Venting - Tempe,AZ

It is wrong. It's where I think alot of people have gotten it really wrong. Sometimes people and places grow so fast that they outgrow their sense of community. Sometimes people become jaded after being taken advantage of. Sometimes people feel helpless to make a difference. There are all kinds of reasons people don't step in. The point is that it spoke to you, so you should help if you can.

The next time you go for a walk, make some sandwiches and wrap them in plastic wrap, get a bad of apples from the store, get a case of bottled water, get some granola bars - whatever you feel would be good and that you can afford. Put it in a wagon and as you walk, hand it out. For that day, you will know that they were not hungry and your generosity and kindness will renew hope and spirit. I guarantee that you will go home feeling very differently.

I'll leave you with a story to illustrate:

A young girl was walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up, and throw it back into the ocean. People watched her with amusement.

She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You can’t save all these starfish. You can’t begin to make a difference!”

The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated. But after a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean. Then she looked up at the man and replied,

“Well, I made a difference to that one!”

you have made such a good point. But don't go into the negativity of it blindly. You know what was wrong in the situation and what was right. So do what you FEEL is the best thing to do. I myself have never been easily influenced by other people. I help out others wherever I can. bring a neighbor who is crippled a meal. (maybe they can't move around well), walk the senior lades dog for her. (just examples) but you get it.God asks us to help each other, and if you pay it forward to someone else in some way, maybe you will spark something in them to help another person. Hopefully it will go on from there. Go for it E.!! :) INSPIRE!
Jenn

you are such a nice person, E.. i'm glad you came to live here! your posts always remind me of what america's ideals were and could be again.
don't go down the path of 'i can't sleep because others are in pain and need.' that will ALWAYS be the case. it's not on your shoulders to fix the world.
but you CAN fix a little bit! i love the idea to include sandwiches and granola bars on your next walk and hand them out. and a dollar here and there won't pull anyone out of poverty, but may well buy them a cup of hot coffee.
or a beer, for that matter. i don't approve of taxpayer dollars going to anything but food and shelter, but don't attach any conditions on giving money personally. but that's another post<G>.
you're right! we've become very adept in this country at looking past those in need and dismissing them as parasites. it's sad. but there are also a lot of good people, and you're one of 'em.
:) khairete
S.

Even if you can hand out water it will help but then you will find out wo is truly needy or those who are looking for cash to get drunk. i am poor but we always have water in our van to give out to people we see standing

I honestly don't know . . . I feel much the same way.

It is truly sad to see people on the streets who are hungry and have no place to go. Most people are a couple of paychecks away from homelessness meaning that if something happened and they missed out on a couple of paychecks they would be so far behind that they themselves may become homeless.

I try to help when I see someone asking for money, but to be honest, all too often I watch them go into a store and come out with beer! Also, I rememberf seeing a news program one time that showed that some of those standing on the corner begging actually live in homes larger and nicer than my own. This is how they make their living - begging - and some of them make a nice salary doing so.

I'm sure most of the folks we see are truly in need and I do give where I can. It is extremely sad. I often think that if one rich person would adopt one homeless family and help them out, society would be a much better place. Oh, and if Americans would adopt American children that would be great too. It breaks my heart to hear that Anjolina Jolie and the others are adopting from other nations when we have thousands of American children who need homes.

"Catch 'em while they're young" is a phrase that you should consider. At-risk kids and homes who have help early on have a much better chance of coming out of poverty and making something of themselves. Head Start is one. After school programs like the YMCA has, helps kids stay out of trouble. Having homework support after school, too. Parents who work two jobs in order to make ends meet usually live paycheck-to-paycheck, and are just an illness away from being thrust into homelessness. So helping them with their kids is the best thing we can do to help break that "cycle" you are talking about.

United Way helps a lot of people. So do church groups. Food pantries are important stop gap measures for families at risk. Find some volunteer opportunities that will help you make a difference. You can't help everyone, E., but you can help some of them.

Dawn

I guess I'm one of the jaded ones. I use to be like you give money to the guys on the corner even though I never really had that much to give to begin with. Then one day on the off ramp I watch this guy with his little 2 year old daugther in his arms. I almost cried and got my money out. The man in the mercedes in front of me felt the same way. He offered the man a good job and was giing some free money to boot. Do you know the street guy with the kid said no thank you, he was not looking for a job he was just waiting for his welfare to come in. ????? You bring a two year old little girl to sit and breath in the fumes of cars while you wait for welfare. He must have realized he'd get more sympathy with the kid. The best way to help someone is help soup kitchens with food or your time and donate yorurused clothing. You will help a person more by teaching him to help himself instead of giving money which will disappear and he will be still back on the streets

but this is not something new. Poverty & homelessness has always existed, not just here in the USA....but also worldwide. We all carry images of the poor & indigent with us. Think about Charles Dicken's stories. Think about Ghandi. Think about the stock market crash of 1929 in the USA & the Great Depression.

My Grandmother was born in 1921. She still says that her family was so poor that they never felt the affects of the Great Depression....because that's how they always lived. How sad. To this day, she still saves & scrimps....& has no need to do so.

My husband's brother is homeless. He actively chooses to live this way. All of his belongings are in his backpack. He moves from one friend to another, living in the basement of a bar in between. This is his life. This is what he chooses. He was in the Navy, he attended a good school....& still this is what he chooses. He is in his mid 50s....& cannot function in society.

For many people, life is what you choose. For others, it is the direct result of today's world. As members of our world community, we should all do the most we can to help each other. I am guilty of not doing so. I do volunteer, I do donate....but I could do more.

I thank you for expressing your opinions. I applaud you for caring. Please don't feel hopelessness over this. There are good people among us who care, who take the time to help others. My husband has a whole list of elderly ladies whom he cares for. Most are widows, most on fixed incomes. These are ladies without family nearby, & it is the least we can do for these matriarchs.

You are a good person & a good soul. Please use this moment of revelation to move forward in an uplifting manner. Perhaps God brought you to this...as a way to show you your future in helping others. :)

Yes, there but for the grace of God go I.

I like the homeless guy I saw as I was leaving WalMart...he was hiding his cellphone behind his homeless sign dialing a number! HA! And I like the ones outside of the mall with only one leg....and they make sure they pull that pant leg up real high so everyone can see that it's a fake leg. Most are in it for cigarettes and alcohol etc. I better stop now...enough said!