Each day on my way to work, I see a man collecting pop cans on the highway. I've been stopping lately about once every two weeks to give him my Vernors Ginger Ale bottles. He's intilligent and interesting to talk with. I would never pry into his personal life but I wonder how he got into his situation. I've often heard that many of us are only a paycheck away from being homeless ourselves.Pretty scary thought!

i thought this was a flash game.

And I thought you were a human being. Sucks to be wrong doesn't it?

MoonSongs said:

When I was in London in 2001 (I think) during the summer, I met a homeless man who had a beautiful dog. He told me about how his dog had been attacked by a pitbull and severely wounded, he took it to the RSPCA and they mended the dog but would not release i back to him unless he got clean. At that time he was doing heroin but because he loved his dog so much he got clean and had stayed that way, he went for regular checkups with the dog. I met them every day in the neighbourhood (Angel) when I was going to the tube or just out browsing, we talked for a long time every day and I bought them food and drinks some days. He was the nicest man and even though I didn't pry into why he'd ended up on the street I feel I got to know him and I know it meant a great deal to him that I DID talk to him and treated him like a person. People looked at me where I sat on the ground with him with bewildered expressions, they just didn't get it. My best friend, who I stayed with during my time in London, acted like I was crazy when I said "hold on, I gotta say hello to somebody I know" when we were out... then he remembered it's ME and just said "you've been here for 4 days and already made friends, the strangest ones too."

MoonSongs

MoonSongs said:

When I was in London in 2001 (I think) during the summer, I met a homeless man who had a beautiful dog. He told me about how his dog had been attacked by a pitbull and severely wounded, he took it to the RSPCA and they mended the dog but would not release i back to him unless he got clean. At that time he was doing heroin but because he loved his dog so much he got clean and had stayed that way, he went for regular checkups with the dog. I met them every day in the neighbourhood (Angel) when I was going to the tube or just out browsing, we talked for a long time every day and I bought them food and drinks some days. He was the nicest man and even though I didn't pry into why he'd ended up on the street I feel I got to know him and I know it meant a great deal to him that I DID talk to him and treated him like a person. People looked at me where I sat on the ground with him with bewildered expressions, they just didn't get it. My best friend, who I stayed with during my time in London, acted like I was crazy when I said "hold on, I gotta say hello to somebody I know" when we were out... then he remembered it's ME and just said "you've been here for 4 days and already made friends, the strangest ones too."

MoonSongs

Teacher said:

I think I met the same man when I was in london, but that was already 5 years
ago. Could it be? he used to always hang out near piccadilly circus in one of
the sidestreets early early morning or closer to the stores around noon and
at night.

I kinda did the same thing as you when I met him. I'd already passed him once
or twice on the street and saw him sitting there with his dog but was affraid
to go up to him and just ask him if he wanted dinner so the next time I just
figured I'd buy a bag of dogfood for his pooch and start a chat with him that
way. We ended up having dinner at McDonalds and I kind of did the same thing
every day I was there, altho he didn't want to go out for dinner anymore but I
just went and got them something. The last day, before I went to the station
to return home I bought him a sweater and warm gloves and a scarve because it
was winter and his clothes were so flimsy. I just gave him the bag and a the
pounds I had left and told him not to look at it until after I'd be gone cuz
I was so emberassed and thought he might think it offensive.

The same thing seems to be repeating whenever I go to big cities because just
last year when I went to paris with my mom I kept going to see a homeless guy
with a dog just around the corner from our hotel and bought him cigarettes nd
dogfood and a few 6-packs. I couldn't understand a word of what he said and I
am sure he didn't understand my english but it didn't really matter because
we would just smoke a cigarette together and laugh at nothing in particular

the first day my mom was all like "don't do that. stay away" blablabla. but a
few hours after she was all "has he eaten anything today? should we go bring
him something? do you think he'd want a shower at our hotel?" lol. it's just
horrible when you think of just how many homeless people live in big cities.
i hardly ever see anything like that where i'm from and it breaks your heart
every time.

the way other people just walk around them and don't even notice them is just
as alarming. the last day in paris, early morning i went to get bread and one
older man was sleeping on a subway vent to keep warm and he had no shoes etc,
so i knelt down and slightly nudged him n gave him my bread n coffee and some
money. the weird thing was that a man in a suit on his way to work walked by
and started yelling at me in french, all worked up and horrible.



to respond to the initial thread tho, lol, i already give my clothes away to
the sharity outlet in our local town. those things go directly to sheltered
houses etc.
[Edited 11/22/07 15:14pm]

This is Homeless Awareness Month in Michigan and we've been hauling bags and boxes of things for weeks to our shelters and to a Community Fair (over 600 homekess and extremely needy people attended). Two semi filled with food were emptied in two hours. Over 200 coats were gone in three hours. It has been very humbling.
Each day on my way to work, I see a man collecting pop cans on the highway. I've been stopping lately about once every two weeks to give him my Vernors Ginger Ale bottles. He's intilligent and interesting to talk with. I would never pry into his personal life but I wonder how he got into his situation. I've often heard that many of us are only a paycheck away from being homeless ourselves. Pretty scary thought!

I routinely give tons of clothing, but I've only ever handed money directly to a person. I love your challenge to offer clothing, conversation, etc., to a person face-to-face, Teacher. I'm gonna try to do it.
[Edited 11/29/07 16:42pm]