I think that most folks (at least in this country) just prefer to ignore homelessness altogether.
They also tend to either ignore or shame folks that help them so go figure.
There is a really cool project in Asheville, NC called 'Beloved Asheville' and it is downright inspiring how they have approached the rise in homelessness in the area.
The Mayor of Atlanta has begun a project where shipping containers are being converted into housing for the homeless, in an effort to help prevent 'encampments' under bridges with the fires that have caused so much damage and heartache for the regular citizens just trying to get from one point to another.
That won't help here in Cobb County, unless it proves to be a resounding success.
I saw that the mayor was doing that there recently! Yeah, I think it is a pretty awesome initiative. Homelessness is a massive (and growing) problem all over the country.
It really sucks to see it all happening and while in the past the numbers were kept lower via incarcerating folks... the jails/prisons are now so over-crowded that they cannot continue that strategy.
Folks are also flocking to the southeast (for fairer weather) and as you may know the south just is not accustomed to so much homelessness.
What gets me, and is apparent now from my latest interaction, that so many simply would rather stand on street corners and beg rather than actually work for a paycheck.
These guys are counting on a lawsuit about his ankle to come through for them, rescue them as it were.
But if they get something significant by way of a settlement (just say $40K) how long will it be before they've spent their way through that?
When he hurt his ankle (He says) they had a rental house, a truck/van and had been making $15 per hour.
They apparently had not saved any money, they lost their rental, sold the vehicles and came back to their campsite where they have 3 street corners they share with other homeless people for begging.
Why hasn't she gone back to WORK at Panera?
They are so co-dependent is just isn't funny
I agree with plenty of that sentiment and you assuredly raise some good questions there about those particular folks.
Aside from those folks though, (who sound like they would rather be hustlers) the 'why do they not work' question is of course complex and folks seldom consider the factors of:
There are often no showers available... no support from friends or family... no one to watch their belongings while they work... and not having an address or actual phone number... makes things extremely difficult. Then of course there is a lack of public transportation which as you know is in short supply in many places even if it is available there in Cobb county.
Those are by no means justifications or anything and I am simply saying that the 'barriers' to employment are massive and often dismissed out of hand.
As I often tell folks: Go spend a month being truly homeless (destitute) and find out what it is really like.
I am not saying that to you per say (because as you stated you know the challenges involved) but honestly most folks are so far off the mark with their sentiments towards the un-housed that it is easier to de-humanize and/or dismiss them.
Yes, I do understand these barriers. These two use large sanitary wipes for personal hygenie, whole body (which of course does nothing for dirty hair, but they have access to several public bathrooms and could wash their hair and everything else for that matter in a sink, I've done that)
I don't know if there are other reasons (like why they left or were fired before) but the Panera Bread store is within 150 yds of their tent, she goes there several times a day to use the bathroom.
He truly does seem to be in pain when walking, and to my knowledge he lets her do the standing and begging, which doesn't say much to me about his make up.
After we had words that fateful day, he DID apologize and said:
All this was so stupid ....You deserved more respect than I gave to you. It's a very bad habit that I noticed in my 30's so I worked on my faults and thought I had over come this prideful, and selfish attitude. I just wanted you to understand I feel horrible and still you offer to help us.
So, in the end he gained some personal growth... at the cost of what seems like a very good situation that you so graciously extended to the both of them!
All in all I think that you did the right thing and like I originally said: You did way more than most folks would.
EDIT: By 'right thing' I mean both helping them and knowing when to no longer help!