The cold wind blows. Snow is weeks away but the Earth has cooled down dramatically. My thoughts always turn to the homeless this time of the year, for they must suffer so. And, there are so many homeless these days, that shelters often have to turn away those seeking refuge from the bitter temperatures.
On the West Coast, there are lots of homeless as well, but, it is different for them. Of course, they suffer as well, but, they have more advantages, as the weather is mild, and, they can have fires on the beach and such. They are also able to pick up a bit of work here and there, some of the little people you see in movies have been homeless people on the beaches of So. CA....
There are many homeless in the San Diego and Los Angeles areas who are there because they want to be. Some of them have brown paper bags filled with cash. They just decided one to exit the rat-race. Ha! One such homeless man was in a movie once. He was pretty well known along the beaches, and, there he was in a movie. I cannot remember the name of the movie at the moment, but, he was in it for sure...
There are as many different reasons for being homeless as there are homeless people. Some are skaters, they have no drive. Some want to be there. Some are drug addicts of the worst kind. Some have been forced out into the streets for lack of income and so forth. What is really sad is the amount of single mothers who have been forced to live in the streets with their children. It is a terrible fate for women and children to have to face the streets and its not so kind elements...
I have an idea which would work, but, no one seems to listen or to care. There are abandoned buildings in every city. Now, IF some with money would donate or if the average person each donated say, even $5 then it would be enough to get the building livable. Then, by state control, they could let the people who most wanted to correct their situation to live there. It could be self sustained, that is, the people who live there could be responsible for its upkeep, and for providing food and such.
The people could be screened. Those who are drug addicts of the worst kind, or in trouble with the law, or want to skate, or those who like the streets need not apply. I am thinking of it as a place for mothers with children and others who have met hard times.
Now, these people could be self sustained to a large degree. They could have a garden in the spring and summer for foods which they could eat then or can. They could maintain the building and the grounds. They could get some sort of work with an address. They could be like a community pulling together to make a new life.
Of course, there would have to be some outside assistance, that is not going to go away, but, it would be a way to lessen the burden of the social systems, in that people would be healthier, they would not be taking up space in shelters, and, they would be finding ways to rebuild their lives, and, if they did not improve their lives, they would be out.
I know, this sounds silly, but, truly, does a mother with young children deserve to live in the streets, especially in cities like NY, Chicago, Detroit, and, such where the winters are fierce and long? Does a child need to have that kind of fate?
People are responsible for such people. We are not supposed to turn away from them or to leave them to suffer, especially the children. It is not that difficult to come up with ways to help them help themselves, and, if we don't, soon there are going to be so many sucking up state assistance resources that they will run dry, and then what?
Some of the money could come from having those donation jars throughout the cities. You know like the Lyon's and other orgs do. It would take some time to make some cash, but, it must be done. Homelessness is only going to worsen as the economy weakens and jobs are outsourced...
Homeless people in great numbers will eventually be a threat to public safety as they turn to whatever means to survive... Does anyone see this???
Well, I guess it is something which has not grown to proportions of public concern yet. Yeah, that is the way we do things, we always wait until it is out of hand before we even notice what is going on, and, there is always a bigger price to pay for that...
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