Denver's mechanical panhandlers fight homelessness

The ol' get a job thing proposed by people like Fred and John is a little, ok alot, simplistic.

First of all while your paper may be full of "entry level jobs" these jobs often provide nowhere near enough money to for a family , esp with children, to pay rent, buy food, and provide medical care for a family that likely is homeless due to a medical illness to start with.

I think you have no idea of the number of working homeless in this country anyway. And should 7 year olds get a Job? and how many of these people are likely to be hired by companies if there last known address was the homeless shelter?

There is this huge misconception that there are free services available to the homeless and they are all using the money for drugs or alcohol. While it is true there are people like this, these are mostly panhandlers and vagrants who choose to live this way. You see them more often asking for money becasue most truly homeless people have more respect and pride and to embarrassed to out in the road begging. Keep in mind in a city with 157 beds for the homeless there are as many 5200 homeless people on the street including children. If you can say "get a job" to these kids , anything I can say to somone like you here wont matter anyway your beyond help.

Where do you think these additional beds and meals come from, the homeless fairy? I think the meters are a horrible idea because for one thing, the first thing the city will do is start taking a cut, and next they will give the remaining to religous based organzations to distribute the money on thier terms-be prosyltized to get a little help or move on-

Not to mention, if they dont locate these meters in secure area, the panhandlers and vagrants will likely hang out around them asking people for the money anyway. If you want to help these people give to a bona-fide non governmental charity that is not religous based or if it is religous based, be sure it has a policy of not prosylitizing or having "exit interviews" (prosyltizing) If someone comes to me asking for money and I have it I give it. Even a drunk needs to eat. Im not saying its not partially his faulthes where he/she is but I dont know thier story. A sone poster said, I have a resp to give, what they do with it from there is there rests on thier conscience.

I think the homeless become scapegoats for the problems of society when they are actually more like lost sheep. People like to blame their drug habits or 'laziness' but our real frustration often comes from someone we have no control over; someone or something more powerful or wealthy than we are. It is just an evil convenience to conclude that if so and so were more of a 'better person' the world would be a better place.

When I see someone with a sign needing food, if I have time and money, I'll just go by the nearest fast food place and pick up a couple burgers and drink and then go and drop it off to them. Or in the past I have kept some staples in a grocery bag like peanut butter, etc. and give that to them. I don't like to give money. Recently, our church started feeding at a local soup kitchen. We make the food and serve it. If you haven't done this before, you should try it. It's awesome! As I recall Jesus saying, the poor you will have with you always, and he who gives to the poor lends to the Lord! It truly is better to give than to receive.

For those who think that the only solution is to get a job, needs to walk in the shoes of the mentally challenged people. Who are you to judge what they go through? By the grace of God, I avoided being homeless at the last minute. It was from medical expenses way beyond my needs. Yet the government considered me too rich for help. I agree that we shouldn't give cash. But a meal and a nice smile would go a long way. Some of the people end up losing all self respect after being out on the streets. These are people who never did drugs or abused alcohol. There's a tv program called Second Chance. People need to watch it and become informed!!

Just another way of government manipulation. I give money to people who I feel need it, to eat etc. I don't need the 'governement' to intervene or guide me or my money. This is just more BS.

IRT "Most, if not all of the so called homeless and hungry who have approached me for money, smelled of liquor and or marijuana! And most all of them stumbled around as if they were higher than a Georgia Pine!
Not trying to downplay the situation but man, if you were living out on the street eating out of a dumpster, wouldn't you want a stiff drink too? People complain that homeless people use the money they're given on frivalous things. What do you want them to do? Save up for a nice sofa from the IKEA? I applaud the many organizations out there such as shelters and soup kitchens that provide a safe haven for our less fortunate friends but as the old saying goes, you can't help someone who doesn't want to help themselves.

I think this is a Great Great Idea.
I just hope all of our States do the same.

...and to that great end I say...more money in the pockets of those who are going to manage the money. I will continue to give to my homeless by buying them food, sitting with them while they eat and giving them shoes, blankets or whatever. I shop at thrift stores to buy them clothing and have even donated a pair of my husband's shoes when I saw a man walking around in hospital slippers. The paper kind. I will also continue to donate to my favorite charities who are non-profit. Just my thoughts on this.

ANYTIME POLITICIANS,OR GOVERNMENT OF ANY KIND IS INVOLVED YOU CAN BET THE MONEY WILL GO TO LINE THEIR POCKETS----Not the people that really need it.....Just another (wolf in sheep clothing trick) sickening to say the least...greedy and corrupt politicians for sure...they dont come any other way!!!

Rebuttal to Mike #19, from John.
Yes Mike the simplest answer most often works. I dont know where you are getting your statistics from but in my area things are just that simple. If you want to make your life better you can, we help thoes who want to help themselves.
In your second paragraph you say entry level jobs wont pay enough to support a family,in some cases you may be right but at least it shows you are trying and that is what shelters and thoes of us who can help are looking for. There is help for any need if you know where to look, that is what the people who run the shelters do, but they dont have time to help you if you are not willing to try to help yourself.
In your next paragraph you refer to children. I'm sorry, I asumed you lived in the U.S., because here at least where I live we have curfews. and child abandonment laws and we enforce them. Parents must be held responsible for their childrens actions and accountable for their actions toward their children.
The last part of that paragraph refers to job hunting. In our town we have companys who hire nothing but people who are down on their luck, who want to work and want to learn. These companys get grants and tax benifets to help thoes who will try.
Your next paragraph, well I'm really not sure what you are trying to say. You say there is a
"HUGE MISCONCEPTION" about free services, well maybe where you live, but let me tell you' where there is a will there is a way, but you must have the will to try. Next you say you have only 157 beds for 5200 homeless people including children.
"YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED"
If this is true where you live, you need to get your Fat Ass away from the computer and go do something about it. I would be ashamed to have to admit to something like that whithout doing something about it, and yes Mike there is a "Homeless Fairy" and they are at the shelters that people like you should make avalible in your town.
In the next paragraph you state,
"Even a Drunk needs to eat"
I'm going to assume you would also put drug abusers in the same place. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. First they need to get straight, then they need to decide if they want to stay that way. It all comes down to choices, you get to choose, if I want help its here, if you want to be drunk or stay hi that is also a choice, but then you are on your own.
And lastly you mention prosyltizing. Websters Dictionary defines the word to mean convert.
MIKE WHOOPPY YOU GOT IT RIGHT. It does not matter wheather the shelter is religious based or not the GOAL is the same. To CONVERT the homeless person into a contributing part of our society.

I look forward to reading any comment you wish to make.