Homelessness and panhandling are huge where I live. Good weather, a tolerant police department all play a role. Some are young transient people who congregate downtown and harass the locals and tourists. I think a lot of them are addicts or on the way to being addicts. They are aggressive and have taken the pleasure out of going downtown.
We also have a lot of mentally ill and older alcoholic and drug addicted homeless. We also have another set of homeless who live out of their old motor homes. I have also noticed an increase in parents panhandling with children.
i find those cases very disturbing.
Over the years my feelings have changed. I have several friends who have children who are homeless. 1 has a D who was midway through a doctorate program, married and in her late 20’ started exhibiting signs of schizophrenia. Despite a loving family, financial means to get help her D first lived in the mountains and then on the streets cutting all contact with her family. My friend lives for sightings to know her D is alive. This friend always gives money or food to street people.Another friend has a S who is a Meth addict. He doesn’t want to stop and lives camping out at the beach. She will buy a meal but doesn’t give cash.When it rains she will let him sleep at her home and feed him but won’t give him money. I have another friend whose B lives in subsidized housing and he told his sister that many of the guys on the freeway off ramps live in his housing project and pull in a decent amount of cash. Con artists. For the last couple of years I’ve seen a young woman college age who begs with her dog at a local shopping center. I assume she is an addict. She looks so innocent and I can’t help but feel like she is someone’s daughter and out there is a Mom worried about her child. I also have a young family member who at one point was using drugs heavily. I didn’t give money since I knew it would be used for drugs. I did give food on occasion. I knew that as long as people gave her money she wouldn’t get help. I have a friend who approaches young homeless and offers to let them use her cellphone to call their parent to let them know they are alive.
My H plays volleyball on the beach at lunchtime. A lot of homeless hang out nearby. Most of them are mentally ill and alcoholic. He has 1 guy who loves to watch them play. My H and his friends bring him books, food and dry clothes after a rain.
So in my confusion I vacillate on what to do. I donate to organizations. I give on occasion food to homeless who appear mentally ill. I never give to men at the off ramp or people who approach me in parking lots.