Katrina.\n\nAlthough your city does get money from the federal government for the homeless, it isn't anywhere near the amount of funds for the Katrina victims.
770372
There is charitable organizations that help with shelter.  There are rescue missions that help both with shelter and the spiritual side of our human need.  \n1. Catholic Charities\n2. Salvation Army\n3. Churches in area\n4. Morning Star Mission\n5. The United Way\n6. The Lamb Fold  (teen pregnancies)\n7. The Guardian Angel Home
573698
Cool! I'm glad someone wants to help out their community.\n\n-stream/river/lake clean up (organize a team of people to pick up trash and debris)\n\n-found a food bank\n\n-place recycling bins in town-based buildings (city government, libraries, post office, etc.) and organize a pick-up service for collecting the items\n\n-hold a race at your local track to raise money for a local, charitable cause
572990
Those in need of assistance, must have the RESOURCES available to locate the organizations that provide assistance.  \n\nMany shelters are more dangerous than sleeping on the street - rape, murder, theft (of the few belongs they have, are not uncommon in shelters.  Communities, for some reason do not have adequate security on the premises.\n\nMoney for use by the shelters is often stolen by those that run the shelters.  Remember the Red Cross scandal regarding misuse of money?  The shelter system is a "big mess! and no one seems to care!\n\nThe do-good'ers, seem to help during holiday seasons:  Thanksgiving and Christmas and forget about those in need the rest of the year.\n\nI grew up doing volunteer work since the age of 10.  It is very rewarding.  \n\nI hope anyone reading this will call your favorite volunteer organization and donate a few hours of your time.
1110769
Hi Sarah,\nIn the USA you can find many opportunities in any big city. Get on a bus to take you downtown. It won't be much of a walk until you find a soup kitchen where you can apply your talents. Many homeless people are suffering from mental illness and your gift of reason and skills for personal communication can be a great help to getting them get off the streets.\nPut your education to use, Sarah. Make the world a better place for all of us.\nGavin
424319
This is only one of A THOUSAND different stupid ways the government spends your money.\n1) Don't give the gov't anymore money.\n2) If you care about the homeless, you have to take direct action, you can't trust in the gov't to help on any problem. Ask the people of New Orleans.\n3) If you care about any other issue, you have to run for office yourself. The only way we'll have people we can trust in gov't- is if we start taking those offices ourselves.
654075
We have - Meals on Wheels - which is an organization that distributes food to the sick.\n\nThere are various church groups that distributes food to the homeless.\n\nWe also have the Salvation Army which is a big one\n\nWe have the Kids Help Line. where children can phone and talk to a volunteer about their problems.\n\nThese are only a few.  Hope these help.\n\nWe also have volunteers that work with people in hospitals, nursing homes, libraries, schools, homeless, shelters.