How to help poor people ?

[syracusa]

Everyone who works and generates an income are already donating to the poor. Its called the government.

I dont know any bum/homeless person living on the street who is a trillion dollars in debt. As far as im concerned, they're doing better off than our country is.

Too little of my very hard earned tax money is going to the poor. Last time I checked the government didn't ask me how I want them to divide that tax-based pie. The way the government uses it is beyond horrible and doesn't look like there's much I can do about it.

I used to be one of those who understood the necessity of government and taxation. You know, the poor, the bridges, the roads, the works.
All this is fine and dandy, but if you deal with a corrupt government who acts as the prostitute of world scumbag oligarchs then the story changes.

[alarson566]

I always keep extra snacks and food in my car to give to folks who look like they need it. I feel it's better than giving money sometimes. Although I do that to

[syracusa]

Poor is a very relative term. What we consider poor in the U.S. is considered rich in many countries. Just because a person is poor doesn't mean they need help. The U.S. has countless resources for anyone to improve their education or situation. Maybe it's not always easy, but being poor isn't as bad in the states as many believe. People just like to whine about stuff. It's the way the country's become. And before you donate any money to any organization, do your homework on them! You'd be amazed at the salaries of some of these "non-profit" CEOs!

I profoundly disagree with everything you said minus the last part about "non-profits".
As a matter of fact, being poor in the US is a whole lot more grotesque than being poor just about anywhere else - unless, of course, we are talking about some individuals who are in immediate danger of starvation in 3rd world countries and who could have maybe gotten something from a shelter had they been here instead. But that's just about the only caveat there is.

Being poor in the US translates into having lno social support, usually weak family ties prevent you from getting any help from those who were supposed to be your "loved ones", erroneous public perceptions of "unlimited opportunity" further hammer you down and drown you in "blame the victim" contempt, and you are more likely to end up under the proverbial bridge - literally speaking.

I was not born and raised here but in general, I feel more for the American poor than for the poor in other countries, including my own - so I never hesitate to help them first.
I have rarely seen such God Forsaken as those this country creates and in fact I know that at least part of my success is due to the fact that this country fails to help its own vulnerable people so they can make more room for the 'more "able" types like myself, be they foreigners. Way to strengthen the "gene pool".

[hamchan]

I profoundly disagree with everything you said minus the last part about "non-profits".
As a matter of fact, being poor in the US is a whole lot more grotesque than being poor just about anywhere else - unless, of course, we are talking about some individuals who are in immediate danger of starvation in 3rd world countries and who could have maybe gotten something from a shelter had they been here instead. But that's just about the only caveat there is.

Being poor in the US translates into having lno social support, usually weak family ties prevent you from getting any help from those who were supposed to be your "loved ones", erroneous public perceptions of "unlimited opportunity" further hammer you down and drown you in "blame the victim" contempt, and you are more likely to end up under the proverbial bridge - literally speaking.

I was not born and raised here but in general, I feel more for the American poor than for the poor in other countries, including my own - so I never hesitate to help them first.
I have rarely seen such God Forsaken as those this country creates and in fact I know that at least part of my success is due to the fact that this country fails to help its own vulnerable people so they can make more room for the 'more "able" types like myself, be they foreigners. Way to strengthen the "gene pool".

I totally agree with everything you've said. Everything about our infrastructure is set up in a way that punishes people for the crime of being poor, leaving them in a neverending cycle of poverty in most cases. I've experienced this first hand, having been homeless in a large US city.

It's illegal to put up a tent in the city, illegal to sleep in doorways, illegal to urinate or defacate outside, yet there is not enough room in shelters, and very few public restrooms, and most of those close by 9pm. So you get ticketed and even arrested for the crime of existing without a home, then you get a police record, and guess what? Any shot you had at finding a job before is now greatly diminished. All those charities and public services that exist have years long waiting lists, and/or require tons of paperwork and proof that the average homeless person is going to find it very difficult to get. They will close your case if you are even one day late turning things in, and then you start over from scratch, wasting weeks of time, finding a job with no address, no phone, no consistent email and computer access, no place to wash your clothes or take a shower, is next to impossible. If you are mentally ill, as many poor in the US are, that makes everything 10X harder.

I was one of the lucky ones. Because I got out early. And I had a place to go, where I was allowed to stay long term and get back on my psychiatric meds, and take the time I needed to become functional again. But I never would have been able to do this on my own. I was lucky that someone I knew was willing to pay for my flight and take me in.

[syracusa]

Poor people are the common fair for every country actually they are called poor because they do not able to do any kind of work.

This hardly scratches the surface in explaining the cause of poverty. All those poor people really can't do ANY kind of work?

[syracusa]

I totally agree with everything you've said. Everything about our infrastructure is set up in a way that punishes people for the crime of being poor, leaving them in a neverending cycle of poverty in most cases. I've experienced this first hand, having been homeless in a large US city.

It's illegal to put up a tent in the city, illegal to sleep in doorways, illegal to urinate or defacate outside, yet there is not enough room in shelters, and very few public restrooms, and most of those close by 9pm. So you get ticketed and even arrested for the crime of existing without a home, then you get a police record, and guess what? Any shot you had at finding a job before is now greatly diminished. All those charities and public services that exist have years long waiting lists, and/or require tons of paperwork and proof that the average homeless person is going to find it very difficult to get. They will close your case if you are even one day late turning things in, and then you start over from scratch, wasting weeks of time, finding a job with no address, no phone, no consistent email and computer access, no place to wash your clothes or take a shower, is next to impossible. If you are mentally ill, as many poor in the US are, that makes everything 10X harder.

I was one of the lucky ones. Because I got out early. And I had a place to go, where I was allowed to stay long term and get back on my psychiatric meds, and take the time I needed to become functional again. But I never would have been able to do this on my own. I was lucky that someone I knew was willing to pay for my flight and take me in.

I am so sorry to hear what you went through, hamchan. I have more admiration and respect for people like yourself than for all those "success" stories out there, most of whom never really had to exert themselves as hard as they would have us believe to grab all that success. But when I hear stories like yours I also feel frustrated and sad that people are forced to go through something like this and then be used as examples that "it is doable".
And you are right, you were also lucky if someone reached out and gave you a hand.
Many are not, and this is both sad and wrong.

In this respect, the poor in other countries have it much easier and most have families to fall back on - and while all in the family lead a very modest existence they are never completely stripped of dignity. And then sure, you have the street beggars, etc. but even that feels like much less of a "crime" as it feels here.

I supppse that would make me a "bleeding heart liberal" or whatever they call people still moved by the precariousness and fragility of the human condition.

I am glad you are well now and here on a "financial health" website.

[hamchan]

I am so sorry to hear what you went through, hamchan. I have more admiration and respect for people like yourself than for all those "success" stories out there, most of whom never really had to exert themselves as hard as they would have us believe to grab all that success. But when I hear stories like yours I also feel frustrated and sad that people are forced to go through something like this and then be used as examples that "it is doable".
And you are right, you were also lucky if someone reached out and gave you a hand.
Many are not, and this is both sad and wrong.

In this respect, the poor in other countries have it much easier and most have families to fall back on - and while all in the family lead a very modest existence they are never completely stripped of dignity. And then sure, you have the street beggars, etc. but even that feels like much less of a "crime" as it feels here.

I supppse that would make me a "bleeding heart liberal" or whatever they call people still moved by the precariousness and fragility of the human condition.

I am glad you are well now and here on a "financial health" website.

Exactly. I recognize where I had massive advantages over many poor people in US. And even so it was a huge struggle. I know the frustration of needing both immediate and long term help and nothing being available/accessible.

I make about 40k a year now, but I live in a high cost of living area, so that doesn't afford me a lavish lifestyle by any means. It's taken me 12 years to get here, and I had to file for bankruptcy a couple of years ago because once I started making regular income the sharks started circling, and eventually one of them attached my bank account leaving me with nothing. The ghosts from my years of desperate poverty followed me for a very long time.

[Bright]

That's nice that he was grateful. Many times they're simply looking for money to buy booze or cigarettes or drugs. I've tried buying food (I do not give money) for various people claiming ot be hungry, and they flat out refused and wanted cash. Understand this, in most major metropolitan areas, there really is no such thing as people going hungry. They know where all the kitchens are, shelters, churches, etc and where they can go to get meals, etc. Hell, if I wanted to, I could stand in line with them to get lunches and dinners. That easy. The people you normally see digging for food out of garbage cans tend to be mentally ill.

There are people that have truly fallen on hard times and are homeless. This is probably where money is best spent to get them off the streets because they're still motivated towards doing so (temporary help). Most of the homeless, i think, are mentally ill or people who simply don't want to be helped and want to be left alone. They don't want to go to a shelter. These types of people are the hardest to help, and most expensive since the govt. probably would have to support/monitor them for the long term

Now if you're talking about poor people on food stamps, housing, etc etc. probably a different story for me. I'm not a real big believer in entitlements because they're a reward for bad behavior. If a dog bites you, do you feed him and praise him? If you pay someone more for doing nothing than working a low level job, if you pay them more EITC, SNAP, welfare, etc, for having more kids, what do you think they're going to do? If someone wants to pump out 8 kids from 6 different fathers, there should be consequences. If that consequence is the parents and the kids all go hungry on the street, then that's the reality that they would have to deal with. And there would be much less people engaged in that type of behavior and not doing anything productive if there was no benefit towards doing so. Problem is, we've built up this huge system of entitlements, and at this point would probably be very difficult to attempt to scale back without causing a lot of hardship and riots. And they've expanded the eligibility for these programs so much, it's as if the government wants everyone on an entitlement program. In my state a family of 4 with income of $49,000 still qualifies for SNAP benefits.

And on the topic of SNAP benefits, IMO it should be eligible for basic starches only since the point the benefits is so people don't starve right? Rice or beans, take your pick. I'm pretty tired of seeing working families come through a checkout with their coupon books shopping on a mac and cheese budget. Then next up you see a SNAP recipient with the cart loaded full of junk foods, soda, steak, lobstertails, etc that look like they just rolled out of bed.

I have to really disagree on the rice and beans thing if we want healthy kids and adults. Many poor cannot help themselves due to disability etc. They should not have to be nutritionally starved. Poor nutrition frequently means more Dr bills and a bigger hit to Fed and state funded health programs.

I volunteer at a food pantry and a mission. If one want to support the poor these are great programs to support as well as working with underprivileged kids. One needs to have a hand to break the generational poverty cycle.