Comments about ‘Helping the homeless: How even in the hardest cases, there is hope’

This is a wonderful story of the good that can be done in individuals' lives if we care enough. What a great example of pure religion.

In todays political climate, it seems so easy at face value to relegate these destitute men and women to lazy, Nar thee well cretins, and the dredges of society.

For the cost of one my favorite drinks, a double shot Carmel Macchiato at Starbucks I can feed a homeless person a hot meal for nearly a week at the Rescue Mission, I do, So could you!!!

Mr. Sebring does indeed inspire hope! Mr Sebring's story is not uncommon, except the outcome. Congratulations on his success. I myself have been involved with trying to assist some with mental health issues (through church). It is indeed a challenge-it truly takes a village. Mental health issues do increase the risk of substance abuse. Then, when abandonment, neglect and abuse is added to the mix it causes further damage. I've found here that mental health services for the indigent is limited. Even when services are available there is no continuity of care, a pt may see a different psychiatrist every visit.

We need to do better. Thank goodness there are places like Rescue Mission and Valley Mental Health.

A record number of teens are leaving the foster care system without a family to help them, and many fail to make it on their own. The number who leave the system because they turn 18 increased 41% to 24,407 between 1998 and 2005. The spike occurred despite a drop in the number of children in foster care, according to government figures in a Pew report. Government and private studies have found that such teens are less likely to finish high school, and more likely to go to prison or become homeless. Census data show that fewer than 3% earn college degrees, compared with 28% of the population.

President Reagan in his wisdom, understood that the homeless are really only there because they are druggies and because they want to be; that thoughtful, giving people like those at Calvary would spring up everywhere to take care of the truly sick ones. First President Bush called people like these, a thousand points of light. State mental hospitals were for malingerers and crazy people who wanted a free ride--shut 'em down!

And the years have passed. And there are so few Calvary's.

And homelessness, which was a manageable problem, pre-Reagan, is now a blight on the nation and our National disgrace. Sorry to point the finger at your heroes, Republicans--but Reagan did this when he became the tool of big business. If you think that the 1% are going to care one whit more about you when your time of need comes--well, let's just say that you might want to stop listening to those voices in your head.

*'Republicans kill Senate jobless aid measure' - By Andrew Taylor - AP - Published by DSNews - 06/24/10

*'Senate Republicans - again - kill bill for jobless aid' - By Stephen Ohlemacher - AP - Published by DSNews - 06/30/10

*John Boehner: If GOP Cuts Cause Federal Job Losses...'So Be It' - Huffington Post - 02/15/11

*Senate Republicans likely to kill Obama jobs bill By Andrew Taylor AP Published by DSNews 10/11/11

So Pagan, your solution is to spend endlesssly, mindlessly?
Then you should be very happy with the current state of affairs.
Try providing solutions rather than endless, mindless rehash.
To me there is a better way. One that helps people help themselves.
And this article shows one way of doing exactly that.
Endless doling does not "help" people in the long run.
Nor does it help their families who learn to expect the same dole for
generations.
In Europe they visited families where not one person had held a job for 4 generations.

kudos to rescue mission and this good man.

AZRods | 11:51 a.m. Dec. 21, 2011

There is not a better example of endless and mindless spending, then the bailout.
they did not even ask them what they planned on doing with the money. When was the last time you went to the bank, and asked for 1 billion dollars, and they did not ask you what you were going to spend it on?
And we found out; much of the money was used to pay million dollar bonuses. When was the last time you lost billions of dollars, then received a bonus for being so bad at your job, that they dont want you to quit?
Also, I noticed how quickly, they came up with over a trillion dollars to fund the bailout; there was harly any debate.
I do find it interesting; when it came to the bailout; suddenly we had tons of money available to spend. We need to help the poor bankers and wallstreet.
When it comes to the poor; well were not sure; dont want to send people money and make them dependant; they probably deserve what they got. if they are poor they should just get a job and work harder.

AZRods | 11:51 a.m. Dec. 21, 2011

There is one other thing that I wonder:
What if we took 1.5 trillion dollars and hired everyone that is unemployed.
Would it have done more to improve the economy, then the money we spent to bail out a bunch of banks, and wallstreet.
Would our entire economic system really have crashed without giving billionaires and millionaires taxpayer funds?
Or would other banks-credit unions, taken their place?

Ronald Reagan is 100% responsibility for all of the homeless people who have a mental illness. Many of you republicans are probably too young to know the history of what happened when Reagan was President.