That's living in a city. And it's only going o get worse as the struggling become broke and the poor become more hopeless.

380 whole dollars? That's a pretty specific number to give each year. I guess you must be mighty proud of that, though it's likely <1% of your income. Woohoo Mr/s. Moneybags!

How about you just politely decline so as to not make people feel like shit about having less resources than you?

Safeway on Jefferson? That's the place I was imagining too! I don't mind Street Roots--they are polite and I feel that money to this organization is actually helping--but after years of getting asked for money every...single...day on nearly EVERY corner, EVERYwhere I go downtown, where I work, live and try to enjoy life, my sympathy has been worn down and I'm just...tired. I've even received backtalk about how uncaring I am, which was very upsetting. I don't know if we'll ever succeed in getting every single person off the streets, but jeez, I hope we're on a path to getting somewhere.

From a person who lives outside; don't give to charities they are businesses who use peoples situation as advertisement. Then in return they pocket much of the money, treat people like prisoners, kick those who grow most dependent on them out the moment they demand an ounce of equality or respect in the creepy hierarchy that missions become, utilize 50% or more of the space for themselves rather than helping people, and take first pick of your donated goods for themselves or for their illegally compensated workers.

Program workers: compensating someone with non-monetary means such as priority access to donations meant for people in need, a guaranteed bed while others wait an hour just to play a 1/20 lotto to see if they qualify, or increased 'privileges' such as you get to be a big boy and stay out a few extra hours at night is illegal compensation. You should not need to devote 40 hrs a week for these things plus what? a $25 week allowance?

Also of interest is how zoning codes for mass shelters in Portland require missions to be open at least 8 hrs per day, yet none but slave master TPI do it, and for the millions of dollars in public funds they get for it, they manage to set out 30 plastic upright chairs to accommodate the 4,000 homeless people in Portland. These chairs of course are facing nothing other than the staff counter who will either keep a tight eye on you, possessively monitor you, or make you feel like your ohh-such a burden for even being there.

,,,,as for the pan-handlers, I dunno they bug me too even those who see me and know I'm homeless. But I at least understand that so long as they got their freedom to be on the corner then this reminds me that I got my freedom to do my thing. Better this than the tightly controlled and eerie environment established in dallas, TX. Where people either do not choose to or are not allowed to ask for things on a corner. I crossed a cop one time there; without even looking at me, in the middle of a completely abandoned street no one was even close to driving on, he pointed his finger and told me to get my ass back on the sidewalk.

This just in; a fellow hobo walks into PSU library. It is one thing to be dischoveled and dirty (I raise my voice many a times at the campus police for profiling me), but it another thing to walk in with your pitbull held by the throat by nothing other than a t-shirt you looped around her. I like dogs, and in a perfect wold we'd all freely have access to publicly funded libraries. I stand up for you, but damn you gotta play the game and recognize your giving people a reason. If you do not have a sense of purpose for being here, at least have a log-in or throw a book in front of you, and try to put some semblance of a leash or service animal tag on the dog. Your not helping me out here, your just making things worse for all of us. Campers on the springwater setting fires and stealing, vagrants downtown pooping in business owners doorways - these are not the majority of homeless and they are alongside ignorant and negligent mayors in helping make life hard for everyone.

disheveled. Merc you gotta allow editing.

Sad: that someone thought this was worthy of an I, Anon
Sadder: that it earned a slot as I, Anon
Saddest: that I am bothering to comment