To have tried to help a homeless man?

[darkcandlelight]

Went to Manchester for the Christmas markets and we stayed over last night. There was a homeless man sleeping by our hotel and I was really concerned about him. This morning my 11 yo was worried he wasn't moving so we went to get dh up to ask him (he has a medical background) and took him a cup of tea. Dh is really annoyed with me, he says it was irresponsible.

So was I being unreasonable? I really thought the man had died at one point.

1492877024, it was in fact you who brought up education first,
Thank god not everyone is as ignorant and uneducated about the subject as Lipstick
I simply responded to correct you on your aspersions cast

This Russell Howard piece is worth watching.

Oh wow Nice to know that teetotal never been drunk never touched drugs me, would automatically be assumed to be an alcoholic or a drug addict on the stroke of midnight the day after i got kicked out of my home if i was ever unlucky enough to have that happen.

Its homeless people who are in a lot more danger from those who arent. they get spat at, pissed on and treated with utter contempt.

The homelessness situation now is entirely different to that fifteen years ago.

So back it up then.

I volunteer with Manchester homeless, the major factor is male/alcohol/drugs, especially in the city centre.

We have a situation that is not confined to manchester where the genuine homeless are beaten and moved on from "prime" pitches.

Yeah. Well id like to see you lot on the streets staying away from drugs and booze. Personally if I were homeless I'd have to spend my time off my tits just to survive

Lipstick have you ever actually spoken to a homeless person? I spoke to 5 today, managed to not get any diseases or stabbed by any needles, just a terrifying risky handshake and being wished a merry Christmas.

Btw if anyone wants to know what you can practically do to help, fill a big ziplock bag with cereal bars, tissues, plasters, hand sanitiser, toothbrush and toothpaste etc and hand some out.

Am I the only one finding the 🤣 face a bit tasteless here?

Tbh the hand sanitizer and plasters are a bit ridiculously hilarious

Hatchet I refer you to my previous post Sun 17-Dec-17 18:37:17
HTH

Hatchet you have a v misguided notion of what folk on streets want/need
Request for Hand sanitizer is not climbing the charts.at all
You see outreach teams and medics offer health assessment, and no they don’t dispense tissues and hand gel

Yeah. Well id like to see you lot on the streets staying away from drugs and booze. Personally if I were homeless I'd have to spend my time off my tits just to survive

Shitty virtue signalling comment, no understanding of what the real situation is

Gangs holding down city centre pitches are not a new thing and have been going on for decades, drugs are involved and the genuine homeless are usually beaten out of the prominent pitches.

Yes pitches = revenue and criminals will get violent to secure a good ££ pitch
They’ll have no qualms threatening or being violent to get a pitch

What are you on about? My comment has fuck all to do with prominent pitches. Pitches for what?

Yes well I wasn't talking about begging AT ALL.

Bloody hell, I am anything but a saint- I just saw them as something more.

I cannot walk past anyone and not want to help, but some just 'cry out'. I dont know why.

I have to say, if I was homeless, living out in this weather, i think I would be turning to drink and drugs - anything to blot out the absolute shit of my life.

I truly, and utterly believe that we are all, no matter what our 'staion'in life, just so close to losing everything, it is unbelievable. I just hope that if I were in that situation someone would show some humanity to me,

On a lighter note, i spent a New Years Eve in Brighton two years ago. A homeless, older man, joined our celebrations very enthusiastically- and after a meal and a few drinks, regaled us with Adele songs (!) for the whole evening. DS paid for his overnight stay in a B&B, but what happened to him after that, i do not know.

He was different, the old fashioned 'Gentleman of the road'. He had no desire to live conventially and managed quite well in the life he had.

There are differences. Some actually choose the life Some fall into it and some are thrown, headlong into it. ALL of them deserve that we listen to them.

No one has said homeless people shouldn’t be heard,their story,the narrative
There are numerous charities,statutory agencies and faith organisations all doing frontline work
Homelessness is a complex social and mental health issue,and at the core of it are individuals who experience discrimination and ill health

it's not ridiculous, I asked what they'd like and they told me!

My very lovely generous beautiful DS, in his late 20s, is vulnerable. He has MH and drug issues as a result of growing up in an abusive environment with a father who was emotionally abusive to him (and still is). He is employed, but I've just intervened to bail him out because he was at risk of being unable to pay his rent and being made homeless. We are in the fortunate position where I can help.

When he was a teenager he had a habit of chatting to the homeless people in our town and giving them whatever money he had (which was usually about 10p because bastard father never produced the agreed pocket money - sorry don't know how to strike out). One day a bunch of kids from another school had a go at him, and it was the local homeless people who waded in and protected him.

Please don't judge. People with substance abuse problems aren't bad people on the whole. They are often people who are 'self-medicating' to shut out problems. There are many, many people who are only one missed pay check away from lives going wrong.

FFs - is a cup of tea for someone vulnerable really something you need to shield a child from?

Plasters for blisters because they have to walk a lot (they're moved on constantly) and have old shoes that rub plus thin socks and wet feet

hand sanitiser/baby wipes/tissues because they have nowhere to even wash their hands or go to the toilet properly as no public toilets here and they aren't allowed in restaurants etc. You don't suddenly just stop caring about having a basic level of hygiene because you're homeless ffs

Any of us are only 2 steps away from being homeless, and yes some of them are on drugs, I probably would be if my life was that difficult. They're not aliens they're just normal people who are living in awful circumstances

Hatchet - absolutely!

waterproof gloves are a good gift

Money It’ll likely be spent on alcohol and or drugs

How patronising.

Not in the least patronising .is that it disturbs your world view?
As I said homeless charities do not recommend giving cash