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Author Topic:   homeless
pire
Knowflake

Posts: 862
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Registered: Apr 2009

posted October 14, 2009 10:39 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for pire     Edit/Delete Message
it's gonna be winter soon here in northern hemisphere, and plenty of men and women will die of cold because they sleep outside.

when my dad died in november 93 in the alps, he lived in his car, he was lucky, others sleep in a tent and other humans just sleep in sleeping bags.

how can we help them? i wonder; recently i help a woman in this situation; i invited her to stay at my home; i had taken an appointment with the social sevices to help her find a flat, but after 2 days, i found the house empty when i came back home; she had left; from everything i gave her, she just took a book by david henri thoreau. i wish her the best but she had told me she feared she wouldn't pass the winter.

i wonder how we can help people who are on a different rythm. is it gradual? ...

For one solution, a very basic one, i think prisoners in jail should be used to help here. for example, some prisoners could be affected to the kitchen and prepare all year around food for the homeless, distributed during the 6 months of the winter, from libra to pisces. hot dishes can be frozen and warm homeless. prisoners learn a new skill and get to be proud of themselves instead of lying on beds. other prisonners could be taught to build; like carpenters, or plumber, or electricians... so they can build houses or at the very least enough places for homeless to have a room during the winter. provided the prisoners are willing and guarded,they could learn a new skill, practice it, and see the world instead of looking at the same 4 walls. homeless would have a roof for the rigourous times. the professional builders would not have markets taken because the new building, and the prisonners salary would be financed by the state.

i think people must help each other, not waiting for the state. if i had enough money, i personnally would like to build a house where i can welcome men who live in the streets. i would have to form or join an association of professionals who can teach their speciality. if i know how to cultivate, or i am a mechanic, or i love and have animals, or im an electrician, or i own a truck and im a truckdriver... i can help homeless WHO WANTS IT, to have a second chance and reintegrate society. the idea isn't to force them to do it, nor to do something which doesnt interest them, because being homeless doesn't mean u don't have dreams or preferences. it's important to get them involved in the project, and not to make them passive regarding these objectives; and the best way would be for this association to get the homeless to contribute to his own life Change. if my association build houses, he can have his own little house in a few years, and never be living in the streets. wether he reintegrates society's pitfall is up to him but he wont have to pay the price with his life.

the aim is their survival.

i'm aware we don't have to fit into society to survive, but im also aware that survival ain't the same as living. and even though most of us barely survive, we are sure we won't sleep outside and wake up surrounded by snow. or are we so sure?

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pire
Knowflake

Posts: 862
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posted October 14, 2009 10:46 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for pire     Edit/Delete Message
i also think women with kids dhould be welcomed, and while the kids go to school, the mums can be taught new skills that the people from the association can contribute. and how cool if the men building houses could offer the houses to the women with (or without) kids?!

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T
Knowflake

Posts: 1532
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Registered: Apr 2009

posted October 14, 2009 11:04 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for T     Edit/Delete Message
How beautiful, pire.

Sadly, this is how everything's set up...the richer get or stay rich, while the poor do the same. And the people in between stay there too - for the most part. It's too bad because if the wealth was spread out, everyone would have more than enough.

I think we have to do away with the monetary system altogether for things to begin to get better - for good, or once and for all.

I was watching a lecture the other night where a man was telling of a friend of his who once asked him something like:

"Please tell me why it is that I have to PAY to live on a planet that I was born on!?"

I laughed out loud! I mean, it's so ridiculous if you think about it. What a great question! Why is it that we have to pay to live here on planet earth?? Sure, we can all think of quick, seemingly obvious answers, but when you get down to it, it really doesnt make any good sense. Except to the greedy powers that be.

It's quite a shame that things have worked out to where we really cannot survive in this world without money. That we have all become slaves to it and our lives are heavily controlled by it. That we are all constantly chasing after that dollar bill, sometimes just to keep a roof over our head, the lights on and to eat. And that some people can never "catch up".

Everything could be so different. Don't you think?

God bless those who are struggling.

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T
Knowflake

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posted October 14, 2009 11:14 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for T     Edit/Delete Message
I'm sorry to hear about your dad.

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blue moon
Knowflake

Posts: 1055
From: U.K
Registered: Apr 2009

posted October 14, 2009 11:38 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for blue moon     Edit/Delete Message
It is vomit-inducing to read about politicians fleecing the public purse next to reports about pensioners lying bed all day because they can't afford to heat their homes.

Homelessness and inadequate social housing provision are indeed a Big Issue. Not sure your willing prisoner plan is worth pursing, there are plenty of unemployed builders around who already have the skills needed to build houses. Affordable housing (and inadequate housing) is a key issue here, skills shortage isn't the reason behind it.

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DepTaurus
Knowflake

Posts: 920
From: canada
Registered: Apr 2009

posted October 14, 2009 12:20 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for DepTaurus     Edit/Delete Message
pire that was really nice thing for you too do.

but i notice with homeless people when you give them something they might not be grateful for it. some are but others they are so used to being with nothing its like there ok with they are content with nothing.

i remeber giving some homeless guy a loaf of bread and he threw it in the garbage. literally threw it in the garbage.

i feel so sorry for them during winter but i know tons of people who invite alot of homeless people into there homes.

that was a very good thing you did for that woman pire you should give your self a pat on the back.

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pire
Knowflake

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From:
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posted October 14, 2009 12:36 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for pire     Edit/Delete Message
T,

however, i think money can be useful; ideally, i agree with u, but right now, i doubt we can get rid of money and deal with every other issues at the same time. it is a good thing that money can do so much, cause regardless of the reason motivating us, we can implement change only by having it. we can set a movement in (if my english is correct) and **** off the bast@rds just by the power given by money, and as long as we remember that this power is illusory, just a mean to get some outrageous situation sorted.

ps: thanks

bm, sometimes, i'm furious too, when some abuse privileges. right now in france, the son of sarkozy is going to become the psident of the comission which regulate the area of "la defense" the business area of paris. this "comission" deals with building sites and roads and so on, it is not about business per say, but t is area is where the business' buildings of paris are and where the major companies have their "house" buildings. jean sarkozy is 23!

never mind, we just have to shut up.

but about the prisoners vs the jobseekers, i think the gov has to create jobs for both. a salary for prisoner doesn't have to equal a salary for non prisoners but one shouldn't ex lude the other. there is many ways to create jobs for a stateeithe directly, or by allowing people to create their companies and employ more people. today, instead of seriously encouraging creations of businesses, we see a concentration in
every kind of business. most of the population is middle class and still, weas a society, favor a tiny percentage of elite; i say, either the middle class manages to get together (and includes the lowest class) and fuk the elite class, either we let the elite fuk us all, middle or lowest.

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pire
Knowflake

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posted October 14, 2009 12:45 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for pire     Edit/Delete Message
depT, i think that when we do something for someone else, we shouldn't expect anything, except, in this case, their well-being. i think this situation taught me to not expect to manage everytime. some won't want to be helped, some will but won't accept it for whatever reason. it's so difficult to change this situation, it is important to remember that you can't help someone who doesn't want it. all we can do, is help those who want, and be humane in doing it, respecting their choices and humanity.
not everything is possible, it's part of the deal i think

ps: im talking like this but i would love to hear from people on LL who are giving their free time to help others

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Yin
Knowflake

Posts: 762
From:
Registered: Apr 2009

posted October 14, 2009 01:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Yin     Edit/Delete Message
pire, I don't have time to respond now but wanted to link to this thread:
http://www.linda-goodman.com/ubb/Forum25/HTML/000373.html

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blue moon
Knowflake

Posts: 1055
From: U.K
Registered: Apr 2009

posted October 14, 2009 01:08 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for blue moon     Edit/Delete Message
Money is always a good practical way to help. The Salvation Army would appreciate some, just like your local Big Issue seller.

If you get involved in community activism you might find your Aqua Fish idealism feels crushed when someone Earth heavy tells you that you aren't being practical. But the balance is your vision can help stop apathy and cynicism taking root. There are plenty of ways to volunteer your time and it can be very rewarding.

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T
Knowflake

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posted October 14, 2009 01:23 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for T     Edit/Delete Message
Great thoughts, pire.

For one, I think we CAN "get rid of money" and need to (and are). I don't think it's the money that is "useful", it is only paper afterall. It's the people's intentions and power behind the money and what they choose to do with it. Money is a symbol and a means, but is it really necessary anymore? It seems so juvenile to me.

What you are really doing with your money when you help others with it, is just using your heart - if we were to strip it all down, the money part really isnt necessary. No matter what anyone says, it's not. We could all get by without any money. For sure, we would find new and better ways to survive, right? Can't we find ways to help each other live without all the pieces of paper and coins? Can we grow up now? I think so and think we are about to, whether we think so, or want to, or not. The economic situation in the world is crumbling. I think the situation is more dire than what they lead us to believe. It wasnt built on a solid foundation to begin with, so it cannot last forever. Inherently we all know something is very wrong with the picture here.

quote:
but right now, i doubt we can get rid of money and deal with every other issues at the same time.

Sure we could! We are more powerful, resourceful, and inventive than that! Do you really think we couldnt? Do you believe we are more powerful than we know? That that is something they don't want us to find out or come to realize. Maybe we could tap into the dormant 90% of our brain, connect it with the heart and find better ways. They have brainwashed us into thinking we cannot live without money and it seems we can't. We've become slaves, dis-eased. It's sick. And what's worse is we believe we need this thing called money and don't do anything about it. We really believe we need it to survive. It goes very deep. Many of us are too tired stand up, band together and fight. We have to work our ***** off to get money, to "live" and we come home and are tired, because we no longer nurture outselves. We just continue to feed a monster. We go on like good little sheep. But are we really living? We could change everything, you know. We could come together and put an end to it all. I think on an unconscious collective level we are! The system no longer works and never really did. It doesnt serve our growth. We've been caught up in it for too long and it's killing us. We are better than this. More powerful. We are. We have hearts and brains and we need to make use of them.

Thank you for letting me get that out and getting me thinking.

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T
Knowflake

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posted October 14, 2009 01:25 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for T     Edit/Delete Message
Yes, I help others and donate time to worthy causes too. I'm not interested in talking about it though.

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pire
Knowflake

Posts: 862
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posted October 14, 2009 01:37 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for pire     Edit/Delete Message
T, i'm not surprised to know you are involved;

bm, i've got jupiter, mars, ic and saturn in virgo, they can bring it on
but thanks for the warning. my motto is what doesn't kill me makes me stronger (8th house sun conjunct herakles)

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katatonic
Knowflake

Posts: 2380
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posted October 14, 2009 02:18 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for katatonic     Edit/Delete Message
the conversations with god books came out of a spell of homelessness. i can think of more than one person who considers their "lowest/least" period the best thing that ever happened to them, be it homelessness, prison, "terminal" illness that did not terminate them...

i agree with t, we need to start thinking about going AROUND the system. trade and barter are workable ways of exchange and have been used by pioneers since the start of time.

i too have sheltered homeless people, who were fine with it for a very short period but left to go back to the street. the homeless "shelters" i know here in california come with so many rules, counseling mandates, curfews even, that a lot of people would rather their freedom than that option.

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GypseeWind
Knowflake

Posts: 1794
From: Dayton,Ohio USA
Registered: May 2009

posted October 14, 2009 02:42 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for GypseeWind     Edit/Delete Message
and also, people are homeless for different reasons.

My brother is homeless in San Fransisco right now.
He has also been homeless in N.J., Seattle, Portland Oregon, and FL.

He has skills. He owned a flooring company, is an amazing musician, and also has worked as a chef.

But he has schizophrenia, and every time he gets a job, the employer finds a bogus reason to fire him within three weeks. It's always three weeks. I guess it takes them that long to see that he isn't quite right.

Where are the tolerate souls in the world? Yes, he says crazy things, but he is harmless, and if you ignore him, he'll just talk to himself and keep working. What are people so fricken afraid of? He is a double Virgo, and the hardest working person I've ever known, but no job, no home, just cuz he's different.

sorry for the rant. I love my brother.

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pire
Knowflake

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posted October 14, 2009 03:52 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for pire     Edit/Delete Message
kat, i wouldnt glamorise homelesness; recently i took one in my car and i listened to music on the radio, some romantic tune by lionel ritchie i think, and even though the guy was totally independent and would surely not have asked for any help, he started to cry.

i can't think of anything good of sleeping in the cold. it reminds me of a friend who lived in one of his friend's house while t is one was away. the house needs to be refurbished (or just furbished for that matter), there is no shower nor toilets (and this is exceptional in france i precise for US citizens who've never come he) anyway, he glamorised it and told me it wa excellent/cool/great to go and poo in nature; i'm romantic too but there are some limits i think.

gypsee i agree, for your brother is not just a random homeless, he's someone.
he has a right to choose for himselfand he should also have a right to be helped when needed. i'm thinking of the story T wrote above about the person asking why he should pay to live on a planet where he's born.
as far as i can seesociety ain't suffering in the hands of homeless but of traders and politicians; homeless usually are deeply pacifist and philosophical; they should have a right to influence society, and deserve as much credit if not more as traders do.
they often suffer psychologically of some trauma and society doesn't lend a hand for support but to push them away. it's a shame.
to be honest, i studied politics at uni to change something, but i realised this way was blocked by people already in power; idealism in this field is a good thing... for elections, but if u are scrupulous, u can't get involved in politics (i mean national or international, not local-but that's another debate)
so now, i've got my idea getting ready; i don't want to develop it cause it has to happen and it's not mature enough but one day, hopefully, i'll set up something, but that is only because im personally concerned; other people don't have to get involved, or not in my way;
my way is to take them out of misery, one by one; if i manage to do it for 4 or 5 of them, i'll be successful; for others who cook, preparing food for them is a way, or giving a tener and loving their kids, or creating a company and having employees
helping homeless is just one way of being a useful member of society

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katatonic
Knowflake

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posted October 14, 2009 06:16 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for katatonic     Edit/Delete Message
i don't mean to romanticize it. in fact i am not far from homeless myself. but for an empty basement, which lets in water in the winter...

i was just thinking this morning how much harder it is to be homeless in a world where so much is sewn up, spoken for, cordoned off and locked. again, too many people and not enough care from those who have more than enough. when will we see that the earth is not our possession to carve up as we see fit?

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koiflower
Knowflake

Posts: 989
From: Australia
Registered: Apr 2009

posted October 14, 2009 07:53 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for koiflower     Edit/Delete Message
pire - have you heard of Habitat for Humanity? This is a great opportunity for people to join up and go to another country that desparately needs housing. Google it!!!

Homelessness is such a political hot potato. Do you think you would find this problem in Communal style of living? Our societies are so economy driven, we haven't got time, or the money, to deal with deep social issues on a grand scale. We must make sure our economy is oil-driven, and let the little people like us to donate our time and money in helping others. A sad state of affairs..........

Geez, the world's a weird place.

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Yin
Knowflake

Posts: 762
From:
Registered: Apr 2009

posted November 02, 2009 11:01 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Yin     Edit/Delete Message
Sometimes one smile or one kind word is all it takes to brighten up somebody's day.
Happy Monday!


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