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Hal Jordan
10-12-2017, 11:32 PM
Here's a news story I just read regarding a local organization I'd like to talk a bit about.

http://richmondmagazine.com/news/news/caritas-to-open-on-site-shelter-in-2019/


If you do not know of it, allow me to introduce you to CARITAS. Here is their mission statement. "United by our compassion, CARITAS helps our most vulnerable neighbors break the cycles of homelessness and addiction to reclaim their dignity."

Let me tell you, through personal experience, that they are life-savers. When @Green Arrow (http://thepoliticalforums.com/member.php?u=868) and I first came to Richmond, they helped us through homelessness (and even made sure he had some long pants!) and some as we were getting out of it. CARITAS started as a small group of congregations trying to insure that the homeless had shelter. They have grown over the years and added a number of services. They have a furniture bank for those making it out of homelessness. They help with recovery from addiction. They help prepare the homeless for jobs.

Take a closer look at them and some of their programs.


http://www.caritasva.org

Common
10-13-2017, 06:54 AM
They have similar programs here, we have homeless food depots that hand out food to the very poor and homeless.

The post office peridically puts a bag in your mailbox with a date for pu, fill it with non perishables but all they can take is the one bag. The postal delivery person picks up the one bag and they bring it to the PO and load them all on trucks and distribute to food banks.

Chris
10-13-2017, 11:22 AM
It's good people help each other.

Not sure if such groups exist here in SA, probably, but do know the city fenced off all the places the homeless gathered near downtown. The homeless just scattered throughout the city.

Hal Jordan
10-13-2017, 01:52 PM
It's good people help each other.

Not sure if such groups exist here in SA, probably, but do know the city fenced off all the places the homeless gathered near downtown. The homeless just scattered throughout the city.

Spreading out the problem only makes it worse.

Chris
10-13-2017, 01:55 PM
Spreading out the problem only makes it worse.

Right. You don't see a couple hundred homeless line up for shelter or food, just a lone guy under the bridge back of Burger King. Besides, the city wanted to build a new bus terminal and brighten up the hood.

Hal Jordan
10-13-2017, 02:12 PM
Right. You don't see a couple hundred homeless line up for shelter or food, just a lone guy under the bridge back of Burger King. Besides, the city wanted to build a new bus terminal and brighten up the hood.
Brightening up the hood isn't such a bad thing, but making the worst off being even worse off? What can that do but cause more problems?

Chris
10-13-2017, 02:15 PM
Brightening up the hood isn't such a bad thing, but making the worst off being even worse off? What can that do but cause more problems?

Instead of fencing them away from their hangouts, they could have offered jobs working around the city.

DGUtley
10-13-2017, 02:17 PM
We Knights and the Church does a lot where I live. We are called to assist those less fortunate than us.

Perianne
10-13-2017, 02:19 PM
Instead of fencing them away from their hangouts, they could have offered jobs working around the city.
Lexington offers that. They don't want to work.

Common
10-13-2017, 03:41 PM
I stopped in a Natures Own bread store, they sell fresh and returned bread still within in the use date from supermarkets. I was picking up a loaf of rye.

A homeless guy came in a young guy, man did he stink, he asked the woman behind the counter if she had any out of date bread he could have. She went in the back gave him a couple of loaves of bread and raisin bread. This stuff is beyond the freshness date and just goes to a chicken feed manufacturer.

Mister D
10-13-2017, 03:44 PM
I'm charitable but I like to maintain some distance. I give to a Catholic Indian mission school in New Mexico and I sponsor a child with Childfund.

Hal Jordan
10-13-2017, 04:33 PM
Lexington offers that. They don't want to work.
That's far from the norm with the homeless. Most would prefer to get hired somewhere, but can't because of not having an address, a phone, or other such things most people take for granted.