[Sca-cooks] OOP - homeless

[Georgia Foster]

Wyoming has few "Homeless".  Being a major train hub, we do have our share 
of train-grabbers and an occasional transient.  Nine months out of the year, 
the weather is not conducive to living rough out-of-doors.

When I had a business, I routinely would use the labors of those who would 
"fly a sign".  You know the type ... sit n the corner with a cardboard sheet 
upon which they have written "will work for food".  When I was in need of 
day-labor, if there was an individual flying a sign, I would ask if they 
were serious.  They were uniformly honest about it.  If they were just 
looking for the hand out ... they would say so.  If they were looking for 
the hand up ... I put them to work.

The results were mixed.  Some hung around and worked until they got paid, 
and then moved on.  Some came back for a week or two of work when they 
needed it, or when the train they were riding was passing through.  Some 
moved on to get regular jobs.  A few of them still stop by the house to 
visit ... talk about how life is going, etc.  There have been a very very 
very very few who abused the situation and were told to move on.

I have been known, on occasion, to take in a person who just looked like 
they needed a hand.  I can usually provide food, warm shelter, a chance to 
wash the clothes they have, give them warm clothes they don’t have, and a 
ride to the nearest intersection in their life’s crossroad.

The pub for whom I play league billiards has our own hard luck case.  We 
take turns making sure he has a meal or two regular, and a warm bed on the 
cold nights.  In exchange, he does odd-jobs and handy-work.  He will not 
stay or eat unless you have work for him to do, so I have, on occasion, had 
him do stuff I could just as easily do myself.

Is this condoning his behavior?

sure

Is it morally right?

That is a slippery slope that I would not choose to tread on an open list.



tupence only



Jo (Georgia L.) Foster
jo_foster81 at hotmail.com

Never knock on death's door........ Ring the doorbell and run. He hates 
that.

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