Homeless Problem?!

[sunshine]

Just to start a thread to see if anyone want to participate, talk about homeless problem, share your thoughts, suggest solutions, most importantly, share us your juicy story dealing with homeless (especially downtown).

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Here is mine, not exactly homeless

I was at West Colonial Dr, heading to Target, and it started to rain, then I saw this about 45 y/o lady sitting on a wheel chair still begging for money in the median, so I gave her 5 dollars. Then a few days later, at the same spot, I saw her husband is on the wheel chair this time. One time, I saw a car come to pick her up after her "shift" and their car is nicer than mine.

[neon9]

Just to start a thread to see if anyone want to participate, talk about homeless problem, share your thoughts, suggest solutions, most importantly, share us your juicy story dealing with homeless (especially downtown).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here is mine, not exactly homeless

I was at West Colonial Dr, heading to Target, and it started to rain, then I saw this about 45 y/o lady sitting on a wheel chair still begging for money in the median, so I gave her 5 dollars. Then a few days later, at the same spot, I saw her husband is on the wheel chair this time. One time, I saw a car come to pick her up after her "shift" and their car is nicer than mine.

[bulldogger]

It is things like that that prevents me from giving money to the homeless any longer.

I have noticed downtown they don't bother you if you're on a bicycle, even if you're just sitting there. Or they'll just say hey. No asking for money.

[orlandonative]

I have been stopped and begged for change when I am running. I mean c'mon. I am wearing running shorts. Where exactly do they think I am carrying a couple bucks.

"Yeah, hold on bum. I got a dollar up my a$$. I'll fish it out in a sec. Hope you don't mind it being a little warm."

[neon9]

I have been stopped and begged for change when I am running. I mean c'mon. I am wearing running shorts. Where exactly do they think I am carrying a couple bucks.

"Yeah, hold on bum. I got a dollar up my a$$. I'll fish it out in a sec. Hope you don't mind it being a little warm."

[sunshine]

try shirtless and spandex next time, it feels better that way.

[radiostatic102]

I'll post what I was going to say later...don't have time now. Don't mind me...

[Pieson]

I gathered a few hobos together before to serenade my date in downtown orlando once

if you want, you can really have some fun with them

but I suppose the worse thing I saw was a hobo fight on orange ave at the pizza place, in which one hobo with an arm in a cast clobered another one in a wheelchair becuase he was in his "begging territory"

it was pretty bad, blood poured in mass amounts all over the street, and all sorts of people got involved

[mrh3]

As an addition to my comment on Orlando Pics here is the website to the Doe Fund which provides non-traditional solutions to the homeless...

Doe Fund

[sunshine]

How about we all pick them up and drop them off in Apopka on a daily basics?

[mrh3]

I have a really good friend that works for the Coalition for the Homeless. I too have worked with the homeless population in career development. Making a comment about "Just dropping them off in Apopka" shows how reluctant we as a society are to deal with these people. Homeless people were not always homeless. It's often the result of years of drug/alcohol abuse, loss of employment, physical/mental abuse, incarceration, etc... Central Florida currently has not created the necessary infrastructure to deal with these problems and as a result there is a very hostile population on its streets. Once civic leaders create a dialog (Outside of banning public feeding!) about how to address the needs of this population you're going to get more of the same.

I personally have witnessed individuals get screwed on flights from Paris to Los Angeles get stopped at Immigration and detained only to be released on the streets of NYC homeless. No money, no friends, at the whims of what ever social services can be provided to get them back on track to a normal life, which is often time just a meal and a bus ticket and decent clothes. So, "Just dropping them off in Apopka does nothing to stem the problem what so ever.

[gatorfan]

I have a really good friend that works for the Coalition for the Homeless. I too have worked with the homeless population in career development. Making a comment about "Just dropping them off in Apopka" shows how reluctant we as a society are to deal with these people. Homeless people were not always homeless. It's often the result of years of drug/alcohol abuse, loss of employment, physical/mental abuse, incarceration, etc... Central Florida currently has not created the necessary infrastructure to deal with these problems and as a result there is a very hostile population on its streets. Once civic leaders create a dialog (Outside of banning public feeding!) about how to address the needs of this population you're going to get more of the same.

I personally have witnessed individuals get screwed on flights from Paris to Los Angeles get stopped at Immigration and detained only to be released on the streets of NYC homeless. No money, no friends, at the whims of what ever social services can be provided to get them back on track to a normal life, which is often time just a meal and a bus ticket and decent clothes. So, "Just dropping them off in Apopka does nothing to stem the problem what so ever.

[sunshine]

I like the way that Gainesville do with their homeless people. They provide them with a bus ticket for the homeless to go back to their family.