Homeless week
With the heavy subject matter, thsnk goodness for the light relief of Al's journey!
shareYes, I was a bit worried we'd be in for some dark and intense episodes when I heard it was a running storyline on people who are homeless this week. I am finding their various plots interesting, but I must admit to thoroughly enjoying Al's daft adventures, weaved into the mix - and I love that he's still carrying his 'Dick Whittington' stick with hanky around on his journey to Lichfield.
shareThe whole thing has been very sobering and should help people realise that homelessness can happen to anyone and for a variety of reasons.
shareDefinitely. I found this week's subject matter a real eye-opener, and moving too.
Around one of the main shopping areas where I live, there's a hostel, so many of the people who utilise it hang by the stores through the day, some begging, some selling Big Issues. I've made a point of talking to some of them when I have time, rather than just lob money at them or whatever. A few years back, I got chatting to one guy of maybe thirty-odd, told me he had a really good job - high-paying, a flat, etc. Unfortunately for him, his girlfriend who lived with him, got herself another man and threw him out - of his own flat! She wouldn't even let him take his bank documents, credit cards and that kind of thing so he didn't have access to his money. He went to the police but they were no help and felt it was just a domestic so noped their way out of bothering. This man ended up on the streets, lost his job and in limbo, through no fault of his own. I haven't seen him around for a while so hopefully he was able to obtain all his belongings eventually and sort his life out, but it unnerved me to think how easy it is to end up homeless.
Yes, it's incredible, isn't it? I've had chats with quite a few in my area too, being a Street Pastor. We have no night shelter here although there's a very good day centre where they can get showers, food and advice which sometimes leads to them being rehoused, though it has to be said that a few of them do choose it as a lifestyle rather than try to get out of the cycle...why work when you can earn up to £100 a day begging? Fortunately the staff at the centre know them all very well and still help them but people are encouraged not to give thdm money directly as it will usually go on drink or drugs.
shareYes, it's incredible, isn't it? I've had chats with quite a few in my area too, being a Street Pastor. We have no night shelter here although there's a very good day centre where they can get showers, food and advice which sometimes leads to them being rehoused, though it has to be said that a few of them do choose it as a lifestyle rather than try to get out of the cycle...why work when you can earn up to £100 a day begging? Fortunately the staff at the centre know them all very well and still help them but people are encouraged not to give thdm money directly as it will usually go on drink or drugs.
Ahhh, cool, must be rewarding being a Street Pastor? It's good that there are at least some resources for giving people the essential needs and services.
I can sort of understand the thinking of people who choose to live a life on the streets (not that I would ever want to really), but when you think of how much you're taxed and how many hoops you jump through to keep a roof over your head and keep a household going, a way of being free of that is more preferable to some folk, I guess.
I imagine some people can make a decent bit of money from begging every day, but in areas where there are quite a few people competing for the public's change, they might only make enough to scrape by. share