To bring it back to this forum's actual purpose.......What, as Messianic's should we be concerned about, what would you/we think should be done about this? Not in a general political sense, but as Messianic Believers.
Figure out what you have in your household, what you actually use, and what you can do without on a monthly basis (not including utilities, rent - but including dining out, entertainment, junk/superfluous food, etc.)
Determine
70% of the cost of
what you don't need.
Then,
take 40% of this number, and devote it to investing in non-perishable foods and services to be donated to a local church or organization
you can trust helps the homeless (not all organizations do this to the standard that is needed especially in the winter months.)
Take the remaining 60%,
reserve 50% of that for personal handouts (i.e. "sparing change,") and the
other 50% for personal food delivery (i.e. blankets, clothes & toiletries, handing out
hot meals as per your local law.*)
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For example, Let's assume I am a part of a coupled household with no kids. My partner and I spend about $2000 a month on things besides necessities, and about $1000 is spent on absolute luxuries. Therefore,
70% of what I don't need = $700
$280 would go to [Insert Church/Organization here] as a donation specifically to help the homeless.
Out of the remaining $420, I reserve
$210 to hand out as "real" money/legal tender for the month to people I see that may be in need
$210 spend on necessities and "luxuries" for the needy and homeless
The homeless need "real" money too; don't be scared about them allegedly using it for alcohol or drugs because
you honestly have no idea what it is being used for - unless you are actually in the presence when they use the money. And, remember also that these are (for the most part) adults; your job is to plant the seed by showing unconditional fruits of the spirit, not to judge or patronize.
This may seem like a lot of money, but it really isn't. Having 30% of your
disposable income left over
after you have paid the bills is a luxury the homeless would dream of stressing over. The beauty of these numbers is if you have little to no income, you can still do this. Homeless people appreciate "cents" as much as dollars - especially considering that the face of homelessness has become tantamount to the face of a neighbour. It wasn't right to assume before, but one certainly cannot assume the homeless are derelicts of society. They are now educators, nurses and doctors, engineers, CEOs and business owners, previously [and/or gainfully] employed, and so on.
*It may be illegal to give money, food or goods to the homeless in your particular city in the States. So, it is important to check the local and state laws.