What do you think about beggers and homeless people?

[Kayz]

Well today ive been in uni since 9am! been a long hectick day, in the end i get a call that im needed for some volunteer work to help beggers. I thought ok, lets see when i finish, i then saw i finished on time. I also thought it'd be something nice to do in ramadan. After uni i dashed into central london, met up with a few people and went out looking for homless people.

We were basically inviting them to a pre-setup marquee, which will serve them warm meals at iftar with a small talk. The mayor and all high profled people were invited too, but some couldnt attend, but we had a conservative rep and a another woman from parliment, forgotten her name.

I went out with another person, came across a few beggers, and invited them, other people in the public were thinking why on earth were we talking to them..., anyhows, i was just doing my usual stuff, i then came across an elderly lady, she was sitting in a park with her sleeping bag. She was a real genuine normal OAP, but shes homless, i felt sick, really sick and sad, couldnt beleive she was on the street! we talked, i invited her, but she said no becuase she didnt want to miss her daily meal which somebody brings her at 6:30 from Mc'Donald. I thought maybe she dosent want to miss her evening meal. She was so frail and so innocent, if i could i really wouldve taken her to my own home to be frank..., i then realised after meeting that woman how desperate some homeless people are, and how genuine and innocent some are.

To be frank i dont look twice at homeless people who spend their spare change on alcohol and weed, that old lady was really genuine and opened up another prospective about homeless people. Back in the days i use to throw the odd few pennies, but now i think i would be giving more than that to genuine homless people.

Another story, this malasyian guy, came to this country with $20,000 hoping to start up a business and staying here like any other visitor would do. He came with an english guy, he trusted him and with some sort of negotiation he trusted the guy with his money..., now you can imagine the rest, the english guy made a runner and conned the guy, took the whole $20.000. The malasyian guy has no job no money and no documents to even get a job as his intention was to live off the money he bought and start his own business.
He is now on the streets, without hope, just felt absoloutely soo sorry for the guy.

There were other homeless people, it was nice meeting them, serving them the food and eating amongst them, i really now have an idea of what homless people go through. Ive taken some photos with another persons cam, hopefully when i get them i may post them!

The event and food was all organised by Islamic Releif - credits to them for having me as a volunteer and helping those homeless people who really was in need, and im certainly looknig forward do doing more!

So what are your views on homeless people?

[ruby angel]

well i ddnt realli luk at it all tht way, wen i c em in gloucester they all luk lyk drunks so i ddnt really pay much attention. but u did put a different point of view across....i think they shud hav 1 in glosta but there aint a lot of homeless ppl here.

[LickleMizzNaughty]

my veiw is dat u can onli do so muchhhhhhhhhh
an i do all i can 2 help
everytym i c homeless ppl an dey ask me 4 moni i alwayzzzzzzzz give
dat is if i haven ani on me

but itys so sad to c em
an the stories u jus told there more sadning
wish i could do summin 2 help
do summin more

u knw wat i have alwayzzzzzz been thnking that wen i make the mony
i am gunna open a homeless shelter
4 all ppl 2 cme 2 i've alwayz wanted 2 do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
do my bit 2 help ani

[bananasuit]

aww thats nice likkle miss :P
hmm kayz after our convo on msn last night... i could actually feel how sad u were about this onld lady... n there is some thin u can do....... what if u were like that other person that took her her evenin meal... u could take her blankets or clothes or a hairbrush... u could help her the same way the other person is..... or maybe even take her an extra meal .... have u thought about that... even if its just at the weekend or a few days a week im sure she'd appreciate it

[billz]

teha are humans have the same righs u u and me

[Safi]

i tink u need 2 luk at der stories n y they r der....

[pooBUMbiggins]

i'd never actually looked at it like that whatsoever... same as likkle miss i'd always thought if i do geta decent job i will always be giving more than my fairshare towards the community and help out.

but then again there is only so much you can do, most beggers will take the money and spend it on booze, and feed their pets... it just seems odd to see them on the street and why they are there?

you have a real eye opener of a thread

[pooBUMbiggins]

oh and i forgot to add bless you, proper sweet what you are doing. keep it up

[pinky]

dat sent shivers done my bk i hate stuff lyk dat n i hat the tv ads thats come on for stuff lyk dat it always send shivers done my bk. i feel soo sorry 4 ppl lyk dat. i xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[billz]

we are the youth we the future, the reason they spenf so much money on boozw n drugs is coz they got nothing to look foward to there life is shit, so dont thinik about not givin them cash coz they are boozwes or smokers advice them help em

[bananasuit]

instead of givin them money y dnt u giv them food or clothing ?? then atleast u no wot they're doin with it.... in bham they hav these boxes attatched to lampposts where u can put any money u have spare... they're all over the place...

[Mr Sandman]

Originally Posted by bananasuit instead of givin them money y dnt u giv them food or clothing ?? then atleast u no wot they're doin with it

true that.
ever wondered why you may see a 'beggar' in relatively the same spot nearly every day? its because they make more money than you think, an article last year in a london newspaper stated that homeless people can make around £80 a day, usually by busking around popular train stations, such as east croydon, clapham junction and london victoria, in shopping centres by change machines or just generally anywhere where alot of people frequent. By word of mouth from fellow 'beggars' they are able to work out good locations to "make" money. Quite a few are lucky enough to live in hostels, and if they are perfectly able to get a job (like most of them seem to be able to be), then they should get off their buttocks and earn the money.
But would you give up an average of £80 a day to earn possibly a fraction of that in a starting job?
Dont get me wrong, there are some genuine homeless people, but they're usually not playing a £100 instrument, clean shaven and have an obedient pet dog by their feet.
Good job though kayz, i personally couldnt do something like that.

[billz]

Originally Posted by bananasuit instead of givin them money y dnt u giv them food or clothing ?? then atleast u no wot they're doin with it.... in bham they hav these boxes attatched to lampposts where u can put any money u have spare... they're all over the place...

true man
there is one geza in bham,alum rock road i front of aziz store who o always give foos n clothing coz i know his story, i like this thread

[__________]

Whats to think? just makes u feel sorry for them and makes you think how lucky we are

[bananasuit]

yea i guess ur right liney..careful tho its too easy just too tar ppl with the same brush

i have seen this in real life tho ... wen my bf lived in aberdeen ... they use a sort of rota system there ....... like an hour in each spot some of them earned more than a week