Having worked directly with this population, I can tell you that the therapy, job training, etc. are just placebos, meant to make citizens feel better about the situation. The homeless are so broken that there isn’t much you can do for them.
That may sound harsh and uncaring, but feel me out. They care so little for their personal comfort, dignity and reputation that they are willing to be losers begging for money to fund their addictions. Imagine what it would take for you to subject yourself to that lifestyle.
I have been jobless, I have technically been homeless. My reaction was to find a job, or jobs, whatever it took, to obtain the means to rehouse myself. No honest job was beneath me. I wasn’t too proud to work in food service, temp jobs, serving drinks to losers in dive bars for tips, or at shitty retail jobs stocking. All that mattered was that I regained the ability to take care of myself. Going on welfare wasn’t an option for me. Didn’t matter, if I want a job I can get a job same day. I’m not magic, I’m willing to work hard, show up on time and do whatever the boss needs done. And here is our society’s biggest problem: not many people are willing to do that. Show up on time means I can’t drink a case of beer until 4 a.m. before a scheduled shift. Ask me to clean a toilet, sure, pay me the agreed upon wage and I’ll make the commode sparkle like new. Most people in our society feel that those tasks are beneath them. I have a college degree. I have an impressive resume. I now own my own business and I still clean the toilet that my employees use. I don’t ask anything of anyone that I’m not willing to do myself. It’s not beneath me, I’m the boss, I could order someone else to do it, but I don’t.
Lead by example. My employees see my work ethic and try very hard to emulate me. In a world where good help is hard to find, I don’t have difficulty finding honest, hard-working employees. Other managers and business owners ask where I find these people, I find average workers and give them the resources and trust to excel. They then become exemplary workers. But I expect them to show up on time, do the job as described and be polite to the clients. They do, because that is non-negotiable.
As time goes on, this tupe of worker will become obsolete.
Done. That's it. If I could sticky something like this I would. If I need to provide for myself or family I will. I will find a way and I don't care how "low" the job is. I will do it. If I expect someone else to do a job, I must be willing to do it as well.
These people are "lost". Not all of them can come out of it and some are so fried they are basically the walking dead and that is sad. The one's that can come out of it usually do it on their own. Some are helped out and get out too but that is far fewer.
good on you. Keep it up. More people need to have this type of attitude.
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