tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064685296474160548.post8387303106724532455..comments2023-10-11T08:33:11.825+01:00Comments on Ending homelessness: Killing with kindnessJeremy Swainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483917462413015323noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064685296474160548.post-57669165963307512132021-06-29T08:42:14.648+01:002021-06-29T08:42:14.648+01:00face out lookface out lookAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11034486571249314495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064685296474160548.post-53167711806236248642021-04-28T12:06:58.543+01:002021-04-28T12:06:58.543+01:00Thank YouThank YouAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11034486571249314495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064685296474160548.post-89954196771990435132016-05-22T16:52:18.421+01:002016-05-22T16:52:18.421+01:00Thanks for your comment. The reason that, at Thame...Thanks for your comment. The reason that, at Thames Reach, we think that giving money to people who beg is a bad thing is because of the proven link between the giving, misuse of crack cocaine and heroin and death through drug misuse. The most recent tragedy that has rocked us is the death of a man we knew well who was found dead at his begging pitch outside a south London railway station. He had pneumonia and had discharged himself from hospital in order to beg to get money to buy heroin.<br /><br />Our teams work with many people who are in the process of reducing and, hopefully, ending their use of hard drugs and our objective is to help them through the incredibly challenging process of addressing a serious addiction. The easy availability of money through begging is a major hindrance to people at the point when they are reducing their dependency so our experience means that we do not agree with your view that giving money plays no part as to whether someone stops using drugs, or not. <br /><br />Of course, helping people to end a dependency on hard drugs usually requires a package of support that needs to be delivered professionally and sensitively and we manage a number of drug treatment projects that work with people as they reduce their use. But the easy pickings on offer through begging works against us in a very damaging way. Unfortunately many of the people we work with who are begging and using hard drugs are also involved in low level crime, so it is rarely a matter of committing crime because the begging opportunities are reducing; both are an element of a destructive life-style we are supporting the person to move away from. <br /><br />I am sorry that you think our approach reflects a cynical, detached paranoia. All I can say is that, having been on the street many times with colleagues working tirelessly through the night to help people off the streets and away from homelessness, they seem to me to be some of the least cynical, most engaged and determinedly clear-eyed people I have ever had the privilege of working with. <br /><br />I hope this is useful.Jeremy Swainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06483917462413015323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064685296474160548.post-32107404282097733152016-03-31T17:24:02.839+01:002016-03-31T17:24:02.839+01:00I don't see much logic in your arguments. Your...I don't see much logic in your arguments. Your main point seems to be the proven link between begging and drug use, but beyond establishing this you fail to explain why beggars spending the money they get on drugs is actually a bad thing. You rely on the assumption that it is, by definition. I don't think that is true.<br /><br />Addicts don't kick their addiction because they've run out of money. The kick when, and only when, the desire to be clean, to start again, becomes stronger than the need for a fix. You cant simulate it by making them more skint. Withdrawal makes people desperate, and desperate people do stupid things. They steal, get arrested, trap themselves in a closed world of criminality and institutionalisation. All the while, the possibility of getting out, of summoning up that desire, diminishes.<br /><br />And on my part, I refuse to think suspiciously about every beggar I see. I don't want to cultivate that kind of cynical, detached paranoia any more than I can help. So I assume on principle that every beggar is exactly what they seem, not because I believe it, but because I don't care. I'd rather give money to 10 people even if 9 of them spent it on drugs, because it is just possible that that other 1 person really, really needed it.Cacophonauthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18248017060930450304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064685296474160548.post-60144900926373967822015-05-28T02:27:12.209+01:002015-05-28T02:27:12.209+01:00Hi Jeremy, Loving your pictures and the simple and...Hi Jeremy, Loving your pictures and the <a href="http://www.fruithampers.info/" rel="nofollow">simple and beautiful way</a> you have put your story across - you're an inspiration and I am following your journey - awesome work!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03000199240624459122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064685296474160548.post-12072316120497813662014-08-23T10:14:06.249+01:002014-08-23T10:14:06.249+01:00Thanks for your comments Sara. The information tha...Thanks for your comments Sara. The information that you can give is very much linked to where you are finding people. Are you living in London? Many people in London, for example, are begging in central London and at Trafalgar Square is situated the Connection at St Martins which is one of the largest day centres for homeless people in Europe with a range of services to help people access accommodation, health services and help with employment. If you think that the person begging is a rough sleeper, there is a telephone help line you can ring which is a national help line so it doesn't matter if you are in London, Birmingham or Newcastle. The service is called Street Link and the number is at http://www.streetlink.org.uk/Jeremy Swainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06483917462413015323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064685296474160548.post-7624758274825927962014-08-17T12:58:51.053+01:002014-08-17T12:58:51.053+01:00I'm convinced by your arguments and I do give ...I'm convinced by your arguments and I do give money to organised charities which I think can help people. I still feel a bit guilty when I walk by people begging though. I'd like to be able to give them advice about local places to get food, shelter and help. Do you know where I could find that information? In your work with people on the streets, how aware do you find them to be of help they can get?<br />Thanks for your thought-provoking piece.Sarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09521620666928906607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064685296474160548.post-22959554880373747092014-03-22T09:14:50.320+00:002014-03-22T09:14:50.320+00:00Hi - glad you are convinced! It may be a differen...Hi - glad you are convinced! It may be a different scenario elsewhere, for example, in Lagos people may well be begging in order to get food and to keep themselves alive. I wouldn't want to have a view about the situation there as that is not where Thames Reach's knowledge and expertise lies. We can only give you the facts about the situation in the UK.Jeremy Swainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06483917462413015323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064685296474160548.post-88685199252732963402014-03-22T09:12:01.886+00:002014-03-22T09:12:01.886+00:00Chris sorry to be slow getting back to you. New Ph...Chris sorry to be slow getting back to you. New Philanthropy Capital www.thinknpc.org<br />has done a lot of work on measuring outcomes to help people eager to support charities to assess how their money will be spent and the impact it could make. I'm impressed with what they do but suspect that many people still make a donation based on an emotional impulse. To some extent one can say - well so what? - but in the case of giving money to a person begging there is a very dark downside to the giving and I don't believe it can be seen as act without consequences.Jeremy Swainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06483917462413015323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064685296474160548.post-23325815186277285662014-03-21T11:49:34.418+00:002014-03-21T11:49:34.418+00:00Interesting and this is why I no longer give to be...Interesting and this is why I no longer give to beggars. It would only support the behavior and prevent these people from actually bettering themselves. Hello, welfare class.ew0054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9064685296474160548.post-60714220099766760732013-12-23T16:47:50.334+00:002013-12-23T16:47:50.334+00:00Hello, very interesting article and I had suspect...Hello, very interesting article and I had suspected that giving in a more systematic Manor was more effective at combating the problem. However I as wondering if you could put some links up to the evidence you have quoted as I think it would make interesting reading. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09133241319725534407noreply@blogger.com