Homeless Wino's/druggies

[nailit]

Sympathy or revulsion?

Quiet a few homeless wino's and drug addicts where I live in Stoke.
Why, in this day and age, are people reduced to this? Even if you have a habit, why are you deprived of a roof over your head? Came across someone in a sleeping bag, in a doorway, at 7.30am a few days ago. This person was once somebody's son.

[pixie374]

Sympathy- it must be near impossible to change anything by then. They seem to be ignored and forgotten.

[nailit]

Pixie, theres currently a campaign going on here in Stoke to discourage people giving to individual beggars (as they may not be genuine) and instead give to 'charitable' organizations. Its been my observation that 'charitable' organizations do nothing to actually relieve the suffering of genuine homeless people.

[nailit]

And 'charitable' organizations are inevitably headed by people on a nice salary themselves.

[pixie374]

Yes- i'm not sure how much money is used to directly help with charities. At least if the individuals have it, they have the choice of what to use it for- and if one isn't genuine - maybe the others are.

[-Talbot-]

Has his parents died?

Not much sympathy for druggies at all.

[-Talbot-]

Have

[nailit]

Pixie, I wished that Id given him a fiver. Not because I'm a swell kind of guy, but because I'm a human. I didn't and I feel bad about it.

[nailit]

//Not much sympathy for druggies at all. //
Just as well that you havnt had to go down that path then Talbot. I'm not a druggie either but can well understand how people go down that path.

[pixie374]

Next time... there's no point worrying about it now x

[nailit]

And what the hell have his parents death got to do with anything?

[ducksie]

probably because you said he was 'once somebody's son' I think he will always be somebody's son - I think that's what talbot was on about - but who am i to answer for another

[fiction-factory]

I think the charities are more likely to spend the money on something like soup or food than spend it on drugs or alcohol. If you give the money directly to a wino/drug addict it may not be spent wisely.
It is worrying that the numbers of homeless people seems to be increasing here (and in other countries I visit- America, Spain, etc, they all have them) but I always wonder what the back story is- when you hear stories of some undeserving people and/or new arrivals to the country getting housing and benefits you wonder why the homeless have not been covered by the same system

[-Talbot-]

And what the hell have his parents death got to do with anything?



This person was once somebody's son.

[ducksie]

In answer to your question though, we have a few homeless in our town too, they drink early, it helps them get through the day I guess and if drugs help, so be it, once they don't leave syringes about and are harming no one, it's just sad that people are in this predicament, I feel sad for them but I can't make a change to their circumstances

[woofgang]

I think one of the problems with getting substance abusers off the streets is that many of the intermediate accommodations require them to give up whatever substance they are abusing or at least to enter a program and stay in it....I mean I can see why but not everyone can comply....I also remember seeing a program about people who really wanted to do it and weren’t substance abusers, making the transition to accommodation and how hard they found it. Some of them still kept a bedroll stashed on the street to sleep rough when the walls got too much.

[-Talbot-]

I didn't know if you were saying they had disowned him.

Calm down dear.

[pixie374]

Ff, they will spend it on what they want to though. I wouldn't give someone money and then tell them what to do with it.

[fiction-factory]

Yes, pixie that's why I don't give money directly any more. I may be making things worse by feeding an addiction. I would consider giving a sandwich or banana but unfortunately there are so many I wouldn't know when to stop. These people are in a bad place and need specialist help in my opinion

[bhg481]

We've got women sleeping rough in Reading.

[pixie374]

They do, but I think they deserve the choice of what they need. I doubt withdrawing while homeless is pleasant either and isn't usually how addiction is beaten.