February 19, 2015, Prescott-
The calls resumed even before I reached the El Paso city limits. Neediness knows few boundaries, in its self-perceived desperation. I bought some assurance of being left alone, so as to continue my drive in concentration and in peace.
I realize that I do not want a constant presence in my life that sucks that life out of me. I do not want someone in my business, constantly. I do not want to be tethered, or bled financially, drop by drop. My involvement in dealing with the dispossessed can’t be of such a form as to make me one of them. We all have a part to play in ending homelessness, but the solution can’t be piecemeal and it can’t be of such pressure tactics on individuals like me, as to breed resentment.
I feel tense, and a bit angry, at having to fend off constant requests for money- which I have to make last, a long time, ( thus my propensity for eating sparingly,for keeping my energy costs low, and, when traveling, for staying in cheap motels in winter, and campgrounds in warmer weather). Housing people in my apartment is forbidden by my landlord, and I am obedient to the terms of my lease.
On the other hand, when those who claim to be serving veterans and other homeless people adopt a piecemeal, almost capricious approach to service, enticing groups of men to their shelter and then staying closed in cold weather, they leave the people with no choice but to find abandoned homes, sleep in the forest, or in storage units, of all things. Utah offers small houses to their homeless, taking people off the streets and storefronts.
Thankfully, the local Interfaith Council has a meeting on this subject next month. I will encourage as many of the people who approach me for what I don’t have to give, to show up, presentably, at this meeting and at Prescott City Council meetings, and speak respectfully and as eloquently as possible, on what the current non-system of dealing with this issue is doing to the entire community.
We cannot continue,as a society, to think that putting people on buses out of town or merely thinking they will dry up and float away, will purge the issue from our midst. Quite the contrary, the numbers of dispossessed will only grow, as long as the issue is ignored. I know this, because I housed as many as ten people, over a three year period, when we lived in Phoenix.
A Sagittarian Seeker 
I sometimes joke that there’s a spring in my front door or my dining-room chair that causes the phone to ring when the spring is triggered! The calls here are most frequently robocalls from contractors looking for work — I refuse their calls. Snail mail includes appeals for donations, too — I pick the ones I think put my donations to the best use, and toss all the others. No one person is able to provide for all those who request funds — and by not combining their efforts they often reduce the effectiveness of their efforts..
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That last sentence has occurred to me so often. It is true of petitions as well.
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yes. you are right. and the people who have to be generous are the ones who sit solidly in the middle when generosity from the wealthy would solve the problem.
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Consistency of effort, as well as a cross section of generosity, are far better than total dependence on those who are themselves one paycheck away from the street.
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It’s a difficult problem. I’m not sure it can be solved but the situation could be greatly improved.
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Collective action, and less focus on the monetary aspects of the matter, would go a long way towards recasting the issue.
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I agree.
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lively exchange on this very topic, Gary, with two other community-focused folks, and yes, though I am unaffiliated, faith-wise, I will be @ QCIC next week. I have grown wildly weary of being asked, and asked, and asked, to show up with funds, talent, and/or time, to more organizations and causes than I could ever hope to support with any or all of those. A beloved of mine, gone since October of 2010, always reminded me to give from the overflow; keep the tanks full – absolutely sage advice.
Finally, I shared this morning I cannot support 1600 nonprofit entities in Yavapai County, and nor can anyone else! See you round the circles!
LinMarie
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