09:08 - Monday, Jan. 12, 2009
facts and myths about homelessness
happy funday monday one and all!!!
ever wonder about homelessness?
am I the only homeless person you know? i know here in america, i suppose the majority of you fine folks see homeless people onna daily basis, especially in the big cities. does the sight of a homeless person give you the "heebee jeebees?" do you think you know a homeless person when you see one?
well, here today, i will try to give you some fact and myths about the societal stigmata called "homelessness".
Myth:ALL HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE FILTHY DISEASE SPEADING VERMIN
Fact:The majority of homeless people have facilities to obtain for free or a small charge, clean clothing, and shower facilities. for example, here in seattle, urban rest stop is a place where folks like me can go and "shit, shower and shave" so to speak, in nice clean facilities, also do laundry, free of charge! and on tuesday and thursdays, here in seattle, you can goto the mission and get a clean donated set of clothing if you are in dire need! but there is a very small minority of folks that do not and will not partake for whatever reason, the facilities offered.
Myth:ALL HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE ACTIVE BOOZERS AND DRUG USERS!
Fact:although there are some homeless people who drink and use drugs on a daily basis, the majority of homeless people DO NOT "booze it up" or are "crackheads"!
Myth:Homeless people are lazy, dont want to work, and want to sponge off the government dole and all of them are mentally ill.
Fact:although this is true to a minute degree, the majority of homeless do work, hold down a job, but cannot afford rent in a room or apartment due to the inability to get paid a "living wage", or unable to obtain enough hours at a job to afford a room or apartment. alot of working homeless people are awaiting 3 to 5 year "waiting lists" in most cities to obtain "affordable housing" through government sponsored programmes.
Myth: ALL HOMELESS PEOPLE SLEEP OUTSIDE, IN DOORWAYS AND USE ALLEYS TO RELIEVE THEMSELVES.
Fact: a small percentage of homeless people do sleep in doorways and relieve themselves in alleys, but the vast majority of them do not.
Myth: ALL HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE MENTALLY ILL AND UNEDUCATED AND WILL ROB YOU ON THE STREET IF THEY ASK YOU FOR MONEY AND YOU REFUSE.
Fact: although some homeless people are mentally ill to various degrees, it is very rare that a homeless person will rob you on the street if they ask you for money and you refuse, no one in their right mind wants to goto jail! a vast majority of homeless people have and hold various college degrees and very few are "uneducated".
Myth: ALL HOMELESS WANT TO BE HOMELESS AND CHOOSE TO BE HOMELESS!
Fact: the greater majority of homeless people are not homeless of their own choosing! no one wants to stand in the rain and cold waiting for a mission to open their doors for the evening, and no one likes to walk around all the day long, with no place to lay your head down without getting the boot! and its only a very teeny tiny minority of idiots who think "its cool" to be homeless! believe me, IT SUCKS ASS!!!
one thing i want to say here, especially to those of you that live in the major cities of north america, i know on occasion, some homeless person will come up to you and tell you a "hard luck story" on how they "are hungry and havent eaten in 3 days"! this is just NOT THE TRUTH! all major cities and most small towns and even a few villages in north america have missions, and soup kitchens and for the most part, feed you for free or a small cost on a DAILY BASIS! here in seattle, you can get this list and eat several times a day, all the day long!! if you go hungry here in seattle, you have major issues! the point im trying to make is, DO NOT GIVE MONEY TO ANYONE WHO PANHANDLES YOU! they can goto a soup kitchen or shelter to get a good hot meal! and PLEASE DONT FALL FOR "IM A HOMELESS VETERAN" routine! the dept. of veterans affairs has a homeless program where by a homeless veteran can get housing and meals free of charge! if you want to and have a desire to give your "spare change to homeless, just goto any mission or soup kitchen, and donate to them, its tax deductible, and will help the homeless in the long run!!
if you are reading this and you are homeless, and do not know where to turn, send me an email and tell me where you are and i will gladly point you in the right direction to get you help!
well, i hope this enlightened you to some of the various myths and facts of homelessness. no one wants to be homeless, sometimes certain circumstances through no fault of their own causes homelessness.
