helping the homeless

It is our duty as Jedi to try to help those in need. I get that and I try to live up to it. Where I'm internally conflicted is the homeless population where I live. There aren't a huge amount of homeless people but there are enough that they're seen on a daily basis. I'm torn between my desire to help my fellow man and not knowing the best way to help them without feeling like I'm just enabling them.

Ideally I'd like to see them get a job and a place to stay and start building their lives back up and if I knew how to assist with that I'd do it in a heartbeat. Mostly though, they just want cash. That's where I get iffy. I don't have a lot, more than them I know, but still not a lot. Also I find it hard to feel like I'm helping them when I see them smoking and drinking booze instead of buying food or better clothes. Then I think about just buying them food or gift cards for food but I've been told that doing that can be insulting.

I want to help but I don't want to enable and I don't want to make my own situation worse by helping financially when I can't (selfish, I know, but it's how I feel right now at this stage of my life).

Any thoughts?

Honestly, this is why established groups are so important. It gives you an organised frame work to help within, and people seriously underestimate the value of volunteering. Just make sure you are reliable and willing to take direction. Its really hard to work with volunteers who flake out or think they know better because they've been there for 2 minutes.

Find your local soup kitchen or shelter and go volunteer. Ring local companies and ask them to donate food stuff, blankets etc (winter is coming).

Really sorry to be 'that person', but I started a thread with this exact title a couple of months ago, you might find some good thoughts there from members.

http://www.templeofthejediorder.org/forum/General-Discussions/107520-helping-the-homeless?start=10#154184]

Also...

smoking and drinking booze

Maybe it's a coping mechanism...

Perhaps finding a way to help with the kind of 'homeless support networks' would most helpful?

It's actually an excellent way of keeping warm AND occupied.

Edan wrote: Really sorry to be 'that person', but I started a thread with this exact title a couple of months ago...

http://www.templeofthejediorder.org/forum/General-Discussions/107520-helping-the-homeless?start=10#154184]

Whoops! Sorry about that. Guess I should look further back next time. :S

I'll give that thread a read. Thanks for linking to it.

ren wrote: It's actually an excellent way of keeping warm AND occupied.

Booze blankets dont count!!