I think we need to hear from them, simple as that.
We had a man that used to be homeless and substance-addicted come and talk to us in year 12 and I can say it was one of the most enlightening experiences I've ever had. It certainly turned around a lot of my ignorance on the subject, that's for sure. I think if people saw and heard the suffering and the human side of these people, rather than something just sitting on the footpath, they'd be more willing to help.
I had talks like that in primary school. I really enjoyed seeing how life is for someone else, and it made me realise how privileged I am.
I think we need to hear from them, simple as that.
We had a man that used to be homeless and substance-addicted come and talk to us in year 12 and I can say it was one of the most enlightening experiences I've ever had. It certainly turned around a lot of my ignorance on the subject, that's for sure. I think if people saw and heard the suffering and the human side of these people, rather than something just sitting on the footpath, they'd be more willing to help.
I had talks like that in primary school. I really enjoyed seeing how life is for someone else, and it made me realise how privileged I am.
Oh wow. We didn't have those but we did have someone speak to us who suffered from Schizophrenia. That, I can say is something that blew me away.
You know what I wasn't aware of until recently? Major events causing homeless people to be kicked out of major cities for a period of time. Madness.
I grew up in Fitzroy, Years ago when it wasn't as nice as it is now.
There were lots of homeless people and I never thought twice about them, Not because I didn't care, I just thought it was '' normal '' because I grew up seeing them.
Nonna took us for a walk down brunswick St just about every night, So I seen them alot.
It wasn't untill I was about 14 or 15 that I started to look atthem differently, Maybe because I understood more?? I don't know.
Now when I see a homeless person, It breaks my heart, No one really wants to worry where they'll get their next meal from or if they'll have shelter for the night.
Yes, Alot of these people have drug, alcohol or mental problems but that doensn't make them any less worthy of help or sympathy. They are people too.
And it isn't as easy as '' go find help, there is heaps out there'' Someone very close to me became '' homeless '' with a llittle 3 y.o.. She was lucky enough that I was able to offer her a room for a few months, I tried to help her find a home, I rang everywhere, All the agencies I could find. It was so hard, I know because I was in the middle of it. So it's not as easy as some people think.
I am very lucky that I have a great family that would help me in any way that I need, Some people are not so lucky.
I grew up in Fitzroy, Years ago when it wasn't as nice as it is now.
There were lots of homeless people and I never thought twice about them, Not because I didn't care, I just thought it was '' normal '' because I grew up seeing them.
Nonna took us for a walk down brunswick St just about every night, So I seen them alot.
It wasn't untill I was about 14 or 15 that I started to look atthem differently, Maybe because I understood more?? I don't know.
Now when I see a homeless person, It breaks my heart, No one really wants to worry where they'll get their next meal from or if they'll have shelter for the night.
Yes, Alot of these people have drug, alcohol or mental problems but that doensn't make them any less worthy of help or sympathy. They are people too.
And it isn't as easy as '' go find help, there is heaps out there'' Someone very close to me became '' homeless '' with a llittle 3 y.o.. She was lucky enough that I was able to offer her a room for a few months, I tried to help her find a home, I rang everywhere, All the agencies I could find. It was so hard, I know because I was in the middle of it. So it's not as easy as some people think.
I am very lucky that I have a great family that would help me in any way that I need, Some people are not so lucky.
My only qualms on what you said it.. Sympathy isn't going to change their lives.. Us going home and feeling bad about it isn't going to keep them from being hungry.. People often don't want sympathy or people to feel bad for them..
I grew up in Fitzroy, Years ago when it wasn't as nice as it is now.
There were lots of homeless people and I never thought twice about them, Not because I didn't care, I just thought it was '' normal '' because I grew up seeing them.
Nonna took us for a walk down brunswick St just about every night, So I seen them alot.
It wasn't untill I was about 14 or 15 that I started to look atthem differently, Maybe because I understood more?? I don't know.
Now when I see a homeless person, It breaks my heart, No one really wants to worry where they'll get their next meal from or if they'll have shelter for the night.
Yes, Alot of these people have drug, alcohol or mental problems but that doensn't make them any less worthy of help or sympathy. They are people too.
And it isn't as easy as '' go find help, there is heaps out there'' Someone very close to me became '' homeless '' with a llittle 3 y.o.. She was lucky enough that I was able to offer her a room for a few months, I tried to help her find a home, I rang everywhere, All the agencies I could find. It was so hard, I know because I was in the middle of it. So it's not as easy as some people think.
I am very lucky that I have a great family that would help me in any way that I need, Some people are not so lucky.
My only qualms on what you said it.. Sympathy isn't going to change their lives.. Us going home and feeling bad about it isn't going to keep them from being hungry.. People often don't want sympathy or people to feel bad for them..
It's a bit hard to not feel some kind of pity or sympathy for someone in a terrible circumstance.
I was homeless for a period of time.... about three or four months? Are you saying I got myself into this situation and didn't deserve any help? Thank god my friends and groups like streetlink are more compassionate when it comes to this kind of thing..
I don't want sympathy but when there are people in better situations than you you kinda hope they will lend out a helping hand.
homeless doesnt necessarily refer to people who live in the gutter. It can refer to people on the waiting list for public housing, who may be living with their parents or in a friends garage.
Then you have the people who have lost everything and are living out of their car but are too proud to ask for help.
There are also people who want to be homeless. Allot of druggies and rebellious kids who dont want to live by the rules just travel around and live in decommissioned houses. Often their parents are beside themselves begging them to come home.
Druggies are the ones who will assault you. It's unfortunate that they've become so lost but as soon as they take it out on an innocent I lose any sympathy for them.
And ofcourse you have the bums who live in the city. They often have mental disabilities and need to be constantly looked out for, but no one can provide this. These are the ones at the bottom of the food chain, getting told by security guard to get a job and sleep somewhere else.
there are shelters where they can live, but as i said they are often mentally disabled so they wont do whats best for themselves. One women in Southbank Melbourne cant sleep indoors because she was raped as a kid, so being homeless is really the only way she can live. Alcohol plays a huge factor too.
But yeah, there are different types. Dont be an idiot on go up to someone sleeping in a park and try to help because they might be on meth and extremely aggressive.
In my experience the old bums are harmless, often they have been attacked or set on fire by little ratbag teenagers.
I have friends who are semi-homeless and do drugs so i would appreciate it if you didn't stereotype them in the way you are now. They are some of the nicest people I have ever met, they just suffer from addiction.
Id be more than happy to give a homeless person food, or water, or blankets or something to that effect. Im not happy giving a stranger money. I would give a person who had money, money.. And im not going to give a poor person money, because I dont know what they're going to do with it- although i may not need it, i can't just hand someone over money and think "aw, i did something good" cos i very well could have just done something bad
When was the last time you gave a homeless person food, water or a blanket?
To be honest with you, there's not a whole lot of homeless people in adelaide- that ive seen. I dont go to town at night to see them, they're not wandering around my suburb. Ive only ever seen them when i was in darwin and melbourne.. Ive seen 'bums' but they wernt sitting on the ground wanting money, they were just wandering around every so often..
you have no idea. Take a look at the groups of teens hanging around hungry jacks at the end of rundle mall, the "scene" kids. Half of them are homeless or have had trouble finding a home throughout their lives. and if you want to help homeless people, take a walk through elizabeth, just a street or two off to the side of the shopping center.
