New tent city, new hope for homeless

What a wonderful example of WWJD! It is high time we reached out to those of us less fortunate. The world we live in today has become cold and heartless so it super to see examples of caring and sharing!

As Christians, we all have one assignment given to us by Jesus, "Feed my Sheep." Anyone who is celebrating the Christmas holiday and calls themselves Christian should help the homeless and the poor. I hope Tampa does the same to help their homeless. Thank you Catholic Charities for stepping up!

A homeless man approached me awhile back with strong smell of alcohol and asked for money...told him to get a job...he replied," sir day labor pays me $35.00 a day...asking people for money usually gets me $200.00 per day, you may not give me anything but the next person may give me $20.00... sir , what would you do?" He had a point. Are kind people hurting or helping?I guess we all really dont know whats behind the homeless,its just sad a person like that makes me skeptical of giving because some really are deserving of help.

Of course there are different situations among the homeless;but it is difficult for some of them to get a job because they don't have an address or phone # to put on the application for the employer to reach them. The ones NOT willing to abide by the rules of the Pinellas Hope(curfew, no loitering, etc) are the same ones who don't want to help themselves, so I really don't pity them. I'm glad though that Pinellas County has this site for them that provides protection (for the ones willing to abide by the rules) since they are often burglarized (for what little they do have on them overnight).

I will only help the ones that ARE trying to help themselves.No effort, no help!

You see the guy on the corner begging with a will work for food sign and most people think of the very few and I mean very few who might make a couple hundred a day., And it eases our conscience it gives us a reason to justify our greed and lack of generosity I see a man with a sign and I give him a couple bucks .
For two especial reason one is I been there.
And number two is I know he will go and buy booze with it and if it gives him a few hours of comfort then who am I to judge What you all probably don’t know is that they don’t go to the liquor store they go to the dollar store and buy a 99cent bottle of antiseptic mouthwash they call it Blister because of the blisters it causes around the mouth .
I don’t know if any of you ever boxed in school but I did, and sometimes you’re literally out on your feet. When the ending round bell rings you have time to take about 10 or 12 deep breaths trying to collect yourself and go back out there and give it your best shot. Well that’s what happened to most homeless, they just got knocked down so many times they can’t get up again. And as far as homeless being lazy. Most work day labor which gives them just enough money to stay homeless doing those jobs Americans just wont do which is BS
So next time you drive by one of those homeless scam artists remember one thing they never thought they would end up homeless and as for the mass amounts of money the mass amount is about 5 bucks to stave off the alcohol withdraw. Another thing to remember is a lot of homeless served in the armed forces, these are the people who fought for this country. In closing I would just like to say they at one time were just like you thinking I’ll never end up like that. Well folks it could happen to you and if things in our economy keep going the way they have the odds might be greater than you think

Jim you numb nut, you can't even spell and your making value judgement's!!!

JIM wrote:

I AGREE 98% OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HOMELESS ARE TO LAZY TO WORK, USE IT AS AN EXCUSE. THERE ARE JOBS TO BE FOUND, MAY BE NOT 600 A WEEK, BUT TAKE ANY JOB YOU CAN FIND AND WORK YOUR WAY UP EVEN WORKING AT MICKEY D'S IT'S A PAY CHECK. GET INTO AN APPT. YOU WILL HAVE AN PAY CK EVERY WEEK KICK THE DRUG HABIT AND THE DRINKING HABIT. WITH MONEY EVERY WEEK YOU WILL NOT BE HOMELESS. ONE DAY AN PERSON WAS ASKING WILL WORK FOR FOOD ACROSS THE STREET WAS AN SIGN HIRING FOR HELP. I TOLD THE PERSON THERE'S A JOB ACROSS THE STREET AT MICKEY D'S HE LOOKED LIKE HE WAS TO PROUD TO TAKE THAT JOB. TO ME IT'S STUPID TO BE HOMELESS WORK 2/3 JOBS IF YOU HAVE TO . I AGREE THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE HOMELESS BECAUSE OF SOME MENTAL PROBLEMS BUT NOT ALL OF THEM.

JIM wrote:

I AGREE 98% OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HOMELESS ARE TO LAZY TO WORK, USE IT AS AN EXCUSE. THERE ARE JOBS TO BE FOUND, MAY BE NOT 600 A WEEK, BUT TAKE ANY JOB YOU CAN FIND AND WORK YOUR WAY UP EVEN WORKING AT MICKEY D'S IT'S A PAY CHECK. GET INTO AN APPT. YOU WILL HAVE AN PAY CK EVERY WEEK KICK THE DRUG HABIT AND THE DRINKING HABIT. WITH MONEY EVERY WEEK YOU WILL NOT BE HOMELESS. ONE DAY AN PERSON WAS ASKING WILL WORK FOR FOOD ACROSS THE STREET WAS AN SIGN HIRING FOR HELP. I TOLD THE PERSON THERE'S A JOB ACROSS THE STREET AT MICKEY D'S HE LOOKED LIKE HE WAS TO PROUD TO TAKE THAT JOB. TO ME IT'S STUPID TO BE HOMELESS WORK 2/3 JOBS IF YOU HAVE TO . I AGREE THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE HOMELESS BECAUSE OF SOME MENTAL PROBLEMS BUT NOT ALL OF THEM.

You don't know anything aout the homeless man!
I was homeless in Tampa not even 2 years ago, and I went to work everyday at the local labor pools to keep me afloat till I found something better!
Try going into Right Hand Man every morning at 5am and see for yourself.
Right Hand Man of Tampa Inc
1304 Channelside Dr, Tampa, FL 33602

Jesus will PROVIDE.

wow

Homeless the real deal wrote:

...And number two is I know he will go and buy booze with it and if it gives him a few hours of comfort then who am I to judge...

well... if he is asking me for the money then I AM the one to judge? I got up, went to work, did my job, paid my taxes, and on my drive home from a 12 hour work day a guy askes me for money to buy booze?
I am well within reason to judge this person. Life is full of choices, we all make them, some good some bad. We ALL pay the price for our OWN choices, don't ask me to pay for someone elses.

The first drink was a choice.
The first toke was a choice.
The first needle was choice.
The sex was a choice.
Not getting a job was a choice.
Giving up was a choice.

These weren't my choices so I'm not compelled to pay for them.

StopIt wrote:

<quoted text>
well... if he is asking me for the money then I AM the one to judge? I got up, went to work, did my job, paid my taxes, and on my drive home from a 12 hour work day a guy askes me for money to buy booze?
I am well within reason to judge this person. Life is full of choices, we all make them, some good some bad. We ALL pay the price for our OWN choices, don't ask me to pay for someone elses.
The first drink was a choice.
The first toke was a choice.
The first needle was choice.
The sex was a choice.
Not getting a job was a choice.
Giving up was a choice.
These weren't my choices so I'm not compelled to pay for them.

I think we all have our highs, and lows in this life. Some people are just plain lost, and need a helping hand in a constructive way. I can't imagne a world where we don't have in in our hearts to think of others, because that lost person could be you one day.

Jerry wrote:

<quoted text>
I think we all have our highs, and lows in this life. Some people are just plain lost, and need a helping hand in a constructive way. I can't imagne a world where we don't have in in our hearts to think of others, because that lost person could be you one day.

I will agree that we do all have highs and lows. But sleeping on a piece of cardboard under a bridge drunk is a choice not a "low" in the traditional sense.
I do have it in my heart to care for others and if a person I know is in need, I help.

No Jerry I won't be living in a tent refusing to work, it is also a question of character and drive. No one GAVE me anything in life and I've never expected anything.

there is not a lot of jobs out there and people cant afored to live theses days like they use to