A social experiment...
- Thread starter friskk
- Start date
heres an experiment go round asking homeless people if they need help
the second they say yes u have to ask them if they really want help and that they really have to try the second u find the right one take him/her into your home buy them some new clothes and cook em up a feast
find him/her a job and teach them all the skills u can and enrol them into tafe if needed
this will all take a few months maybe even a year but this is how you will learn and be able to help at the same time sure its hard but im guessing you can only learn the hard way since ur stupid enough to think you'll learn anything going on the streets urself
i bet you even thought of going on 60 minutes afterwards to tell your story
the second they say yes u have to ask them if they really want help and that they really have to try the second u find the right one take him/her into your home buy them some new clothes and cook em up a feast
find him/her a job and teach them all the skills u can and enrol them into tafe if needed
this will all take a few months maybe even a year but this is how you will learn and be able to help at the same time sure its hard but im guessing you can only learn the hard way since ur stupid enough to think you'll learn anything going on the streets urself
i bet you even thought of going on 60 minutes afterwards to tell your story
![:\](https://bluelight.org/xf/BL_Images/Orig_Emoji/wrygrin.gif "wry grin :\")
Baker
Bluelighter
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- Apr 20, 2004
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The saddest thing about being homeless is that they lack the funds to give...
I mean as much as mass consumption has convinced us to buy as much as we can it'd is still such a great feeling to be able to be generous, friendly or able to open up to someone.
Homeless people don't get a right to do this, I mean who the hell wants to sit down and tell a bum their life story so that perhaps the bum gets a chance to do some counselling... no... all they get is the guilt of getting everything given to them, and not being able to give anything back.
Free food, clothes, counselling, ciggs.
and they buy drugs to cover the anxiety caused by lack of good health and the feeling of involvement in the community.
I don't think its lack of money that gets to homeless people, its the loneliness, and I don't know how one can achieve this in a such a short experiment especially when you know you can escape whenever you want, because at least then you got some motivation, hell you could even enjoy it.
It's a proven fact that people are far less likely to resort to despair when they know they have a way out of something.
I mean as much as mass consumption has convinced us to buy as much as we can it'd is still such a great feeling to be able to be generous, friendly or able to open up to someone.
Homeless people don't get a right to do this, I mean who the hell wants to sit down and tell a bum their life story so that perhaps the bum gets a chance to do some counselling... no... all they get is the guilt of getting everything given to them, and not being able to give anything back.
Free food, clothes, counselling, ciggs.
and they buy drugs to cover the anxiety caused by lack of good health and the feeling of involvement in the community.
I don't think its lack of money that gets to homeless people, its the loneliness, and I don't know how one can achieve this in a such a short experiment especially when you know you can escape whenever you want, because at least then you got some motivation, hell you could even enjoy it.
It's a proven fact that people are far less likely to resort to despair when they know they have a way out of something.
rm2x
Bluelighter
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- Jul 8, 2005
- Messages
- 1,863
The lack of funding is the biggest problem.
I'm currently working at a homeless shelter up at the sunshine coast and the government has only allocated $500 000 for the whole region.
It's not only homeless funding that is poor, it's also mental health.
There are two main factors I can see that cause someone to be homeless.
Mental illness and substance abuse.
People get stuck in a virtual limbo when they are mentally ill. Some are not sick enough to be placed into a medical facility yet they are too sick to function in normal everyday life. So the only place they can turn to is a homeless shelter.
More money is needed to fund halfway houses, social workers that can do house calls, and even drop in centres for people during the day, but I won't be holding my breath anytime soon.
That was terribly disjointed as I am half asleep. I think i will edit this tomorrow hahaha
I'm currently working at a homeless shelter up at the sunshine coast and the government has only allocated $500 000 for the whole region.
It's not only homeless funding that is poor, it's also mental health.
There are two main factors I can see that cause someone to be homeless.
Mental illness and substance abuse.
People get stuck in a virtual limbo when they are mentally ill. Some are not sick enough to be placed into a medical facility yet they are too sick to function in normal everyday life. So the only place they can turn to is a homeless shelter.
More money is needed to fund halfway houses, social workers that can do house calls, and even drop in centres for people during the day, but I won't be holding my breath anytime soon.
That was terribly disjointed as I am half asleep. I think i will edit this tomorrow hahaha
Pseudo G
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- Feb 7, 2002
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First up it didn't really seem like such a bad idea to me. Perhaps not from an educating other people point of view, but simply to put things in perspective. Often people lose sight of the big picture and enjoy the "luxuries" they possess and take for granted, compared to other people.
Let me state at this point I have very little experience dealing with homeless people apart from odd occassions working at Centrelink. But part of me also thinks that a large percentage of homeless people are homeless because of one of two reasons.
1: By choice, as in they lack the application, motivation or determination to get themselves out of the hole. The support facilities are there, sure, they're not a piece of piss to access them, but where there's a will, there's a way.
2: They have the determination and motivation to pull themselves out of the hole they are in, but simply lack the education and most importantly opportunity to do this. Giving people opportunity is far more valuable than throwing dollars at them. Kinda like what Hater was getting at... the whole give a man a fish or teach him how to fish sort of thing.
So...did ya do it?
Let me state at this point I have very little experience dealing with homeless people apart from odd occassions working at Centrelink. But part of me also thinks that a large percentage of homeless people are homeless because of one of two reasons.
1: By choice, as in they lack the application, motivation or determination to get themselves out of the hole. The support facilities are there, sure, they're not a piece of piss to access them, but where there's a will, there's a way.
2: They have the determination and motivation to pull themselves out of the hole they are in, but simply lack the education and most importantly opportunity to do this. Giving people opportunity is far more valuable than throwing dollars at them. Kinda like what Hater was getting at... the whole give a man a fish or teach him how to fish sort of thing.
So...did ya do it?
kytnism
Bluelight Crew
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- Feb 7, 2003
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- 14,603
id be interested in hearing if this experiment eventuated past just another topic in forums..
i dont know anything about homelessness, and have never been in the situation, or even remotely close to it so can't comment on that topic.. although i am definately pro life experience, and sometimes doing things that others can't understand or see any relevance in to gain personal knowledge.. im all for sharing information where appropriate, but too like to keep alot under my cap as i understand that experience isnt the same for everybody.. even if doing the same things..
good on you for wanting to percieve life differently to yours or "walk in someone elses shoes" for a brief moment.. i think doing something intentionally knowing it will be uncomfortable for you to try and understand the lifestyle of another is quite regal. perhaps if more people took time out to follow suit, compassion and understanding could override negative feeling for others and judgement could become a thing of the past?! who knows..
id definately love to hear what became of this, and how your experience panned out.. best wishes..
...kytnism...
i dont know anything about homelessness, and have never been in the situation, or even remotely close to it so can't comment on that topic.. although i am definately pro life experience, and sometimes doing things that others can't understand or see any relevance in to gain personal knowledge.. im all for sharing information where appropriate, but too like to keep alot under my cap as i understand that experience isnt the same for everybody.. even if doing the same things..
good on you for wanting to percieve life differently to yours or "walk in someone elses shoes" for a brief moment.. i think doing something intentionally knowing it will be uncomfortable for you to try and understand the lifestyle of another is quite regal. perhaps if more people took time out to follow suit, compassion and understanding could override negative feeling for others and judgement could become a thing of the past?! who knows..
id definately love to hear what became of this, and how your experience panned out.. best wishes..
...kytnism...
xcidium
Bluelighter
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- Aug 7, 2004
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Maybe instead of being homeless for 2 weeks, go without something else that we all take for granted, like our sight.
Live with an eye mask on for 2 weeks, pretty much being blind. I think you'd be alot safer and you'd also learn alot about your surroundings and other senses.
I don't think the homeless idea is a good one...
Live with an eye mask on for 2 weeks, pretty much being blind. I think you'd be alot safer and you'd also learn alot about your surroundings and other senses.
I don't think the homeless idea is a good one...
No - this did not go ahead.. I guess, I didn't end up having the time to get it done. Been overseas for a long time and have been doing a lot of work.
I guess, when I reflect on it - I'm in two minds about the whole situation. I still think that it would be a useful exercise - may be dangerous - yet useful. I guess, I have looked at alternative means to try and help the homeless....
Hater - No, I had no intention of going to 60 minutes. Haha - do you think I do this for 'fame and glory''?
BTW Hater - I did do what you recommended - long before you said it... Do a search on the thread - do prostitutes deserve respect.
May be you never walk by someone and wonder how they got in that position. What happened in their lives that made that led them to be who they are... When I walk past people less forutnate than I am - I do wonder. I do care.
To the people who saw this exercise as foolish and stupid - to each their own. What are you doing to try and help the homeless? More criticism I assume... Sigh.
F
Damn - I''m becoming more and more like Oceanboy!
I guess, when I reflect on it - I'm in two minds about the whole situation. I still think that it would be a useful exercise - may be dangerous - yet useful. I guess, I have looked at alternative means to try and help the homeless....
Hater - No, I had no intention of going to 60 minutes. Haha - do you think I do this for 'fame and glory''?
BTW Hater - I did do what you recommended - long before you said it... Do a search on the thread - do prostitutes deserve respect.
May be you never walk by someone and wonder how they got in that position. What happened in their lives that made that led them to be who they are... When I walk past people less forutnate than I am - I do wonder. I do care.
To the people who saw this exercise as foolish and stupid - to each their own. What are you doing to try and help the homeless? More criticism I assume... Sigh.
F
Damn - I''m becoming more and more like Oceanboy!
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