I was there for approximately 12 years. I am also very sensitive to the put-downs I've read on this thread. How many people here really know what it's like to come from an abusive home in a big city, get hooked on drugs and alcohol in your pre-teen years and get thrown out on the street in your early teens with no money, shelter, food or life skills?
How is a person in that situation supposed to "get a job"? You're mental and physical capability is severely diminished from chronic hunger, the addictions, and your emotional state from not being able to resolve the past, and from the treatment you get from those who ridicule you and sneer at you with their snotty remarks.
Speaking from experience, the social programs in place for these people is a joke and that's why they don't go for help. I tried several times to get straight and get a job. The jobs all turned out to be slave labour for minimum wage with the employer having no understanding at all of the emotional and physical struggles I faced, or compassion if I happened to fall. As far as counselling goes to get mental and emotional help to overcome, the waiting list is usually several weks or months and the councellors mean well, but really have no clue what you're really up against.
No disrespect to the original poster and others here, but can we not just forget about the statistics argument and open our eyes. Put yourself in their shoes. Not everyone came from a sheltered background with all of the amenities of life at your disposal. Many of them had stuff laid on them later in life that no human being should ever have to endure, and crumbled, and don't have the fortitude to pick themselves up.
When I was out there, I was in contact with probably dozens if not hundreds of Chrisitians. Some were well meaning and some were just downright ugly and mean. What hurt me the most were the ones who would drop a tract on me and/or preach a little mini-sermon at me, tell me Jesus loves me, and then I'd see their butts waddling off down the street. Big help.
What's missing is friendship. If we're going to fulfill our calling and lead them to Christ we need to go beyond the tracts and little sermonettes, and befriend them. Your money and clothes and Timmie's coffee and smiles are all well and good, but not enough. We need people out there with enough balls to get to know them, to lay hands on their scars, to love them and help them understand their issues, and eventually lead them to Christ and freedom. These folks are starving for Jesus but don't know it.
You're probably wondering how I ended up on this forum. It was through someone who saw me for what I really was when I was in my late twenties. Under the thick skin and tough appearance I was just a hurt little kid that couldn't come to grips with my issues. She befiended me (along with her boyfriend) and stuck with me through thick and thin, and led me to Jesus. It wasn't the money or food that got to me. It was the genuine love and compassion that wore me dowm.
Now, 20 or so years later I lead contemporary worship at my church, work with street kids, have 3 of my own and I'm a manager in a large nuclear reserach facility. I also have no doubt where I'd be if someone hadn't reached out to me. Most likely dead or at least in some institution somewhere.
Is it hard to befriend them and try to help them spiritually? You bet is. It can be very trying, perhaps even dangerous (if you consider the risk getting some of your favourite possessions ripped off as more important than someone's eternal destiny that is). Is it our calling as Chrisians? You bet is. So why do we ignore them or put them down. it just doesn't fit. Not much difference between them and you and me really. Not the way God sees it.
