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Question about feeding the homeless
Posted on 7/13/15 at 5:36 pm
Posted on 7/13/15 at 5:36 pm
My nephews (9 and 10) are visiting us for a few weeks of their summer vacation and they've started encountering homeless people begging on the corners of major intersections. Never having lived in big cities, they find it distressing, and I'm going to let them hand out bags of assorted food, things that can fit into a large freezer bag or something and offer to the homeless people standing at intersections with signs. Problem is, I'm not sure what all to get. I want food that's reasonably healthy (though something just tasty and bad for you will be included because being homeless doesn't mean you aren't allowed to enjoy something like that) and easy to eat without access to cutlery or means of storage/preservation other than the freezer bags themselves.
Any ideas or suggestions of what we could pack?
(I know many of you have strong political or personal feelings on the issue of the homeless and how to deal with them, and that's fine. I'd just like to politely ask you not bring them into this thread, which is intended just to collect some practical advice and to teach my nephews a little something about charity and kindness regardless of political persuasion.)
Any ideas or suggestions of what we could pack?
(I know many of you have strong political or personal feelings on the issue of the homeless and how to deal with them, and that's fine. I'd just like to politely ask you not bring them into this thread, which is intended just to collect some practical advice and to teach my nephews a little something about charity and kindness regardless of political persuasion.)
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Posted on 7/13/15 at 5:37 pm to randomways
Twinkies
Posted on 7/13/15 at 5:39 pm to I Ham That I Ham
quote:
Twinkies
Heh. Twinkies or some other conglomerate of bizarre and tasty chemicals, certainly. The treat part isn't really my problem so much as the actual nutrition part.
Posted on 7/13/15 at 5:58 pm to randomways
I'm not sure that there are a lot of things that could fit into a ziploc bag. The little Lunchables and such would work, but they need to be refrigerated. The dollar packs of pepperoni? Small packs of saltine or Ritz crackers? 8 oz. bottles of water? String cheese? It's kind of limited. Gift cards to grocery stores of smaller amounts would probably be far more simple.
This post was edited on 7/13/15 at 6:00 pm
Posted on 7/13/15 at 6:01 pm to randomways
Stay away from things that could be hard to eat with bad teeth, like apples or really hard or chewy granola bars.
I would go with pb&j since it can last 48 hours or more. If you hand out sandwiches with any kind of lunch meat or mayo you run the risk of making someone sick if it sits in a pocket or basket for an extended period.
I would do gallon ziplock bags with
Pb&j sandwich
Individual bag of chips
Go go squeeze applesauce
and a Twinkie lol (a little sweet can cheer a person up)
and a juice box
Do not be surprised if some get angry and even curse at you. Many are drug addicts and they want cash for their next fix, I have been cussed giving breakfast to a homeless man that said he was hungry, he took it and smashed it on the ground in front of me
I would go with pb&j since it can last 48 hours or more. If you hand out sandwiches with any kind of lunch meat or mayo you run the risk of making someone sick if it sits in a pocket or basket for an extended period.
I would do gallon ziplock bags with
Pb&j sandwich
Individual bag of chips
Go go squeeze applesauce
and a Twinkie lol (a little sweet can cheer a person up)
and a juice box
Do not be surprised if some get angry and even curse at you. Many are drug addicts and they want cash for their next fix, I have been cussed giving breakfast to a homeless man that said he was hungry, he took it and smashed it on the ground in front of me
This post was edited on 7/13/15 at 6:03 pm
Posted on 7/13/15 at 6:08 pm to randomways
Cliff bars, mixed nuts, peanut butter crakers, maybe pb&j sandwich?
Like Sarge said, expect to get shite from some of them and be very careful.
Offered a dude my leftover steak when we were walking back to the hotel in Vegas and I quote, "I caint smoke dat bullshite. I'm starving and this cracker tryna give me a damn steaks."
Like Sarge said, expect to get shite from some of them and be very careful.
Offered a dude my leftover steak when we were walking back to the hotel in Vegas and I quote, "I caint smoke dat bullshite. I'm starving and this cracker tryna give me a damn steaks."
This post was edited on 7/13/15 at 6:11 pm
Posted on 7/13/15 at 6:10 pm to Rebelgator
quote:
Cliff bars, mixed nuts
Too many rotten, missing, bad teeth for those
Posted on 7/13/15 at 6:12 pm to Old Sarge
A lot of the patrol guys keep extra cliff bars in the car. They're soft. Especially the chocolate chip and especially in the heat.
This post was edited on 7/13/15 at 6:13 pm
Posted on 7/13/15 at 6:14 pm to Rebelgator
Gotcha, I thought they were tough and chewy
Posted on 7/13/15 at 6:17 pm to Old Sarge
Nope. Not your traditional crunchy granola. Soft, but still chewy. Also, loaded with protein and all that good stuff.
Posted on 7/13/15 at 6:24 pm to randomways
Thanks for the suggestions so far. Very helpful. I'd love to do the PB&J because that would allow my nephews to actually make them. Give them a sense of real connection between their feelings and their actions. I'm just worried about the bread itself getting moldy.
Yeah, we just moved back to the city a couple years ago after a while in a small town, so I had to get readjusted. Twice, a homeless person has come up to me outside my favorite coffee spot and asked for money, to which I said "No, but I'll buy you dinner." They've both rejected that option despite the fact that dinner would be worth much more than a dollar, and that was food they wouldn't have to spend their drug/booze money on. Logic wasn't really their strong suit. At least I was lucky and they were reasonably polite about it. If it happens with more disagreeably with my nephews, I'll just explain that wanting to help is all that matters. If the person in question doesn't want help, they can just move on to the next one. These are busy intersections, so we should be fine otherwise.
Edit: I meant to clarify that I was talking gallon freezer bags, not the sandwich size. Should have made that clear at the beginning.
quote:
Do not be surprised if some get angry and even curse at you. Many are drug addicts and they want cash for their next fix, I have been cussed giving breakfast to a homeless man that said he was hungry, he took it and smashed it on the ground in front of me
Yeah, we just moved back to the city a couple years ago after a while in a small town, so I had to get readjusted. Twice, a homeless person has come up to me outside my favorite coffee spot and asked for money, to which I said "No, but I'll buy you dinner." They've both rejected that option despite the fact that dinner would be worth much more than a dollar, and that was food they wouldn't have to spend their drug/booze money on. Logic wasn't really their strong suit. At least I was lucky and they were reasonably polite about it. If it happens with more disagreeably with my nephews, I'll just explain that wanting to help is all that matters. If the person in question doesn't want help, they can just move on to the next one. These are busy intersections, so we should be fine otherwise.
Edit: I meant to clarify that I was talking gallon freezer bags, not the sandwich size. Should have made that clear at the beginning.
This post was edited on 7/13/15 at 6:30 pm
Posted on 7/13/15 at 6:24 pm to randomways
trail mix is the jam
Posted on 7/13/15 at 6:25 pm to randomways
By feeding the homeless, you are keeping them from the shelters. Shelters are the only place they'll get real help with substance abuse and mental health problems.
So explain all that to the kids, and take a 20 dollar bill down to the shelter.
So explain all that to the kids, and take a 20 dollar bill down to the shelter.
Posted on 7/13/15 at 6:32 pm to randomways
quote:
Twice, a homeless person has come up to me outside my favorite coffee spot and asked for money, to which I said "No, but I'll buy you dinner." They've both rejected that option
Because they aren't looking for "food" or "food money". Its a ruse.
You are giving them drug/booze money, and helping to delay them receiving actual services.
Posted on 7/13/15 at 6:32 pm to Old Sarge
Cured foods ( jerky, dried fruit, cheese )
Anything that will keep for a couple days outdoors.
Anything that will keep for a couple days outdoors.
Posted on 7/13/15 at 6:32 pm to wmr
quote:
By feeding the homeless, you are keeping them from the shelters. Shelters are the only place they'll get real help with substance abuse and mental health problems.
So explain all that to the kids, and take a 20 dollar bill down to the shelter.
As far as I can tell, there aren't many shelters around here. This is a fairly decentralized area where it's only practical to have a shelter in a fairly small region around downtown...and we are quite a few miles from downtown when we encounter these homeless people.
Posted on 7/13/15 at 6:34 pm to randomways
quote:
we are quite a few miles from downtown when we encounter these homeless people.
Because they've learned the game works better on people further from downtown who don't understand it yet.
Posted on 7/13/15 at 6:36 pm to wmr
A few pb&j sandwiches for a day to teach the kids to care for others isn't going to destroy a homeless addicts chance for recovery
Lighten up
Lighten up
Posted on 7/13/15 at 6:36 pm to wmr
Get the frick out
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