Beggars, homeless, street drinkers & drug users in Sheffield!

[Baron99]

As pfifes hints at in their post above, anyone who wants to help should give money to the appropriate charity not directly to those on the street. 

 

How is me giving my loose change to someone helping them get off drugs or booze?  It's not.  All I'd be doing is helping to feed their addiction & making some drug dealer or owner of a 24 hour shop who has no morals who they sell the booze to, a little bit richer. 

 

Edited October 29, 2023 by Baron99

[HeHasRisen]

The likes of Anna falling for the sob stories isn't helping the problem. 

[Baron99]

I think SCC / the police should be taking a long hard look at some of the 24 hour supermarkets / shops alcohol licences in the city centre, who appear to be willing to sell alcohol to people who are already off their heads on drink & drugs. 

 

They're not exactly helping the problem.  

[Irene Swaine]

9 hours ago, Anna B said:

Such a lack of understanding or compassion is very sad.

Have you ever actually spoken to a homeless person?

The one I spoke to today had recently split up from his wife, she had taken possession of the house with the kids, so he was on the street. He had been made redundant (which had caused most of the problems) and had no savings to fall back on. His benefits had been stopped due to his 'change in circumstances' and unlikely to recommence any time soon. He'd been on the street nearly 2 weeks and was already close to breaking point.

 

Sure, it may have been a line, but he struck me as very genuine, I think you can tell the difference if you talk to people. He wasn't 'vermin,' a drug addict, alcoholic or any of the other easy lazy labels some people give to avoid having to care for a fellow human being. He was just a person at the end of his tether and in dire need. I pointed him in the direction of the church at the top of the road, or the Archer project and gave him the bus fare. 

 

The people who deny homelessness are probably the same ones who denied the need for food banks not so long ago, and refuse to acknowledge that severe poverty is right along side us in our society. And none of us are that far from disaster even if we like to think we are. That safety net we assume will spri ofng into action if we ever need it has all but been removed. At best it is overworked, very slow to respond, and deliberately difficult to navigate by which time the damage has been done. Once you hit the streets it is very difficult to climb back.

How do you know he was genuine and not taking advantage of you? You can't verify them in the street. People can be very good liars. I have spoken to many of them and know that some of them live in a house in Burncross and use the money that people give them to gamble. There are food banks as you say, and First Point centres to get people housing, as well as night shelters. It's the Big Issue sellers that have my respect, atleast they are trying and have been verified as genuinely in need. I have been meters away from the soup stand on High Street and had a beggar bypass that and come trying to ask me for money. Hungry people don't do that. These people have ruined the city centre and caused businesses to close by making the environment anti social. Addicts only care about themselves and their next fix. 

[Baron99]

16 minutes ago, Irene Swaine said:

How do you know he was genuine and not taking advantage of you? You can't verify them in the street. People can be very good liars. I have spoken to many of them and know that some of them live in a house in Burncross and use the money that people give them to gamble. There are food banks as you say, and First Point centres to get people housing, as well as night shelters. It's the Big Issue sellers that have my respect, atleast they are trying and have been verified as genuinely in need. I have been meters away from the soup stand on High Street and had a beggar bypass that and come trying to ask me for money. Hungry people don't do that. These people have ruined the city centre and caused businesses to close by making the environment anti social. Addicts only care about themselves and their next fix. 

My bold. 

 

A number of them also live in the Salvation Army hostel on Charter Row but can be found sitting around the bottom of The Moor claiming to be homeless. 

 

They're also a constant problem to places like Sainsbury's on The Moor with persistent shoplifting.  The staff there will tell you it's the same faces time & time again. 

 

Now, unless someone wants to prove otherwise, I'm stating that if you're living in the Salvation Army hostel, you DO have a roof over your head & you ARE being fed & watered sufficiently? 

[Irene Swaine]

34 minutes ago, Baron99 said:

My bold. 

 

A number of them also live in the Salvation Army hostel on Charter Row but can be found sitting around the bottom of The Moor claiming to be homeless. 

 

They're also a constant problem to places like Sainsbury's on The Moor with persistent shoplifting.  The staff there will tell you it's the same faces time & time again. 

 

Now, unless someone wants to prove otherwise, I'm stating that if you're living in the Salvation Army hostel, you DO have a roof over your head & you ARE being fed & watered sufficiently? 

I completely agree with this post.

[cuttsie]

11 hours ago, Anna B said:

Such a lack of understanding or compassion is very sad.

Have you ever actually spoken to a homeless person?

The one I spoke to today had recently split up from his wife, she had taken possession of the house with the kids, so he was on the street. He had been made redundant (which had caused most of the problems) and had no savings to fall back on. His benefits had been stopped due to his 'change in circumstances' and unlikely to recommence any time soon. He'd been on the street nearly 2 weeks and was already close to breaking point.

 

Sure, it may have been a line, but he struck me as very genuine, I think you can tell the difference if you talk to people. He wasn't 'vermin,' a drug addict, alcoholic or any of the other easy lazy labels some people give to avoid having to care for a fellow human being. He was just a person at the end of his tether and in dire need. I pointed him in the direction of the church at the top of the road, or the Archer project and gave him the bus fare. 

 

The people who deny homelessness are probably the same ones who denied the need for food banks not so long ago, and refuse to acknowledge that severe poverty is right along side us in our society. And none of us are that far from disaster even if we like to think we are. That safety net we assume will spring into action if we ever need it has all but been removed. At best it is overworked, very slow to respond, and deliberately difficult to navigate by which time the damage has been done. Once you hit the streets it is very difficult to climb back.

Bang on Anna , When people are being referred to as vermin , the downward spiral is reaching the bottom .

[Irene Swaine]

16 minutes ago, cuttsie said:

Bang on Anna , When people are being referred to as vermin , the downward spiral is reaching the bottom .

Vermin is the best word to describe leaching pests who turn streets in to undesirable places. That's exactly what rats do.

Edited October 29, 2023 by Irene Swaine

[cuttsie]

1 hour ago, Irene Swaine said:

Vermin is the best word to describe leaching pests who turn streets in to undesirable places. That's exactly what rats do.

Have a nice life 

[Irene Swaine]

5 minutes ago, cuttsie said:

Have a nice life 

You already said that... yesterday.