No running water, no electrical power, and no sanitation.

[dennis40x]

No running water, no electrical power, and no sanitation. An old camping trailer that two individuals are living in. They occasionally show up asking for water which I give them. Their always looking to borrow money I give them odd jobs to do. One is on disability and receives a check each month. Being both are alcoholics they consume the check early in the month. They are not my problem at least that's what I keep on telling myself. I can't get them assistance from health and human services and no local church affiliated group wants to assist them either. If we have a bad winter their goners. Street people out in the country.

 

[pred]

I see a lawn mower and a weight bench...
I am from Phila, And I would not help folks that cant help themselves,,, Maybe water, But no $$$ even for odd jobs.
Am I heartless? Or do I see so much here in Phila that I have grown numb to folks looking for a handout so they can buy drugs/alcohol.
And I dont even have cable/ Satellite dish or big TVs, I could afford them, But I would rather have the $$$ sitting about,,, I am a saver.
You are in a tough place in my mind, Someone NEEDS help in many ways, BUT first they have to kick the Habit, And then I would help them in a second.
Good luck with them!
Peter

 

[ingmansinc]

Who owns the land and trailer?

 

[em-man]

I always said if it ever comes down to it "I'd rather be poor in the country than in the city"...

 

[Andy Griffith]

Kinda reminds me of the story of the grasshopper and the ant.
Not the cartoon one, but the real story as told by generations of mothers and fathers to their children. Seems as though those folks need a refresher course.

I agree with finding out who owns the land, if you don't already know. I would suggest that they take the beer money and buy a nearly worn out plow and some seeds. I know if I got that down and out, I'd be putting up some food and making certain I had a warm place for the winter.

We've given countless folks a "leg up" when they needed it and showed that they are willing to help themselves.
I also know that it sometimes feels like a moral dilemma between helping someone that may not or won't help themselves.

Sometimes, people have to fall completely to the rock bottom before they turn around- if they turn around at all.

Please though, be extra careful and vigilant. Perhaps they are nothing more than the neighborhood's lazy alcoholics, but please keep your guard up, friend.

I can't think like a hobo...never have been one, and would probably die if I had to live like that.
Perhaps they are going to go to Miami for the winter?

 

[TNDixieGirl]

And I would not help folks that cant help themselves,,, Peter

I will not help folks that WON'T help themselves.

When I see the homeless standing on the street with signs that say "hungry, out of work" etc., I won't give them money, but I've handed them food plenty of times. At least that way I feel like if they were really hungry, I helped. If they were just looking for drug or beer money, I didn't contribute to the habit.

 

[caseydog]

snip..
I am from Phila, And I would not help folks that cant help themselves,,, Maybe water, But no $$$ even for odd jobs.
snip,,
Peter

Probably a better sentiment would be to say " I would not help people that won't help themselves" I think we would all help someone who truly can't help themselves.

Dennis , I would probably handle it a lot like you , as long as I felt they were no danger to me or my family. I've been known to help people try to improve their outlook by getting them jobs in short term (summer)help positions or day labor stuff, only 2 out of a couple dozen were complete flops , due to alcohol, a few have made their way back to what we recognize as "normal".

Edit : Dixie Girl , we had the same thought , you were faster !

Ray

 

[dennis40x]

Who owns the land and trailer?

An older woman owns the property and trailer. She's basically a shut in. I believe she lets them stay there because they had no place to go. I check on her every now and then. She has family but I've seldom seen them. Her family is probably waiting for her to die. If they put her in a nursing home there goes their inheritance.

 

[GatorFarmer]

I guess that I'm not surprised that nearby churches won't help out. Very few people take that whole least of My brethren thing seriously ("So as you do unto the least of My brethren, so as you do unto Me").

Anyway, we used to use alkies for odd jobs all the time. You can pay them in booze. A box of wine or two and you can get quite a lot of work done compared to what some sober folks charge.

Nothing wrong with living off the beaten path, or drinking yourself to death for that matter.

 

[Spotteddog]

The only thing that would concern me would be when tanked up or after some illegal chemical assistance, what they might possibly do the the property owner? Especially if she's that elderly and shut in? Wouldn't be the first time a n'er do well homeless handyman type thought to get their hands on an inheritance ahead of family members?

 

[ladder13]

I will not help folks that WON'T help themselves.

When I see the homeless standing on the street with signs that say "hungry, out of work" etc., I won't give them money, but I've handed them food plenty of times. At least that way I feel like if they were really hungry, I helped. If they were just looking for drug or beer money, I didn't contribute to the habit.

+1

 

[Wayne02]

With that kind of prolonged behavior pattern, it looks like a lifestyle choice to me. There are people like that all over the rural areas, not just transplants from the city but native country people as well.

We have had 'tent cities' here in western WA for many years now, and they are similarly filled with people who choose that lifestyle. Often times these tent cities are set up on Church property or in various parks or other open public land. It's always the same M/O, the tent city moves into an area and the media coverage sends all the good hearted people to bring truck loads of supplies and food for the unfortunate tent city residents.

Initial media coverage indicates these folks have fallen on hard times and are just there temporarily until they get back on their feet. After about 3-4 weeks go by there are reports of increased crime in the area. Several local radio shows have done some investigative reporting by embedding a reporter for awhile. It has always been the same report, 80% of the residents of tent city are the same people that were there the year before, and the year before that...

Having said that, with this economy there has been an increase in people who do not choose that lifestyle but have been dealt those cards recently. I do quite a bit of camping and have noticed more families "camping"/living in tents or RV's in the campgrounds. In many cases these folks are 'working', but at a fraction of their former income. They have to move every 14 days so as to remain under the stay limit for most campgrounds around here.

There has also been a noticeable increase in 'urban' campers who live in their RV and park in vacant commercial building parking lots, store parking lots, park and ride lots etc. They too must move frequently to try and stay under the radar and not wear out their welcome in these parking lots around the community. I know of one such older couple who now live in their older motorhome while one of them works part-time at home-depot. They said it is less expensive for them to try and stay in the urban parking areas vs staying in an outling campground and have to communte to work and for services. Their situation is somewhat similar to the people in the OP's picture in that for the most part they have no electricity, running water, or septic (they dump the septic once per week at the local RV park).

Hopefully things will improve for those folks who did not choose this type of lifestyle and they can get back on their feet in time. There are a number of websites now that provide tips and techniques for temporarily living out of your car, RV, tent etc.

After losing homes, families move into tents | tennessean.com | The Tennessean

 

[mountaingun629]

TNDixieGirl -

I will NOT give folks standing at road intersections anything! I have seen these clowns taking turns manning the sign while the partner goes for another bottle or a sandwich.
My stepson once handed one of these jerks (who had a sign "will work for food") a fresh sandwich from Burger King and the ***hole threw it back in his face!

Myron

 

[rburg]

The local paper did a series of articles on the interstate and intersection beggars. What they discovered was that most made a nice income (tax free) by begging. They also discovered that almost all the stories were made up. A very large percentage were criminals/felons who couldn't get a good job, but begging paid well.

I live a short distance from a former hobo jungle. They were often credited for just being old romantics, living the life on the rails. The city that used to put up with them ran them off in recent years. For a while they were living down on the river, about a quarter mile away from me. I hated it. The city came along a few years a back after a shooting under the flood wall and cleaned them out. Just used a backhoe and dumpster and discarded their personal things. Then they paid them over a $1000 each when the homeless advocates got a lawyer for them.

Some still live down along the river. They're almost all drunks and addicts. The terrain keeps them away from where I live. I'm shocked the local church groups won't help. They probably need some public shaming.

My wife works at the local free store. Its just a thing two local church's have put together to help the needy. What they've discovered and why I refuse to help them (except to drop her off) is about half the people coming in aren't needy, they're just opportunists. They drive pretty nice cars. This weekend another church brought two families over (they could do it themselves, but won't.) They were spanish speaking and the other outside church furnished an interpreter. It caused some arguments withing the ladies who run the thing. They've got to work out the idea of helping illegals, needy or not. My wife's view is that anyone who needs food should be welcome. Particularly if they have kids. It'll be interesting where it goes.

 

[feralmerril]

I have only seen one or two with the signs etc in this part of utah. When I lived in california it was a every day thing. Back there for whatever reason I would handle them sometimes totaly opposite ways in the same day! It kind of was how they struck me. Sometimes I would help them, sometimes berate them. I must have judged and profiled them instantly. Now that I am older, retired, fat and out of shape I am takeing a softer view. It probley came also from raiseing two mentaly challanged nephews at various times. Their dad died young and my sister had her plate full with 4 younger kids plus working so I stepped in. At first I would preach to them, berate them, act like a drill sargent etc. I would show them cripples working at hard jobs, berate them because they were physicaly able etc. Both had/have some type of pyscho skitzo that I just couldnt understand. (One died on me about 5 years ago) I handeled their check books, paying their rent etc.
Anyway the early years went hard for them and me policeing them. I found it was to no avail and would do nothing. I had to learn to throttel back and live with it.
Now, god looked after me. By that I mean that I fell into a career and good paying job that I could handle. I havent had as much higher education as probley most of you have had.
Think about this. Lets say you only know how to be employed in one field. Lets say you are a truck driver or pilot but lose your license because you cant pass the physical. Maybe you are a cop or work high security like I did, but a vicious ex wife lies and rats you off to your superiors and you are fired. I have seen that happen to several good men that I worked with.
For whatever reason you now are 55 years old, whipped out by a exspendsive divorice and high child support with no saveings. Just lost your career and cant get another same type job for the said reasons. You are also fat and out of shape and havent worked at anything else or other field in 40 years.
I am retired, and while not ritch belive the wife and I will be okay. Yet, I shudder to think what I would be able to work at if for whatever reason we got whiped out tomorrow and I had to go back to work and it couldnt be in my old career!
I belive where I have come down the hardest has been with very young kids and teenagers. Numerous times, not here in utah, but in california, I have had them come up to me in front of stores or whatever and ask for a little money like I was their daddy! I usually came unglued!