Subscriber Comments for
Real Change

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 80238	2010-06-05 10:52 AM
Best thing the city has done so far. This is a message to get out to finally help clean-up downtown and get some lives redirected. I wish it and its beneficiaries every success. There is nothing compassionate in enabling people to continue living on the streets when there are so many other alternatives that rehabilitate lives, rather than continuing their own dysfunction and ruin the local business district at the same time.
COMMENT 80261	2010-06-05 12:53 PM
I think if a person feels cmpassion for the less fortunate and wants to give out small change they should do so. It's their perogative.
COMMENT 80342	2010-06-06 09:05 AM
I absolutely agree with COMMENT 80261, and I'll tell you why . Programs and shelters have a very hard time reaching the severly mentally ill (I believe I once heard the director of Casa Esperanza state this fact, and a person working at the Rescue Mission recently told me the same thing.) If this government-affiliated non-profit will state in detail exactly how they are going to help the homeless people on the street with schizophrenia, then I'll listen to them. BTW, the severely mentally ill frequently do not ask for money at all. Those are the people I give to on occasion, and will continue to do so. Only wish I could help more.
SV-650	2010-06-06 09:41 AM
As has been pointed out in many studies, people who give money to street people often do so because it makes THEM feel good while having no interest in how these funds are spent - quite frequently for drugs and alcohol. These same generous souls, practically never write a check to any one of the numerous social service agencies who are really trying to make a difference. This is actually very selfish behavior - they make themselves feel good, while actually enabling the donees to slide further downhill.
COMMENT 80364	2010-06-06 11:37 AM
80342: I went to the site to see how they planned to achieve their goal, and they plan to 'change people's actions and attitudes' - they do not themselves work with the homeless if I understand correctly. I myself could use a little of that education, but i don't think they are teaching what I want to learn - how do we help as individuals? WHERE DOES IT SAY what percentage of their raised funds go directly to their stated goals? I want to see the info any charity has - how much of what they raise goes to overhead and salaries and how much really goes to the community/goal?
COMMENT 80369	2010-06-06 11:56 AM
Whether it makes me feel good or not is not the issue. By giving money directly to an unfortunate soul, I cut out the middleman, and the recipient receives 100% of my donation. That's efficient use of resources. Let the individual decide how to spend the funds received. It seems to me that the homeless know how to spend their resources better than some nanny charity that decides how to help someone despite themselves. Too many of the non-profits exist to make the people who donate to them feel good about themselves, SV-650, in my humble opinion.
COMMENT 80382	2010-06-06 01:49 PM
Check out the salaries of the CEO's of the "non-profits" , locally and nationally. A lot of "overhead"!
COMMENT 80594	2010-06-07 10:36 AM
This education is long overdue in our town and I am so happy to see it. I shopped for years at the Vons downtown and countless times saw homeless panhandlers buying alcohol & cigarettes ONLY. I've "never" seen them buy food! Well, of course not, they don't need to because we have plenty of free food, beds, clothes, blankets, showers, laundry etc. at the shelters for them. .... Giving money to panhandlers only worsens their addictions and lengthens the time that they will be addicted and homeless. Give your money to the shelter that are trying to help these people!

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