How are you helping the less fortunate this holiday season?

[Bonzi]

I'm thinking about giving a free course on how to get a job and budgeting... little late now, but maybe next year.....

 

[RodISHI]

i gave a liquor store 5 bucks yesterday , actually i gave a homeless guy 5 bucks and then i am GUESSING that he quickly gave it to a liquor store . Course i didn't watch where he went so he mighta went to a Grocery store or Fast Food .

I used to hand out a Bible with five bucks stuck in between the pages and a package of cookies to panhandlers I saw at mall parking lots and such (sometimes I got dirty looks in return for my efforts). Heck most of those guys wore more expensive and newer coveralls begging than I did out working.

We have seen truly needy out and about over the years that we gave money to get groceries and we have seen those go into a grocery store to get food.

 

[ChrisL]

Well, that is the important thing to remember, among the fraudsters, there are actually needy people out there. I don't see what is so terrible about lending a helping hand if you can do so. It's the right thing to do. It's also important to remember that everyone is an individual, so different people fall on hardships for different reasons and it is NOT always their own fault. Even if they did make a mistake in the past that has put them in a bad position, so what? As if YOU have never made a bad decision or an error in judgement or were just young and stupid?

 

[strollingbones]

if you dont care for humans donate to the humanes...animals never fake their condition

 

[WillowTree]

I think helping out my less fortunate fellow Americans is an excellent use of my tax dollars and I don't object to it at all. I only agree with you in the sense that our government is full of corruption and waste and fraud and lies. I don't think they allocate or use tax monies as well or as as appropriately as they could.

Great. Now if we could send the illegals home then our tax dollars will be spent on poor Americans. And yes, there is a great deal of corruption.

 

[WillowTree]

I took a generous donation to the Salvation Army when Harvey hit. I will put money in their kettles too when I see them.

 

[strollingbones]

i no longer donate to the red cross.....they swooped in after a flood here..took donations and left town

 

[JGalt]

I plan on helping less fortunate liberals by explaining to them how Xmas, Kwaanza, Festivus, Winter Solstice and "Happy Holidays" isn't really Christmas. Then they're all invited out to my place, to burn some tires for Earth Day.

My charity work is done here.

 

[strollingbones]

i love winter solstice

 

[WillowTree]

i love winter solstice

Merry Solstice Christmas bones!

 

[Windparadox]

`
`
The same thing me and my girls have done for years; travel to a Milwaukee church and help out cleaning at at their Christmas lunch and other festivities.

 

[ChrisL]

I plan on helping less fortunate liberals by explaining to them how Xmas, Kwaanza, Festivus, Winter Solstice and "Happy Holidays" isn't really Christmas.

My charity work is done here.

Do you not understand that other people don't celebrate Christmas but celebrate other holidays at around the same time of year?

 

[Boss]

I think helping out my less fortunate fellow Americans is an excellent use of my tax dollars and I don't object to it at all. I only agree with you in the sense that our government is full of corruption and waste and fraud and lies. I don't think they allocate or use tax monies as well or as as appropriately as they could.

It's a TERRIBLE use of your tax dollars because SO little of it actually goes to help anyone. Your personal efforts to help the needy are 100,000 times more effective.

My health is deteriorating, so I don't do as much as I used to do, in terms of helping those in need. For years, I worked on Thanksgiving Day at the homeless shelter, serving dinner. I still donate time and money helping them gather supplies and prepare. I've worked with the Salvation Army and Toys for Tots. When I lived in Memphis, I helped deliver presents to St. Jude's every year.

I wish I could do more. It's such a rewarding feeling to help those in need. One of the reasons I deplore these Big Government entitlement programs is because it props up this false sentiment of doing your part through paying taxes. You need to do the deeds yourself! We should encourage that instead of enabling complacency.

 

[Vastator]

I plan on helping less fortunate liberals by explaining to them how Xmas, Kwaanza, Festivus, Winter Solstice and "Happy Holidays" isn't really Christmas.

My charity work is done here.

I do something similar. I educate people as to how the Jews religions have coopted the practices, and customs of our traditional pre Christian conquest faiths, and perverted them for the furtherance of the Abrahmic faiths.

 

[ChrisL]

I think helping out my less fortunate fellow Americans is an excellent use of my tax dollars and I don't object to it at all. I only agree with you in the sense that our government is full of corruption and waste and fraud and lies. I don't think they allocate or use tax monies as well or as as appropriately as they could.

It's a TERRIBLE use of your tax dollars because SO little of it actually goes to help anyone. Your personal efforts to help the needy are 100,000 times more effective.

My health is deteriorating, so I don't do as much as I used to do, in terms of helping those in need. For years, I worked on Thanksgiving Day at the homeless shelter, serving dinner. I still donate time and money helping them gather supplies and prepare. I've worked with the Salvation Army and Toys for Tots. When I lived in Memphis, I helped deliver presents to St. Jude's every year.

I wish I could do more. It's such a rewarding feeling to help those in need. One of the reasons I deplore these Big Government entitlement programs is because it props up this false sentiment of doing your part through paying taxes. You need to do the deeds yourself! We should encourage that instead of enabling complacency.

It's a nice thought, but the cold hard fact is there are too many people who are in need and not nearly enough donations. That is why food pantries BEG for donations every year.

Oops, sorry that statement on the top was not for you. I am deleting it out of my reply.

 

[strollingbones]

happy solstice and merry christmas to ya willow

 

[ChrisL]

 

[rightwinger]

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day
Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime

I usually hand out this book...they appreciate it

I realize that your party feeds off the poor. The more poor people there are the more who will listen to demagogues talk about taking from the rich to feed the poor via government.

Just understand that not everyone wants to wind up like Venezuela, where everyone is now poor.

Inexplicably, they all seem to still want socialism.

Look

If we make it too easy on the poor, they will not want to stop being poor

Am I right? Am I right?

 

[ChrisL]

Homeless man spent his last $20 to keep her safe. She’s raised $250,000 to repay him

Homeless man spent his last $20 to keep her safe. She’s raised $250,000 to repay him
BY AMANDA HOOVER

The Associated Press

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NOVEMBER 22, 2017 12:45 PM

UPDATED NOVEMBER 27, 2017 02:52 PM

FLORENCE, N.J.
(This story has been updated to reflect that the GoFundMe account had raised $250,000 by Thursday afternoon, November 23, 2017 -- up from $34,000 when the story was originally published the day before.)

Kate McClure didn’t expect to run out of gas on her drive to Philadelphia last month.

And she definitely didn’t expect that her misfortune would give her the opportunity to change someone else’s life.

Pulled over on the side of I-95, McClure, 27, was approached by a homeless man named Johnny. She was apprehensive at first, but Johnny told her to get back into her car and to lock the doors while he walked to get her help. He went to a nearby gas station, used his last $20 fill a can and brought it back to fill up her car.

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Grateful, but without a dollar to repay him, McClure promised she would come back with something.

In the weeks since, she’s returned to the spot along I-95 where Johnny stays with cash, snacks and Wawa gift cards. Each time she’s stopped by with her boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, they’ve learned a bit more about Johnny’s story, and become humbled by his gratitude.

Eventually, the Florence Township couple knew they had to do something more.

“I would say, ‘I keep thinking about that guy,’” D’Amico said. And McClure was thinking about Johnny, too.

So they launched a GoFundMe campaign, putting an ambitious $10,000 goal and hoping to rein in a few hundred dollars to book Johnny a motel for a few nights where he could clean up, and start to get back on his feet.

As of Thursday, November 23, 2017, the campaign had garnered more than $250,000 in donations, up from $34,000 on Wednesday when this story was originally published.

“It just blew up,” McClure said earlier this week, noting that donors have come forward with $5, $10 or even several hundred after she’s shared the GoFundMe to various Facebook groups.

Johnny, who’s 34, told McClure and D’Amico he has been homeless for about a year. He said he was previously a certified paramedic, and also served in the Marine Corps.

After moving around the country for a time, he came to Philadelphia a year ago with a job lined up and some money to buy a truck. But soon after the job fell through, leaving Johnny surviving off meager savings.

Later, he lost his paperwork, rendering him unable to work. One night on the streets turned into a week, and ultimately a year of homelessness.

Learning his story, and sifting through his old Facebook photos, McClure and D’Amico said they were shocked to see how quickly Johnny’s life had changed from that of a working man who vacationed on the beach to one living off the streets of Philadelphia.

 

[RodISHI]

Homeless man spent his last $20 to keep her safe. She’s raised $250,000 to repay him

Homeless man spent his last $20 to keep her safe. She’s raised $250,000 to repay him
BY AMANDA HOOVER

The Associated Press

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• • LINKEDIN
  • GOOGLE+
  • PINTEREST
  • REDDIT
  • ORDER REPRINT OF THIS STORY

NOVEMBER 22, 2017 12:45 PM

UPDATED NOVEMBER 27, 2017 02:52 PM

FLORENCE, N.J.
(This story has been updated to reflect that the GoFundMe account had raised $250,000 by Thursday afternoon, November 23, 2017 -- up from $34,000 when the story was originally published the day before.)

Kate McClure didn’t expect to run out of gas on her drive to Philadelphia last month.

And she definitely didn’t expect that her misfortune would give her the opportunity to change someone else’s life.

Pulled over on the side of I-95, McClure, 27, was approached by a homeless man named Johnny. She was apprehensive at first, but Johnny told her to get back into her car and to lock the doors while he walked to get her help. He went to a nearby gas station, used his last $20 fill a can and brought it back to fill up her car.

Never miss a local story.
Sign up today for a free 30 day free trial of unlimited digital access.

SUBSCRIBE NOW
Grateful, but without a dollar to repay him, McClure promised she would come back with something.

In the weeks since, she’s returned to the spot along I-95 where Johnny stays with cash, snacks and Wawa gift cards. Each time she’s stopped by with her boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, they’ve learned a bit more about Johnny’s story, and become humbled by his gratitude.

Eventually, the Florence Township couple knew they had to do something more.

“I would say, ‘I keep thinking about that guy,’” D’Amico said. And McClure was thinking about Johnny, too.

So they launched a GoFundMe campaign, putting an ambitious $10,000 goal and hoping to rein in a few hundred dollars to book Johnny a motel for a few nights where he could clean up, and start to get back on his feet.

As of Thursday, November 23, 2017, the campaign had garnered more than $250,000 in donations, up from $34,000 on Wednesday when this story was originally published.

“It just blew up,” McClure said earlier this week, noting that donors have come forward with $5, $10 or even several hundred after she’s shared the GoFundMe to various Facebook groups.

Johnny, who’s 34, told McClure and D’Amico he has been homeless for about a year. He said he was previously a certified paramedic, and also served in the Marine Corps.

After moving around the country for a time, he came to Philadelphia a year ago with a job lined up and some money to buy a truck. But soon after the job fell through, leaving Johnny surviving off meager savings.

Later, he lost his paperwork, rendering him unable to work. One night on the streets turned into a week, and ultimately a year of homelessness.

Learning his story, and sifting through his old Facebook photos, McClure and D’Amico said they were shocked to see how quickly Johnny’s life had changed from that of a working man who vacationed on the beach to one living off the streets of Philadelphia.

Nice story. When we contracted the rest areas we always came across people in situations of just shear bad luck. Most of the time they were trying to get somewhere else to where family members were. The one's I recall that were the most humble had three children. They were trying to get to Montana to take care of her mother who had cancer when their car broke down. They were stuck in Idaho Falls living out of their car with three young girls. They had spent every bit of cash they had getting their car fixed so she got a job as a waitress and they were staying at the rest area at night. It was a location with a house for the caretakers but we hadn't hired anyone permanent there yet so I invited them in. They wouldn't stay in the house but were grateful just to be able to use the bath and kitchen. I insisted they at least park within the fenced yard area to keep the children safe and hired him to do some pickup around the lots for us. It only took them a half a week to get enough to go forward on their journey. There are always people who just need a little bit of help to get them through in their journey.