A scarf for the homeless

Im collecting stuff for the homeless . Stuff to put in parcels like toiletries. Also i give little bits for the foodbank. I never know when i might be there myself as my job is dodgy. I like the idea of knitting scarves but hats would not be good. Thinking of the last hat i attempted lol

We obviously have a better class of homeless here. The ones I know are harmless and would never do what BB suggested. Now, drunks, on a Saturday night....they are a disgusting sight,

Why not simply offer it to the next homeless person you see OP?

In Guildford yesterday lunchtime on North Street, a 'bed was left by it's 'owner'. It was pouring and must have got soaked. Two duvets doubled over, cardboard, drinks, a pillow of sorts and other belongings right outside shops in a busy (and usually attractive) main shopping area.
A dreadful eyesore.

You should have borrowed a brush and swept the belongings and the person up and put them in a bin, obviously.

We have a homeless man who sits on our High Street. Last year he was there during a very cold snap. I went and bought him some gloves and was given a scarf for him. I never saw him wear them.

We now have a shop in the town where all the profits go to the homeless. I asked them if he was truly homeless and I was told yes and that he was a drug addict. He had been offered help but had declined that help.

I now give him food not money. DH suggested I asked what he wanted to eat and he said a ham and cheese sandwich. To which I added a coke and some grapes.

It’s sad he won’t take help as this would him involve giving up drugs.

Goodness that must have lowered the tone GabriellaG ???

I am troubled by the notion of deserving / undeserving homeless people, which a couple of posters have alluded to.

People living on the streets are in horrible situations, they don’t do it because they can manage their lives. They are invariably drug and/or alcohol dependant, trying to manage mental health issues and/or fleeing all kinds of threatening situations. Being cold, tired, hungry, frightened for significant periods of time exacerbates their inability to manage. This leads to behaviour that is outside of society’s norms but homeless people’s are living lives outside of society’s norms.

Nobody living on the streets is finding life easy and the notions of truly homeless vs some other version of homelessness shouldn’t apply.

I used to be a nurse and am accustomed to people defaecating in my presence. I'd feel ashamed to see this and know |I have a comfortable toilet with a wash basin and towels whenever i want. Where else can homeless people go? There are no public toilets and drug addicts and alkies or not it's not their fault they need to empty their bowels. I'd hate to have to live on the streets. Every local authority should at least provide a lockable pod per person with clean water and sewerage paid for by taxation.

How absolutely awful for any residents or shoppers in North Street, Guildford. They should not have to be subjected to the sight of wet duvets, cardboard, etc.

I also hope you tidied it all away?

Thanks everyone for your help
When it is finished I am going to post it the Whitechapel Mission - as suggested by crystaltips

There are many places for addicts, if indeed the owner of the bedding has an addiction of any kind.
There's a homeless shelter, a place called Acorn where you can access help of all kinds and a day centre plus at least two places which accommodate homeless people.
Many don't want help.
Windmill is a place where help is offered but it cannot, quite rightly, be forced on these persons. There are certain hoops to be jumped through but that's normal for most kinds of help, not just addiction problems.
There are also persons who do have 'homes' but choose to display placards indicating that they have no accomodation.

There was a TV programme showing several people, alcoholics and users if drugs,
some quite young in late teens twenties, who were offered flats and helped with furniture but sold it and defaulted on rent because they earned more by sleeping and 'begging' in car parks by the pay machiness.
They earned as much as £200 per day each and some were couples. They spent it on heroin and very occasionally sofa surfed.

Sad...but they just like the life they live.
Who'd employ them, scarred from injecting, no idea of normality?
You'd have to be very trusting...very trusting.
They have more friends on the street than not, therefore living without their 'mates' is something they cannot envisage.

if of machiness machines

Petra, I'm sorry to hear you didn't get a thank you letter. In my local Seamans Mission, it is manned by volunteers - perhaps it is the same in your one?

Gabriella makes several good points which add up to a PROBLEM compounded of financial instability not properly addressed by government, suppliers of addictive drugs, cheap alcohol, lack of social housing, inadequate mental health care, and inadequate opportunities for disadvantaged youths.

More minor considerations are lack of public toilets with washing facilities and attendant, public baths, and public venues such as libraries and youth clubs.

Sorry, run it by me the points that are being made?

GabriellaG54, at times you speak a lot of sense, not always appreciated by some.

Where? direct me to those bon mots?

Where are the salient points about the issue of homeless people?

Nortsat46 and Gabriella yes, good points.Some sad cases, but all will not be helped, unfortunately.
Well done NanKate ?

Also of course, well done Danni ( I would like a multicoloured scarf myself....bring one to our meadow camp?)?

How long do you think you would last on the streets without trying something to keep you going.....be that alcohol or drugs?

That begs the question of what came first - the homelessness or the drugs, growstuff.

In so many cases it is the drugs that lead to relationship breakdowns, loss of home and a life on the streets is the consequence.
Although there are hostels and night shelters, most will not take anyone who is drug-dependent.

I knit dog/cat blankets for Battersea dogs and cats home. I've done over 100 so far and I always get a thank you from them. PM me if you want a copy of the pattern and the address. X

Ask any ten year old child what they want to be when they grow up and I will guarantee not one of them will ever say they would like to be living homeless on the streets.

Being homeless is traumatic and dangerous and frightening. Homelessness is very complex and it doesn't happen in a vacuum. Seven hundred and twenty six people is the number of people (at a conservative estimate) who died homeless last year. And every one of them was someone's child, daughter, grandson, brother, mother, friend. Even if we don't like some of their actions, attitudes or lifestyle choices, surely we can demonstrate compassion and try to do our part to improve their lot in life.

Sorry, meant to say thank you to DanniRae and all who do exactly that in whatever way you are able.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.