Helping homeless is possible

Southeast High School has spearheaded recognition of the plight of the homeless and are giving their students a valuable lesson in philanthropy. How many times do we look the other way when we see people begging on the streets?

One thought process as we pass them by is: I won’t give them any money because they will just buy booze or drugs. Some of them sit near McDonald’s or other fast-food places, so why not get them something to eat? I stopped by one man and saw a woman from a local church hand him a bag of things that we take so for granted — soap, toothbrush, deodorant, etc. How about giving them gas? Give a sandwich! Many of them don’t sit near a restaurant. How hard is it to make peanut butter sandwiches and/or other kinds of sandwiches?

Housing is the main problem. Why not build mini-houses or cubes around a central building housing restrooms, showers, and laundry facilities? Is this just a Utopian dream?

This story was originally published June 3, 2016 at 5:46 PM with the headline "Helping homeless is possible."