Ofcourse she's a she, I thought it was obvious from her avatar - deliberately mysterious and shadowy, not wanting to give too much away, ellusive, not really all there, taking months deciding what to wear...
Strikes and such like Page 9
How adroit Alfred, Wondered if anyone gives to 'charity' a t Christmas?
I admit to a pack of cards and small gift to 'Red Cross'. Feel mean, but have tried to discover 'food kitchens' or similar in area, shocked that none, except Church 'soup kitchens' that are deliberately 'not advertised' quote; 'incase it attracts the undesirable' OH my God ! Shocked! 
Most homeless charities, shelters etc have a list of soup kitchens, food coops, clothes drop off etc.
That way they provide food to those who are identified as being homeless and in need. If you bear in mind some of these places do quite decent food and may only have enough for 200. Then feeding a bunch of greedy clubbers trying to save on the price of a kebab is not helpful.
Quote: dellas @ December 9 2011, 9:03 AM GMTWondered if anyone gives to 'charity' a t Christmas?
Yes, but not just at Christmas.
nb most soup kitchens infact give out that days Pret and M&S goodies.
So yeh nice stuff.
If you save stamps from the cards you receive and all year round if you can remember, you can donate them to charity for just the cost of postage.
The RSPCA seem to want people to donate dogs to them at Christmas, how many should I buy?
But how do homeless, or 1 step away people, when benefit runs out, know where to go? I was talking to a guy who had no money and was tempted to steal food fron Asda, instead he changed a label on chicken from £1.50to 50p cos' that what he had, anyway he was stopped confiscated and barred.
I felt sad, offered him chips but said he'd gone to grans, his only friend she had made him egg on toast- but he said he felt terrible going to a pensioner?? 
Well turn up at your council offices, phone them or the Shelter helpline and you'll get pointed in the right direction.
A modicum of iniative is not unreasonable.
Most charitable or council services for the homeless or the destitute are constantly resisting being exploited.
People will use even the grottiest homeless shelter as a place to stay for a holiday.
This has lead to many council homeless outreach teams only agreeing to see people on the streets. Usually asking where they're sleeping and saying they'll see them one night out of the next 3.
nb when I worked in a Birmingham city centre homeless project there was a bit of a scam. 2 girls would turn up and claim to be homeless, get booked in to a double room. Then use it for somewhere to stay when they were clubbing with their mates. And claim they were all staying at each others homes(usually from religious conservative backgrounds where clubbing wasn't approved of).
I once had to evict 14 people from one of those tiny rooms.
We were full, it was cold so they cost someone who needed it a place to stay.
Quote: dellas @ December 9 2011, 9:35 AM GMTBut how do homeless, or 1 step away people, when benefit runs out, know where to go? I was talking to a guy who had no money and was tempted to steal food fron Asda, instead he changed a label on chicken from £1.50to 50p cos' that what he had, anyway he was stopped confiscated and barred.
I felt sad, offered him chips but said he'd gone to grans, his only friend she had made him egg on toast- but he said he felt terrible going to a pensioner??
nb I hate to say it but government cuts around homelesness haven't really started to bite yet. So the majority of people asking you for money are
1 Asking so they can buy drugs or booze.
2 Part of organised begging syndicates
The guys who really need it, generally look like shit and are quite easy to spot. If you really want to help them find out the locations and times of your local homeless drop ins and maybe give them the busfare to get there.
Sorry to sound mean.
Suppose people who work in this area get bitter, this guy was self employed taxi driver, who was'nt getting work, on hard times etc not pay rent arrears.
Nothing for him and HE was'nt looking either tried to use 'initiative' instead.
Still upset cos' there will be lots more.
There's a diference between bitter and cynical.
I'm not sure I'd call myself bitter I'd definitely call myself cynical.
By the sounds of his situation he's mostly in need of some solid benefits, debt advice. Most people still fail to realise that when you've got no income all your creditor can get off you is about a £1 a month.
And if they send the bailifs round at huge expense, they might get your telly and your Xbox.
So giving money to help someone out of a hole, is way more expensive then giving advice which is pretty much free.
Your taxi driver would do well to have a discussion with the job centre about how he can declare himself unemployed when he is, his own boss. Which is tricky but doable.
Tried it not doable, show your bank acc' and details f personal business plan etc, otherwise bugger off. Disenfranchised from system.
He only 'rented' the cab and worked- the first £30 was for this rent, if no other earning that night = buggered.
Sooty not implying you are horrible.
Sorry but once someone doesn't want to share their bank account details, then erm they're dodgy. If you've got no appreciable earned income or savings, then you're ok.
If you do and you're covering it up. Then frankly piss off.
Re exploitation - a terrible thing indeed. There also seems to be more danger nowadays, with Street Wardens, Charity Workers and the like being attacked, abused and even robbed.
It's been mentioned before but the CAB can be very helpful and some places have a Volunteer Bureau which can offer support and advice. Libraries often have info on this sort of thing. The Salvation Army may still run schemes, not sure about that now and as Sooty says, the Job Centre can help. They offer other benefit advice and I think at the moment can still give crisis grants. Some charity shops run schemes to help the homeless.
I worked in one night shelter and one of the guys who volunteered there (who was himself living in the shelter and only a few months of the streets).
Always said "don't ever give, food or blankets or clothes out at the door. Not unless you want a queue a mile long the next night."