...about homeless man outside our shop.

[Ashamed2BFeeling]

Less of an AIBU and more WWYD.

Every night for the past few weeks, what we assume is a homeless man has been sitting outside the convenience store where I work. We're open till late and have a couple of pubs and a chippy right on our doorstep so have people coming in and out all night.

So we frequently have people coming in buying him food which is great to see. In fact yesterday, someone went to the chippy and bought him a portion of chips that he had to give away because someone an hour ago had already bought him chips and gravy!

A very kind lady came by just last night with a thick regatta coat and a new pair of trainers for him.

We make him a cup of tea when we're doing one and stuff but now and again, we'll get people coming in buying him beer that he's asked for. Not great but he's not causing any hassle. We've not had any complaints from customers, more concern than anything else.

But at the end of the night when we go to close up shop, he's always left. And while this is late, it's not the middle of the night or anything. I don't know where he goes.

Basically, is there something we can do for him, someone we can call? It's great that people are happy to feed him (and I'm hoping that doesn't sound patronising), but I'd love it if we could help him find a more long term solution.

Any suggestions are gratefully received.

I don't know anything about organised begging apart from some Roma gypsies who used to drop out of nowhere and come and sit for a while. In my local part of London, there is one particular man who is always in the same spot. You tend to spot a lot of regulars I find. I guess the more random ones may be organised beggars.

I don't know why some of you seem determined to delude yourselves that rough sleepers don't exist. Open your eyes at night in central London where you'll see several in sleeping bags. Wall through the mall in Stratford at night - at least 50 of them. They're not doing that for the hell of it. Sometimes it's addiction, sometimes it's sheer hellish bad luck (as was my case).

Who's saying tough sleepers don't exist. Of course they do & sadly in droves, but they are often massively overshadowed buy scammers & addicts & it does them no favours either. Locals know who the genuine ones are & there's a lot of support from them here, but the scammers & addicts are often aggressive & visitors & those from out in the suburbs don't know the difference & label them all as the same

Some of the attitudes to homelessness on here are mind boggling and just plain ignorant. Shame on you. 🤬

Following from @Supersimkin2 's comments - I support The Connection at St Martin' s because they provide hands - on services for homeless people, including washing facilities, help with benefits and employment, training etc. I don't give money to people on the street because you never know if your gift will fund the fix that kills them, or a gang. The staff at the best rough sleepers' charities include many former street sleepers themselves, who I think are better placed than me to know how best to help. I still offer to buy food - I don't think that can inadvertently cause harm, but if it can, please say.
Here's what The Connection say in their FAQs : ^Should I give money to someone begging on the street?
Most people who beg on the streets are using the money they receive to fuel a drug or alcohol addiction, which is extremely harmful to their health and frequently causes premature death. Giving money to someone can also prevent them from engaging with services which can help. Contrary to popular belief, and what people on the street may say, there is no cost to a homeless person to stay in a shelter, like our own, or a hostel which is usually covered by housing benefit. There are sufficient resources available to help people move their lives away from the streets without them needing to beg for money.

But it’s a complicated situation. For example, an exception to this is people who are foreign nationals waiting to resolve their immigration status, they are not entitled to benefits and may be destitute. Others might be being exploited by traffickers who force them to beg. Ultimately, of course it’s up to you whether you give or not.^

I do overnight volunteering at a homeless shelter, sadly there is a good chance that if he is leaving a doorway where he is safe and welcome he might well be going home, there are a lot of beggars who pretend to be homeless. Or he might be off to a mates sofa, or a shelter, or a tent somewhere. Best thing you can do is google your local councils homeless team and contact them. Please don't give him money, food and hot drinks is great, or bits and bobs he might want, even a cigarette/alcohol if he wants (he is an adult) there are the obvious drugs reasons but more importantly there are some right cunts about who prey on the homeless and if you are seen giving them money it can put them in danger.

I really worry about the homeless as so many big chain stores are struggling in the high streets and closing as the years go by. More people online shopping from home. Less people passing by the homeless offering help. Even fewer people visiting pubs etc as it far cheaper to drink at home. Many homeless people have mental health issues and have fallen really hard. I think it’s superb noticing and offering anything. I agree, money or chips may not be what they actually need, but it’s the gesture. It keeps them connected to others in a positive way. Sometimes, if you stop and talk to homeless people, they have such stories to tell in how they found themselves homeless. Some were married with families, high flying business people, skilled, Carers, etc. It could happen to any of us, or to someone close to us. You’ve only got to look at a missing persons list. Many of those are curled up in a doorway, in the rain right now.

@OhDeari one of our local beggars had been sat on the same spot for years before it came out he had a very nice house in the next town, just coz they are there a lot doesn't make them genuine. He used to actually beat genuine homeless people who tried to steal his spot, I spent an evening in a&e with one of the guys from the shelter I volunteer at while he got stitches for sitting in the regular, very not homeless, beggar's spot.

I've been homeless, that is why I volunteer, anyone that's slept rough for any length of time has seen how many "homeless" are just out there for money and go home to nice warm beds.

If you’re in Central Scotland or Northern Ireland Op, contact the Simon Community. They’re a charity who work with homeless people. They have a lot of experience in outreach for people who live on the street, addressing things like trust issues, mental health problems and addiction which can stop people from engaging with other services. (Ex-servicemen with PTSD can find it difficult to trust strangers enough to accept housing from them etc). They also run “wet” accomodation- so people with addictions can get a roof over their heads before addressing the addiction.

The Simon Community is very much about non-judgemental help, they believe that just because someone is an addict, it doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a home. And funnily enough, having a roof over your head can make it easier to address addiction as you have a better life and don’t need to drink/take drugs to numb the difficulties of living rough.

Outwits those areas, the Salvation Army do a lot of brilliant work, and even if they don’t run anything close to you, they will know who to point you too.

Well we found out who he is and "what" he is. I think the implication is enough but suffice to say, he hasn't returned since this became public knowledge.

Oh dear.

I hope that everyone involved at the time is ok and nothing was damaged. And I hope it hasnt put you off donating to charities that deal with the genuine homeless

wow some of the responses on here...who are you to judge whether they are real homeless people or not?!?!? Kindness and compassion towards your fellow human beings costs nothing.

We have a few homeless people round here who sleep rough until the shelter opens at night so could be maybe he has gone to your local one? As PP have said, maybe your local outreach workers for homeless charities know who he is and his circumstances.