As the title suggests, this post will be looking at the beginning, in the sense that our first point of contact is usually by way of monetary exchange. Whether that be in the form of someone collecting for a ‘Help the Homeless’ charity or maybe the more common one, which would be someone sat, with an upturned hat in front of them. The question ‘Who are we actually giving to ?’ is aimed towards the former, though if anecdotes are true, then the second is also a possible contender.
Before we really get into this, let me make a quick disclaimer, of sorts. My intention was to write an article about homelessness and to try to cover as much as I could. The current situation, the causes and the possible solutions. It soon turned out that I wasn’t going to be able to do that in one sitting. Not without doing the plight a huge disservice. So, this will be the first part. Subsequent articles might be more focused on certain areas within the general theme of homelessness but the key question will remain. What can we do to help end homelessness ?
Looking around our world it’s hard to believe that with all the technology and advances we have made as a species,one of the most basic human needs is not being met, in at least 1.3% of the world’s population. Another fact, that is jaw droppingly obscene, is that the top 10% of adults worldwide, hold 85% of the combined wealth of the world. There are loads of figures that can be played around with but that one is the one I have chosen to use.
Now I don’t want to harp on and seem like I’m standing on a soapbox babbling on about poverty, capitalism and the like, so I won’t. ‘Put up or shut up’ you may say, and I’ll take that. For the record, here’s where we ‘put up’.
Why are we doing what we’re doing
The chances are you’ve come through to this page after you’ve read something else on the site. That being the case you’ll know a bit about what Twack is all about, or at least some of what we’re trying to do. If you’ve just landed here via the wonders of Google Search, then just click on the link below and you’ll see where this idea had come from
click here to read about ‘Twack’s Foundation’
Welcome back and if not that then we’ll just carry on regardless. When I used the phrase ‘Put up or shut up’ I meant it. This is not meant to be pointed at any one thing or body out there, that is doing good work around the globe, in all the areas that need help. Problem I have is that when it comes to donations and fundraising and the like, who’s it for and why should they have it. What do I mean ? Let me explain.
SHAME ON ME
This paragraph, although free flowing for you dear reader, will probably take me a while, with a fair few breaks in it because I want to try to set it out so there is no confusion and so I don’t upset anyone. Everywhere you go there is someone asking for your money.Period. It comes through your letterbox, a knock on your door, at your local school, at work, at the shops and in the media. Loads of different causes, all trying to persuade you that theirs is the one you should be donating to.
Like I said and will say again. This is not a bad thing, and if we can afford to throw a few quid/dollars/groats into a pot so that it can help someone down the line, then we should.
Personally, we’ve set up a few direct debits, each one sending a fixed sum every month. ‘Whoopy do’ me, I hear you say. I have to say it’s easy to do that than keep feeling bad every time someone knocks on the door, or stops me outside the local supermarket asking to donate to their particular charity. Shame on me, maybe, it feels as though I’m being underhand by doing it this way, being able to open the door and say ‘I already donate to ‘such-and-such charity by direct debit, sorry’
Professional Collectors
I promise I’ll get to the point in a bit. Nowadays there is a cloud hanging over anything, pretty much, that smells of charitable donations. Originally it was ‘Where does the money go’ then it was ‘where does the aid go’ and now it’s about cover-ups and abusive workers. For sure, these are the exceptions rather than the rule, but any negative association will impact the confidence of the general public, especially when it is front page news. This in turn has led to the whole industry, taking a bit of a bashing and that, to say the least, is an understatement.
Nowadays when someone comes knocking on your door they will have a name tag as a form of identification, so you at least know that they are legitimate. The same goes for those who might approach you on the high street or wherever they might be lurking. One thing that isn’t apparent, is that many of these workers are not actually part of the organisations they are collecting for. They are part of a separate company that is contracted by the charity they are representing. I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing but it does show a shift in how these organisations are run. In fact, they are run more like a business than a charity and like I said, I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing. I don’t know enough about this area to make an informed statement. I plan to though.
What’s the bottom line
So whether or not you are donating through a direct debit or more casually, every time you see a tin with a slot in the top, you
really have no idea where your money is going. Well, I say you don’t know where it’s going but of course you do, it’s written on the side of the tin. I mean what is the money actually doing. Let’s see if we can’t have an example, OK, I’m doing ‘no names’, call me chicken, whatever. I’m not here to lambaste anyone, they’re doing and I’m not, yet. So you donate ‘One’ and out of that ‘one’ who knows what percentage goes on admin, maybe some goes on running costs that are outside of admin (advertising, fundraising, legal costs, day to day stuff) and what percent goes towards the cause. See, I just don’t know, do you ?
Let me just add, none of the above is me ‘slating’ or ‘having a go at’ any of these organisations, I’m merely pointing out that we give and we don’t always know what we’re actually giving to.
Who to choose
Here’s the ‘biggy’ and will lead nicely to where I’ve been heading from the start. Who do you choose and why ? We all pick our ’causes’ for a reason. I’m not talking about putting your change in a jar at you local shop or adding your name to your child’s or friend’s sponsorship form. I’m talking about those bodies we give to because we think their remit fits with our belief. There are multiple charities and non-profit organisations that are all working in the same arena. These might be illness related, famine related, homelessness related and so on. I mean there are so many to choose from. Some do more than others and some are very focused and specific in there aims. Many are global and in many countries, for instance. The only figure I could come up, as to how many of these types of charities exist, was one form 2015. Using that and an average, annual percentage increase over previous years, gives me a ‘guesstimate’ of somewhere in the region of 1.9 million. It’s no wonder it’s so hard to choose.
Again, the absolute vast majority are doing a phenomenal job and sometimes in horrendous conditions.
Your choice may be something closer to home rather than a global humanitarian cause. I am a firm believer that charity begins at home, maybe. A relative or close friend may have had an illness, you might like cats, who knows. We all have our reasons. So the lists are endless and choices are difficult, mainly because there are so many choices.
Barely Scratching The Surface
As you can see already, we’ve barely scratched the surface. We haven’t even begun to explore ‘homelessness’. Still, I have to start somewhere and the ‘first point of contact’ seemed the best place to do that. The question of who or what we decide to give to, is a personal one. There are no right or wrong answers. We all have our reasons. Maybe the bigger question is why we choose not to give. Those reasons are yours and only you know the answers.
As you can see though, it’s not a shallow topic. There are many layers to it. You may have read this and thought, what has this got to do with homelessness. What can we do to help end homelessness was the opening question. Giving is one thing we can do and yet, often times we don’t. Some of the reasons are listed above and some will be more to do with our own preconceptions of the problem and we how we view it. Misconceptions even.
Working out why we do and don’t donate is a good place to begin, I feel. This is because, in my opinion, there is a stigma attached to homelessness. I could write thousands of words on the subject but for many they would fall on deaf ears (or eyes) because of their own ‘beliefs’. You know what they are. I am sure many of us have a friend or two that, if the discussion arises, will cite their reasons for not giving to a homeless person. No point in me reiterating them here, we’re all well aware of them.
In some cases, I am sure they are right. That’s some, not all. One friend of mine said something that stuck with me, when we were talking about giving money to those who were obviously homeless. To paraphrase, she said that if she was living on the streets, then she’d probably have a can of something stronger than fizzy pop in her hand. Anything to help the day go by.
I’ll leave you with a couple of quotes that resonate with me, in regard to the topic in hand.
“We only see the world through our own eyes and not those of others. We get a facsimile of others lives at best, unless we see it and live it for ourselves.” Twack Romero.
“We see, we judge but we don’t know what lies behind, or what has gone before in anyone’s life.” Twack Romero.
I’ll leave it there, I think. Thank you for taking the time to read through my offering and please feel free to leave a comment. Any thoughts or suggestions are always welcome.
Be well.
Twack Romero.
Great post and it definitely opens the door to a lot of points that should be addressed. Why isn’t more help being offered for the homeless. For example, there are many ways tax money is so frivolously being spent, like special heated coffee mugs for the air Force. Within the past two years there has been more than $325,000 tax dollars getting spent on roughly 390 reheating coffee mugs when there are real problems like homelessness that need to be addressed.
Many times when donating to a charity, how do we know our donation’s are actually being used for their intended purpose? are those donations actually reaching their location, or is the money being embezzled? These are naturally concerns but the bottom line is homelessness has gone on far enough and more action clearly needs to be done.
Hi Neil, thank you for your excellent thoughts. I think you are absolutely right, there is a balance that needs to be redressed. This is the forst article in a series that I plan on writing. Hopefully, I’ll be able to cover many more of the issues surrounding this awful situation. That ‘coffee mugs’ is almost unbelievable.
Over the last couple of years, there has been plenty of negative publicity surrounding various charities across the world. Unfortunately this has undone much of the good work carried out by those that are beyond reproach.
Apreciate you taking the time to comment, thank you.
Be well.
Twack Romero.
A thought provoking and well written article Twack. You have of course as you say only scratched the surface on what I imagine is a thorny subject in any country.
Personally I prefer to give whenever I witness the need. That can take any shape or form and can be in a multitude of ways. For the most part it is direct, perhaps that is my way of knowing I am making a ‘real difference’ to an individual.
As a mum to two young children I often try to do it in their company, buying a meal, a coffee or donating warm clothes, so that my children learn that they are lucky to have a roof, food and warm clothes. I like to think that my giving nature has rubbed off on them.
I look forward to reading more on this topic in the near future.
Thanks and all the best to you, Julie Anne
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my offering and leave a comment. To think that I first intended to write just the one article, how naive was that ? Your attitude towards ‘giving’ is beautiful, to say the least. I believe you are also right, in that you are making a difference, a very real difference at siurce, as it were.
Whilst doing this, you are also teaching your children the true value of both giving and being grateful. I am sure that will stay with them forever.
Thank you again for such a warm and uplifting response.
Be well.
Twack Romero.
You offer much food for thought…a LOT actually. Homelessness is not an easy topic to discuss and the causes of homelessness are as varied as the number of people who identify as homeless.
With that said, and this may surprise you, there are those individuals who actually prefer this lifestyle. Granted, those people are suffering some type of severe mental illness – duh…who in their “right mind” wants to live on the streets!
Giving to an individual or through a charity is clearly a personal choice however, giving to person holding a cup ensures the person in need is the direct recipient of your gift.
My husband and I make a donation each month to three different charities each of which, coincidentally, provide housing for people who are homeless, are victims of domestic abuse and another that provides medical care.
Those less fortunate will always be in need of those who have more – that’s life.
What I would like to see, are the root causes of homelessness addressed. If we can prevent the circumstances that result in homelessness, we could then direct our efforts toward maintaining a healthy and productive environment that is hopefully free of homelessness.
Hi Susan, thank you for such an in depth comment. You’ve raised some really salient points. I am hoping that through comments like this I can address certain concerns, that are coming from those who have an awareness of the plight.
I have heard the same, regarding those who have made the choice to stay living as they do. Getting to the root cause is paramount, if we are to provide solutions that are viable for the those who are clearly in need of help.
In my mind, the work has to be equally pointed towards the causes as well as the solutions, one part of which is housing or some form of permanent accomodation.
Realy grateful for you taking the time to leave such a well thought through comment. Thank you.
Be well.
Twack Romero.
Hi,
A few years back I had this discussion at my church about how easy it is to give a dollar or two ( in my case euro’s) in that jar. Usually to projects that I call “far far away from my bed” aka third world countries. The question came up if I ever did help someone nearby ” the next-door fellow” who actually had no door but was living on the street. My answer was no but got me thinking…Why not do that instead of giving that little exchange that burned in my pocket and really helps someone. After talking to my spouse, we agreed to do exactly that, I took a homeless one in my house, provided food, clean clothing, even helped him with legal matters but it ended quite badly, the person started to steal stuff from me to sell to get some beer cans.
In short, I am back to giving that little exchange that is burning in my pockets to third world countries.
Although I had this bad experience I still believe in giving to those are in need but taking another homeless one in my house ..I must admit I think more than twice now.
Thanks for sharing this
All the best
Wow Luc, that is an incredible story. Kudos to you for even attempting to do what you did. I can honestly say, I have never directly met anyone who has made such a gesture. It was unfortunate that it ended as it did. One of the areas I would like to cover, are the root causes and how we can do more to get to them and try and solve them.
The end solutions, as in providing accomodation and getting people reintegrated in society are all well and good but there needs to be more work in helping with the initial causes. It is a huge endeavour to undertake but I think if we are all made more aware of the situation, then we can apply our help in the right places.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my article and leave such an inspiring comment.
Be well.
Twack Romero.
Hi Twack,
It is unfortunate to know that 10% of of adults worldwide hold 85% of the combined wealth in the world. There is such a huge gap between the rich and poor, sometimes I wonder how the so called middle class survives. Homelessness, is a sad and unfortunate part of today’s society. I see people bundled up in the cold and snow. I try to understand the reason behind why this is happening. Sometimes it has to do with trust. I know some homeless individuals would rather sleep on the cold streets than use a shelter. Do I trust all the charities out there, no I do not. I have heard people say to me, if I give that person a dollar, he or she will collect the monies to buy alcohol or drugs. Let us not judge. I do not know what the homeless person is going to do with my money I may give. That is not why I gave.
As far as the big charities are concerned as mentioned in your post, how is this money divided up. How much does admin get, and as it comes down the line how much does the person who needs the donation get. I am pretty sure it is very little.
Your article is very powerful and needed. I give to charities by volunteering my services. I give to the homeless person because I do not know, that could be me down the line. I try not to take anyone or anything for granted.
Thank you for sharing this.
Michael
Michael, thank you for such a wonderful and earnest comment. You have hit upon a couple of things that are in my mind currently. The disproportionate wealth distributon was something that I found quite ‘Jaw-dropping’. I also think that getting to the ‘why’ is going to be at the core of any work that is carried out in trying to alleviate this tragic situation.
My next article will try and throw some light on the reason behind why we give, or more to the point, why many of us don’t. The reasons for many are based on their own beliefs. The way charities have been shown to be less than honest in their use of funds, hasn’t helped, in the slightest. This has caused many that are ‘above board’ to suffer.
Your outlook and approach towards the homeless is admirable and shows your own integrity. Being able to give without judgement is omething that is hard to find these days.
Thank you again, for such an honest and candid comment. It is truly appreciated.
Be well.
Twack Romero.
What a thought-provoking article. In this country (the UK), charity has become a big business with even small charities employing and paying a lot of staff, and charity shops have taken over our high streets. While this is not a bad thing in itself, I think it lures us into thinking we are helping the needy in our society by buying something from a charity shop when, really, we should give our time to helping people directly.
Thank you so much for leaving such an insightful comment. You have raised a couple of points that I hope subsequent articles will touch upon.
Now more than ever, the spotlight is on charities. They should and will be made more accountable. We are now having to think harder about who we give to, which is a shame for those charities that are doing some incredible work.
Working directly with those who are at the ‘grass roots’ would seem to be the way forward, at least you can see first hand, where both your efforts and money is going.
Very grateful that you have taken the time to read and comment on this article, it’s much appreciated, thank you.
Be well.
Twack Romero.
I have read your article with much interest as this is a topic that I have both thought about and also had some experience with.
It is quite a dilemma and you are correct when you say that we all make judgments about this subject based on our own experiences. I have given money and food to homeless people at varying times. I have given money to someone who told me a long story about how he needed money for accommodation after he had been caught in a situation beyond his control. I was then advised a short time later that he was actually a local person who scammed people out of money to support his drug habit. This of course is the biggest fear of most people, that their money is going to be used for drugs or alcohol.
After this experience I was then more inclined to give food to a homeless person who asked for money. That is in itself is a power play by the person who gives to a homeless person. When you control what give to the degree that you choose to give food and not money, you are in fact saying that you do not trust that person to spend the money wisely or in the manner that you might like them to. This could undermine the self worth of that person even more.
This is a very good subject that you have covered and it is in fact the elephant in the room to a degree because which ever way you choose to help such a person in need then you may either be facilitating their addiction or undermining their self worth.
I will be interested to follow your articles to see where you go with this issue. It is interesting about the wealth distribution stats that you have quoted, and I have previously heard similar stats. I have also heard the fact that if the wealth was distributed evenly to all people , then it would be redistributed to the same demographics within a short time and the poor and downtrodden will remain the same.
Good luck with this one. I will follow with interest.
First off Karen, let me say that I am truly thankful for such a well thought, candid and insightful comment. It’s not a short article and is one that can make some feel uncomfortable. You have highlighted some areas that I plan on exploring in more depth, in future posts.
Your point about undermining a persons self-worth, is one that I hadn’t really thought about, it does ring true though. Two of my sons have given in this manner. When in town, they would quite often buy something from a bakery and then proceed to give to those that might obviously be in need.
We ourselves have donated food directly to some of the shelters that are local to us. It’s both indirect and direct at the same time and is always appreciated.
There is always going to be that ‘nagging’ doubt in the back of our minds when we give money to someone on the streets, that the money may be used for drugs or alcohol. This applies similarly, when giving to charities, in that we are not always sure of where the money is actually going.
I will try and address some of these concerns in the next article. Such excellent comments help enormously. Thank you again.
Be well.
Twack Romero.
A very great article which sets us to think very deep on how to change our world for the better. What we lack nowadays is love in a form of giving to the homeless. We need to cultivate the habit of helping the homeless with every little thing we have. I think sometimes we should forget about whether our donations would be used for the right purpose or not amd just give, because we giving would be rewarded greatly by the universe no matter what our donations are being used for.
Great article
Thank you Edward. Your response makes me smile because you have hit the mark. We should ‘just give’ as that is the act that holds the most power within the universe, at least when doing it with ‘love’. I should mention that ‘gratitude’ is up there with it also.
Sometimes we need to take a step back and make things simple again. Thanks for this Edward, most enjoyable.
Be well.
Twack Romero.
What a powerful article. You are writing about Homelessness but the excellent quote “We see, we judge but we don’t know what lies behind, or what has gone before in anyone’s life.” is so true and relevant to many areas, if not all areas of life.
I have some personal experience of homelessness, not me, but people I have known and I can say without doubt that the quote above cuts through and destroys many non thinking and thoughtless comments that are made about this issue.
Of the homeless people I have known there is ALWAYS a story that is full of sadness and of sorry in one form or another, often the story is much worse that the homelessness itself. It is very easy to judge but not easy to judge well.
As far as giving to a cause, I prefer the local approach, in the town where I live there are many homeless people and a few great homeless charities, at Christmas last, these charities made appeals for warm clothes and for food for feeding the people who live on the streets during freezing weather. To my mind using local charities seems to cut out the chance of misappropriation of funds.
Keep up the great work.
Mike
Hi Mike, thank you for such a in depth comment and for the compliment in regard to the quote. More and more I am seeing a general theme coming through, that giving at the local level is where people feel happiest or most comfortable. It is certainly needed, in all of the places where we live.
There’s the ‘rub’ then. Some of the hardest hit areas might not be in places where ‘giving’ is possible. As attitudes towards the larger institutions change, so does the ability to help in those areas. It’s a shame that the trust is being lost. Thanks again, much appreciated.
Be well.
Twack Romero.
Thank you for this post — it is a subject that needs to be discussed.
It is so sad that, for such a wealthy country, we have so many who are homeless. I feel so fortunate to have a roof over my head. I can’t imagine living on the streets, especially in the cold winter. Many of us would like to help, but are not sure of the best way to do so.
I visited a friend in California a year ago. She was involved in starting an organization that’s meant to build some sort of housing for these people. It’s become a big problem in her town, and her thought is that it is important to give people some sort of base. Very simple housing can be a start.
I went with her to a community feed for the homeless that is put on once a week. Folks who came to eat seemed to like the idea of some sort of housing a great deal. Several of them had dogs, so they had to feed themselves and an animal that depended on them. Once a week at a community feed is not enough to keep them well-fed and healthy.
I think such housing needs some sort of basic rules, but I believe the rules should be minimal. To get these people into such housing and to keep them there will involve some understanding of their wants and their feelings. We can’t just build a place, attach a bunch of regulations and expect it to take off. Some of them are probably homeless because they couldn’t handle all the rules.
Then there are the ones who are mentally ill. it’s surprising how many homeless fall into this category. If we are such a great and wonderful place, one would think we could come up with a way to solve that problem.
I’ll be interested to see how your posts address the various problems in this issue.
Thank you Fran, for such an insightful and informative comment. It comes through that we could be doing more, plain and simple.
There are so many avenues to go down, in regard to what we can actually do to help. Housing is certainly an area that would provide relief for many. Yet, at the same time, the reasons why these people ended up where they have, also needs to be addressed.
Only the other day, I had a conversation with a couple of friends, who said that they had heard of a few large warehouse buildings, that were being used as shelters. They had been bought by celebrities and although very basic, they provided a warm and dry place for those who needed it. I believe they also had a small staff, to ensure that the facilities remained in a usable condition.
There are many buildings scattered around every town and city, that could be utilised in such a way. So much to look at.
Thank you again.
Be well.
Twack Romero.
I won’t give to the larger charities anymore. Hearing about their “investments” and a few years back a well reported investigation into some investing in arms, just one of the questionable things they were investing in. My argument here is: Why are they investing money that has been given to help people. It means they need to pay people to do the investing and look after it. Wasting more money given in good faith.
You can actually look up how small an amount of your donation actually goes where its meant to.
Homelessness is very sad. There are many reasons why people end up on the streets and if you listen to some of the stories you understand how easily it could happen to anyone. Youngsters who escape from an awful living situation, many
people who lose a loved one and end up losing their home as they go into a downward spiral in the immediate aftermath. Ex-military who’s experiences in service to their country leave them wounded inside and out, so they too end up homeless.
So much sadness.
There are local charities that help those in their area, that are kept going with donations and manned with volunteers but they cannot help everyone as they don’t have the resources. There are many working hard to aid as many as they can to get off the streets, give them sanctuary to recover then aid in starting afresh. These are the unsung heroes, the ones you rarely hear about. These are the ones that need and deserve the donations.
Thank you Linda, such a wonderful comment. I share your concerns as to the integrity of some of the larger charities. Unfortunately, due to the way this has been reported over the last few years, it does mean that there will be those that are above board, who will suffer as a consequence. The worst part, is that it means even less aid going to where it is needed.
The feeling that I am getting, is that most would rather help on a local level. In ways where they can see their money or donations, being put to use.
Those that give of themselves, tirelessly, deserve all the help they can get. As you say, many are giving their time and compassion endlessly. I wonder how they do it without becoming disheartened, especially if they can see no end to the dilemma.
I have a couple of ideas, that hopefully, I will be able to explore as I work through this series of articles, though how many more there will be, I have no idea. Each and every comment adds more to the debate.
Thank you again Linda, it’s very much appreciated.
Be well.
Twack Romero.
Hello
Thanks so much for sharing, homelessness affects more people than we know but people rarely talk about it, it`s like “it doesn’t affect me so I choose to look the other way”.
I think in today`s economy, most of us are just one paycheque away from homelessness, an emergency, sickness, and anyone could end up without a roof over their head because most do not have any savings.
I`m lucky in my country(Switzerland)we do have a very active social system that even if someone lost a job and had nil income, they`ll not end up on the streets as the goverment will find and pay for an affordable housing till you`re back on your feet no matter how long it takes.Now I know this is not the case in every country.
Now I`ve not known many homeless folks but I do understand most of them to have mental issues but I think this is to be expected, how can a person be outdoors 24/7 come rain, sun or winter cold and still be normal.
Another problem that causes homelessness(in my opinion) is the lack of affordable housing.
Professional collectors:
You`ve spoken at length about professional collectors, I find this to be a sensitive matter, there are so many different organizations out there collecting money to help the needy that, you`ll not know who to give and who not.
But talking of professional collectors, does our money go to the right use after it`s collected? I think not really and I`ve seen this first hand. I`d rather donate for a local cause, but for international charities, I`m just not willing as I`ve heard and seen some not so charitable deeds from these charities.
So yes I will donate, but like you, I prefer to donate to local charities, I don`t mind if they are salvation army or whatever, but I`m not donating to some “save the children” or some help “dig a borehole” to some third world country as I know only a portion of that cash gets used, most of it is being used for unrelated causes that do not even help the locals in the first place.
I do not judge, I donate my time if I have to, I help a homeless guy if I can but donating to some multinational organization is just not for me. I`d rather my donation helped someone local as I know for a fact our local charities will benefit more than donating to someplace where I`m not even sure locals will benefit.
HelloThanks so much for sharing, homelessness affects more people than we know but people rarely talk about it, it`s like “it doesn’t affect me so I choose to look the other way”.I think in today`s economy, most of us are just one paycheque away from homelessness, an emergency, sickness, and anyone could end up without a roof over their head because most do not have any savings.
I`m lucky in my country(Switzerland)we do have a very active social system that even if someone lost a job and had nil income, they`ll not end up on the streets as the government will find and pay for an affordable housing till you`re back on your feet no matter how long it takes. Now I know this is not the case in every country.
Now I`ve not known many homeless folks but I do understand most of them to have mental issues but I think this is to be expected, how can a person be outdoors 24/7 come rain, sun or winter cold and still be normal. Another problem that causes homelessness(in my opinion) is the lack of affordable housing.
Professional collectors:
You`ve spoken at length about professional collectors, I find this to be a sensitive matter, there are so many different organizations out there collecting money to help the needy that, you`ll not know who to give and who not.
But talking of professional collectors, does our money go to the right use after it`s collected? I think not really and I`ve seen this first hand. I`d rather donate for a local cause, but for international charities, I`m just not willing as I`ve heard and seen some not so charitable deeds from these charities.
So yes I will donate, but like you, I prefer to donate to local charities, I don`t mind if they are salvation army or whatever, but I`m not donating to some “save the children” or some help “dig a borehole” to some third world country as I know only a portion of that cash gets used, most of it is being used for unrelated causes that do not even help the locals in the first place.
I do not judge, I donate my time if I have to, I help a homeless guy if I can but donating to some multinational organization is just not for me. I`d rather my donation helped someone local as I know for a fact our local charities will benefit more than donating to someplace where I`m not even sure locals will benefit.
Thank you so much ‘Roamy’, you have raised so many excellent points. Everyone who has commented, has really gone the ‘extra mile’ in their replies.
I have heard that said, about many of us only being a few paycheques away from destitution and homelessness. This can happen for lots of different reasons, many of which are unforeseeable.
You mentioned about the ‘social system’ in your country, helping those who need it, to stay with a roof over their heads. It’s a wonder that more countries don’t adopt such an attitude. It does make me wonder, that if it was propsed but had to be paid for by higher taxes, whether it would receive the support it needed.
I strongly believe that we need to get to the root causes of why people find themselves in this situation. That is no easy task, in it’s self. It is necessary though, if we are to continually reduce the numbers that I am sure are ever increasing.
I have to admit, I do not understand the complexities of running a charity, when it comes to financing and accountability. At some point, someone has worked out that it is cheaper (or more profitable/ tax deductable) to hire professionals to canvas for donations. It seems that everyone wants a piece of the pie and whatever is left, is for those that need it the most.
Thank you again for such an wonderful comment.
Be well.
Twack Romero.
Hi Romero, thank you for a thoughtful post. This is certainly a difficult topic to talk about and quite frankly you were pretty spot on on some of the thoughts that crosses our minds when we are asked to give. I can definitely identify with the example given, that I’ve setup direct debits and donate that way and that pretty much gives me the justification that I don’t need to give to the person who asks me on the street. I’ve done that countless times and I don’t feel bad about it especially when the people who approach me are those part-time workers who puts on a bubbly attitude (that feels so fake) when asking for donations. A thought that often crosses my mind when I see actual homeless people who have both hands and feet intact are sitting on the street asking for donations. They could have issues that may not be visible and I do not want to judge them but sometimes I do think that if they actually went door-to-door asking and looking for work, I am sure they would be able to find one – maybe not full time but part time. This is quite a topic but more recently I have been reading about minimal allowance from governments and how these programs have been quite successful. This is a good way to reduce homelessness and instead of giving to charities, we could actually give to the government who will then need to be accountable on how those money are spent to reduce homelessness. What do you think?
Hello Abrell, thank you for taking the time to read through my offering and leaving such a thoughtful comment. I think many of us do the same as you. Setting up a direct debit means you have that ‘get out clause’ when approached from other charities. Let’s face it, it’s impossible to give to every person that you meet in the street, or who knocks on your door.
You are also so right, we never know the whole story and if we do judge, then we do so without all of the facts. There are one hundred and one reasons why people end up where they do. It wouldn’t take too much for it to happen to anyone of us.
I would have to research into the ‘Minimal allowance program’ as I’ve not heard of it before. It would be interesting to see how the general populus would feel about ‘giving’ to the governments, unless of course it was included in the tax revenue. That might not go down to well.
Food for thought indeed. I appreciate your thoughts, they are gratefully received.
Be well.
Twack Romero.
This is a laudable venture that the government, non-government, and church are addressing and all are short of doing so because of limited resources and population explosion.
There are a lot of individuals with Foundations centered for this purpose yet homelessness still lurk as a societal issue. The question, who are we actually giving to, is pertinent in the ground that we want to ascertain who are the legitimate needy.
The answer could be gained in coordination with the local government unit especially in the concern of identifying who are the targets.
We don’t want to help anyone that is an organ of illegal organizations, I mean people being used by scammers to gain for their own benefit.
Your venture in helping this group of people around you is an absolute good in itself that no one can hinder but the way how it could be supported is a grueling task to work for.
Hi, thank you for the comments. You have some great points that make a good deal of sense. For the most part, it does come down to resources. Many institutions rely heavily on subsidies and donations, it only goes so far.
Information gathering by way of using the local and national governing bodies would aid in finding those that need the right sort of help. It would be good if something official could be linked with those ‘on the ground’, so to speak.
Appreciate you taking the time to read and leave a reply. Thank you.
Be well.
Twack Romero.
This is an insughtful and down to earth post. Just tonight I was talking to my lady about how it makes me sick that anyone who every served in a war for this country should every be homeless. There is a stigma about the people who need the charity and thsi, I believe is actually what prevents people from giving more. No one ever thinks about the situations that got people into the postion in which they needed that charity in the first place. In order for people to help more they have to think more about situations that the actual people, then maybe they can see the people neededing charity in a bit clearer light.
Hi Gary, I totally agree. This is something that comes up time and time again. It is quite a sorry state of affairs, that veterans of any age and nationality should find themselves in this kind of situation. I’m sure many fall through the gaps. Plenty come back from their time serving, with severe issues and can find it hard to adapt back into mainstream life. There are associations that try and help but they can only do so much.
Removing the stigma is an uphill task but one that we can all help to resolve. Many have tunnel vision due to their own beliefs or their exepriences.
It’s a great comment and I really appreciate it. Many thanks.
Be well.
Twack Romero.
Hi there! On Homelessness: Who Are We Actually Giving To? That’s a tough one, really. It’s a problem that is in your face. Lots of individuals are filled with guilt on this. Do I give cash? Do I give food? Do I give encouragement?
As one dollar, you know what? I go to a clean and well-organized environment. A charity, with a receipt, and statement that I can utilize when filing my yearly taxes. A place with a charter statement of intentions, clearly written. A place with an address. Yes, a physical place I can actually find. And a name I recognize. I will be far removed from the jeopardy of the pocket of homelessness. Then, I can be there to truly help out. There I can find structured programs, referrals, shelters, bedding, showers, and primary rounds of counseling. I’ll find proper handling and ideology. There will be a successful demonstration of what daily life is and looks like in the realm of normal.
These parameters will answer me, unequivocally, who I am actually giving to.
All the best!
Thank you for such an excellent comment Jacquelyn. Setting your own parameters is definitely something that works for you. Looking at the list, I would think that anyone considering donating would be filled with confidence. I would imagine that those organisations would be in the upper echelons and setting an example to those around.
Having transparency and accountability is something that should be adopted by all of those involved.
Thank you again for taking the time to read through and leave your thoughts, most appreciated.
Be well.
Twack Romero
Hi,
I think it’s somewhere around 46% or less in the UK that people do not trust charities. Do I trust them? NO not all. If I was going to hand over money it would be to those in the streets. To at least get themselves a sandwich of some kind.
Here in London, there is a charity. This young guy was sleeping rough in a block of flats. The charity came along and chucked all of his stuff in the bin. Did they help the guy? Well, let’s say they didn’t wait to find him and help him. The homeless guy knew where this place was as he slept there as a kid.
There are two old boys both veterans on Bow road just outside the Barclays bank. They have been there for months. I don’t see anyone helping them. I also know that some charities outside say Tescos, for instance, the proceeds don’t go to charity just into the guys pocket and he pays young girls to collect for him.
I am a great believer in charity always begins at home as I do not trust charities. My son many times has given up his coats and his last bit of change on his way back from work. So we help as and when without lining other people’s pockets.
As for the old guys on Bow road. One has a dog so we take money and dogfood. The dog is all cozy as well wrapped up in its own little sleeping bag. It makes me feel better knowing they are getting food and a warm drink.
Great post-Twack.
Debs 🙂
Thank you Debs, for such an insightful comment. The 46% figure doesn’t surprise me in the least. It is a tragedy that things have gone this way, as I am sure that many charities do good and much needed work. I would imagine that many people share the same approach as you do. Putting money or items directly into the hands of those that need it. You can see, first hand, where your kindness is going.
You must be very proud of your son and I’m sure he gets his kind and generous nature from you. Thank you again for taking the time to read and comment, it’s very much appreciated.
Be well.
Twack Romero
I feel like you address something I have always questioned as well. We do hear horror stories of misused funds and then we do become afraid to even give any money. Even to things like GoFund me, because you won’t know who and what that money will really go to. I will definitely be following the rest of your articles. I am very intrigued now!
It is a shame we have gotten to a point in humanity that we think of only ourselves and not others in need. There are so many creative ways people can give and help the community to end poverty.
Even what is going on now shows just how bad our ME mentality is right now 🙁
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my article. I agree whole heartedly, it is a terrible shame that so much of the good work that charities do, is being undermined by those who have no compassion in their make up. So much of a charities reputation is made from trust and unfortunately, that has been lost in so many cases.
You are right, we can’t help but wonder where the money is going, when we donate. Maybe in the coming years there will be more transparency and the charities might be able to regain some of that trust. Thank you again.
Be well.
Twack Romero