Helping the Homeless

This article I am writing is something I have been compelled to do due to recent events on the news and what I personally have seen on the streets. For many years now we have seen homeless people living on the streets, mainly in America. But now it's becoming a common occurrence even in the UK.

Whenever I come face to face with a real homeless person on the streets I will always give a coin, etc., whatever I have in my pocket at that time. That could allow them to buy a hot meal or a hot coffee, and in the winter that could mean life or death to someone.

Obviously, there could be some that would simply buy alcohol or drugs out of it, and that is a shame. Last year I was visiting the city of Liverpool with a friend and I noticed an elderly man with his small dog in the corner of a building, I didn't hesitate in going over to him and handing him a £2 coin. His face opened up with such a smile and even his dog barked happily, the man said the dog is saying thank you. That certainly made my day.

So, always think before you walk on by and go about your busy life. I personally think that in public toilets there should also be a shower cubical in the corner where if and when someone wanted to shower to become clean then they could do so.

After all, it is a basic requirement. Even if they charged $1 to use the shower for a 15-minute shower that would be so worth it. We in the west are so wasteful, you only have to look at the amount of food that's thrown away on a daily basis. Most of this is the retail industry's fault, with their obsession with best before dates etc. All this food could and should be given freely to those that require it.

Here in the UK, we have something called Food Bank, a charity set up to give food to the needy of this world. Some shops do give free food away but not many, and even recently over Christmas, I heard that a big supermarket chain threw away vegetables and boxes of oranges. Even their own staff was not allowed to have them, this is criminal in today's world and should be outlawed. It's not just supermarkets that waste food, restaurants waste huge amounts too.

Say NO to WASTE

I remember watching a TV documentary some years ago where a group of people went foraging out the back of supermarket and restaurant skips. The food they found was unbelievable, huge amounts ranging from fruit and veggies, to breads, and even meat.

They had someone from the health department do a test on the food to make sure it was safe and even the dairy and meat products were deemed SAFE. They later prepared a huge banquet for the homeless from the food that was found, this just goes to show how much food is being wasted.

It is truly shocking when there are so many people going hungry in this world, I don't just mean people on the streets. There are lots or working families that simply don't earn enough to afford the quantity of food they require to feed their families.

So what can be done?

Well, we can all think twice at the shops, by buying too much and not eating in at the allotted time and throwing it away or when it's gone moldy. It might be a wiser approach to buy your groceries on a daily basis rather than stocking up once a week or a month.

I myself have seen the waste at places that I visit through work. Offices that contained food in the bins that were perfectly good. Apples and Oranges and even slices of wrapped bread. I collect it and give it to the birds and animals outside, people just don't think that an animal would like to eat this food.

Moving back on to the homeless situation, I was always told that people live on the streets because they don't like living in houses or belonging to a community. Perhaps some don't after all the world and cities are becoming a dark and cold place to live at times, however, no person should be on the streets because they have been neglected by the system and simply never being offered a place to live. We all deserve to have a place to call home.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article.

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