homeless in the suburbs (schools, income, living in)

[tikigod311]

Originally Posted by researchnerd

There are some shelters run by churches (The Shepherd's Inn, Trinity House, Fragments, Jars of Clay, etc.) but most of the ones I'm aware of require some kind of religious study.

Originally Posted by arjay57

Well, you've got the Midtown Assistance Center, which is supported by several congregations. They do tremendous work with the homeless.

Supporting Congregations | Midtown Assistance Center

Many other churches throughout the city do, too.

Thanks for the info guys. This will be greatly considered during my upcoming church search.

[FromGA]

From northfulton dot com

North Fulton's hidden homeless

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

Were these things mandatory? If not, it sounds like a good solution, but still leaves the problem of what to do about folks who don't want to change.

it's a free country. if there are people who actually want to live on the streets, they can choose to do so. but i can guarantee you that none of these people actually want to live like that. think about yourself— would you ever live on the streets? of course not— anyone who is living on the streets is either a victim of circumstance who doesn't have any other option, or has a serious mental condition. either way, busing people out of the city who don't meet your personal standards doesn't sound like you want to help anyone to me, it sounds like you just want to get rid of them.

[Onthemove2014]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

it's a free country. if there are people who actually want to live on the streets, they can choose to do so. but i can guarantee you that none of these people actually want to live like that. think about yourself— would you ever live on the streets? of course not— anyone who is living on the streets is either a victim of circumstance who doesn't have any other option, or has a serious mental condition. either way, busing people out of the city who don't meet your personal standards doesn't sound like you want to help anyone to me, it sounds like you just want to get rid of them.

That's bull.

There are plenty of people who choose that lifestyle or let thier choices put then there.


Be real, when have you talked to a hobo that said "circumstances beyond my control put me in the street".

They are either mentally ill, junkies, day workers or just choose to live that way. If you are in a perdicament where absolutely no one wants to house you, no one cares enough about your well being to lend you a couch and a bath then you had to had made some terrible choices or be a *******. This is America. It takes ALOT of unlucky bad luck and circumstance to be on the street with no roof if you are in your right mind. I'd have to make an effort to live on the street unless its temporary. It doesn't just happen.

[Nast]

Originally Posted by Onthemove2014

That's bull.

There are plenty of people who choose that lifestyle or let thier choices put then there.


Be real, when have you talked to a hobo that said "circumstances beyond my control put me in the street".

They are either mentally ill, junkies, day workers or just choose to live that way. If you are in a perdicament where absolutely no one wants to house you, no one cares enough about your well being to lend you a couch and a bath then you had to had made some terrible choices or be a *******. This is America. It takes ALOT of unlucky bad luck and circumstance to be on the street with no roof if you are in your right mind. I'd have to make an effort to live on the street unless its temporary. It doesn't just happen.

I would have to disagree. Just because you personally may have been born into a situation where you can't fathom a situation outside of making some terrible choices or being a ******* in order to end up on the street doesn't mean that is the case for everyone. I think in many cases, folks are not in their situation because of drugs, but turn to drugs because of their situation. For just one example, I can relate the story of a young woman I knew who was a former prostitute at the age of 16. Former at the age of 16 because she started when she was 12. Think about how screwed up your childhood has to be for you to become a prostitute at that age. If there is no one around to stop that from happening at 12, then who is going to be around to "house you" or "lend you a couch and a bath" when you're 18 or older? What if the only person who cares enough to do that dies when you happen to be 15? This happens a lot more in our country than you would probably be comfortable to know.

[rzzz]

I used to work with the homeless in SF. A big percentage of them are veterans who got screwed up in the military...

[ATLTJL]

I think a lot of the homeless don't necessarily have to be homeless.

I mean, just join one of the tons of travelling carnivals. The qualifications don't see too high, just a willingness to work and maybe pass a drug test, but they'll feed you, give you shelter, and a job to do. The carnival is what immediately springs to mind, but there have to be other employment opportunities like this that can be turned to by people in need.

Okay, fine, so joining the carnival may not be a solution for everybody, but you know what I'm saying. Shoot, from one of our earlier threads, we learned MARTA has to pay their janitors $27/hour because apparently nobody wants to do it! So all you really have to do is go find a job that nobody wants to do and do it.

You know how I know you don't have to be homeless? Because people come here from Mexico. They come illegally, they don't even have documentation and aren't even legally able to work. But guess what? They figure out how to work. They cram up in crappy apartments, they do whatever job anyone is willing to hire them to do. When was the last time you were panhandled in Spanish? I bet never. If people with zero skills, can barely speak English (some not at all), and without the legal ability to even get a job can figure out how to make it, I fail to believe that a U.S. citizen who speaks English and is legally allowed to take whatever job he wants can't do it too.

I don't really believe that there are people who are totally normal and just dealt a ton of bad hands make up the homeless populuation. As was previously stated, I think almost all of them are mentally unstable people and veterans who got screwed up defending America. So maybe what we really need to do is get serious about veteran benefits and make it easier to involuntarily commit people who need that type of care.

I always thought the reason you don't see many homeless people in the suburbs is because virtually all the property is privately owned and it's easy to kick people off of it. There aren't many sidewalks outside of businesses that are public property and most suburban QTs will come shoo you away as soon as they see you hassling customers. The only homeless you really seem to see in the suburbs are the guys at interstate entrance and exit ramps.

[SW30303]

This is for anyone curious, not just the OP who posted initially.

Pick any suburb in Atlanta, and there are homeless people. I believe the best perspective to get on this issue is to volunteer at a homeless shelter a few times to get an idea as to why they are there. Most people, homeless or not, will tell you their story if you give them the opportunity.

Shelters are usually divided by being men or women only. Usually homeless women have their children while the men rarely have kids with them. When you talk to these people, you get a better idea why they are there. I know people who commit their lives to helping the homeless. Some of them say running mens' shelters are easier than running the ones with women. I recommend volunteering any time of the year, if you are very open-minded and not faint of heart to be quite blunt.

[Onthemove2014]

Originally Posted by Nast

I would have to disagree. Just because you personally may have been born into a situation where you can't fathom a situation outside of making some terrible choices or being a ******* in order to end up on the street doesn't mean that is the case for everyone. I think in many cases, folks are not in their situation because of drugs, but turn to drugs because of their situation. For just one example, I can relate the story of a young woman I knew who was a former prostitute at the age of 16. Former at the age of 16 because she started when she was 12. Think about how screwed up your childhood has to be for you to become a prostitute at that age. If there is no one around to stop that from happening at 12, then who is going to be around to "house you" or "lend you a couch and a bath" when you're 18 or older? What if the only person who cares enough to do that dies when you happen to be 15? This happens a lot more in our country than you would probably be comfortable to know.

That is a very rare situation and hardly ever see female homeless, much less young female homeless. There is a lot more help for women and more people are willing to give them a space.

Wouldn't someone in you friends situation qualify for a while host of government and private charity benefits and she had absolutely no friends or teachers, or other relatives who cared whether she lived or died? How is it that Mexicans who barely know English if at all can come over here and not be in the street?

[Onthemove2014]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

I think a lot of the homeless don't necessarily have to be homeless.

I mean, just join one of the tons of travelling carnivals. The qualifications don't see too high, just a willingness to work and maybe pass a drug test, but they'll feed you, give you shelter, and a job to do. The carnival is what immediately springs to mind, but there have to be other employment opportunities like this that can be turned to by people in need.

Okay, fine, so joining the carnival may not be a solution for everybody, but you know what I'm saying. Shoot, from one of our earlier threads, we learned MARTA has to pay their janitors $27/hour because apparently nobody wants to do it! So all you really have to do is go find a job that nobody wants to do and do it.

You know how I know you don't have to be homeless? Because people come here from Mexico. They come illegally, they don't even have documentation and aren't even legally able to work. But guess what? They figure out how to work. They cram up in crappy apartments, they do whatever job anyone is willing to hire them to do. When was the last time you were panhandled in Spanish? I bet never. If people with zero skills, can barely speak English (some not at all), and without the legal ability to even get a job can figure out how to make it, I fail to believe that a U.S. citizen who speaks English and is legally allowed to take whatever job he wants can't do it too.

I don't really believe that there are people who are totally normal and just dealt a ton of bad hands make up the homeless populuation. As was previously stated, I think almost all of them are mentally unstable people and veterans who got screwed up defending America. So maybe what we really need to do is get serious about veteran benefits and make it easier to involuntarily commit people who need that type of care.

I always thought the reason you don't see many homeless people in the suburbs is because virtually all the property is privately owned and it's easy to kick people off of it. There aren't many sidewalks outside of businesses that are public property and most suburban QTs will come shoo you away as soon as they see you hassling customers. The only homeless you really seem to see in the suburbs are the guys at interstate entrance and exit ramps.

That's what I'm saying.

I've never seen a homeless Mexican.