Be thankful the UK government helped financially as fast as it did.
A old friend of mine in Florida has become homeless because of the Pandemic. Working in a fast food restaurant, he made enough each week to pay his rent, buy his food and supplies and he was able to pay his way in life. He had a comfortable lifestyle.
Then Covid 19 hit.
Overnight the restaurant closed, all staff were sent home and no income - no wages - nothing from the government and within a month he had run out of savings and lost his apartment and did manage to purchase a second hand tent which he ended up sleeping in - in the woods - as he had nowhere else to go.
He could only use the tent at nights as in Florida, it is like an oven inside during the day so he spent time in Libraries and shopping malls as these were air conditioned.
He is an educate man, From a good family. He has always paid his way and when he has money, he is generous with his friends and it seems now he is 'down and out' many of those friends are not there to help. So much for friendship.
Having never been camping before, it wasn't long before racoons stole his food until he learned how to camp correctly and keep stuff safe from wild animals and other homeless people - and the numbers in Florida of homeless people grows every day.
Applying for Unemployment Benefit in Florida - which has been seen as the slowest state in the country at sorting out the Covid 19 response - took many months to process and relying on food banks for free handouts - truck stops to use their wash rooms to keep clean, and even his few friends ran out of donations as they were also struggling.
I sent him some money direct into his bank but then the state / bank closed his account as he had no money coming in, so even that was made hard for him. I could no longer help and felt desperate for him.
He lost a huge amount of weight and struggled.
Eventually the state kicked in with payments that should have been made many many weeks prior, and the $4,500 he received was enough to buy himself a cheap pickup truck - so he had somewhere to sleep and not in a tent, and with air conditioning ( remembering this is Florida ) he has been able to sleep safely in a car park full of other people sleeping in their cars as there are now thousands left homeless because the government was so slow at paying survival monies due to Covid 19.
Local people have helped by making an undercover cooking area where all these car sleepers can share a meal - supplied often by various charities, food shelters and donations from the public - and there has become a kind of ' family set up' between the car sleepers as they all share the same thing in common - the government has let them down because of closures brought about because of Covid 19 and the appalling lack of funds set aside to help - by the government, that has largely gone to large corporations and friends of Donald Trump and not the people it was suppose to help.
Local states like Florida are passing laws making it ILLEGAL TO FEED THE HOMELESS - and I ask you, as the state is doing nothing and the governnment could not give a fuck, what else are these people to do...??? If they steal they end up in prison. If the beg, they end up in prison.,
The USA is one of the cruelest countries towards its own people in the western world and yet we look to it as a mentor when nothing could be further from the truth. It is NOT a country to be respected, admired or looked up to AT ALL.
Some of these car sleepers do have jobs now things have re opened, but the work is sporadic, pay is low and they have to remain sleeping in their cars as they cannot afford you get themselves back up and running. Once down, it is hard to get back up again, especially with the threat of more closures, and with a mad man at the helm and an election looming where no one has a clue which way it will go, and the amount of homeless climbs by the day.
I have to say that the UK government was VERY quick at paying out to small business and staff who were laid off and I have absolutely no complaints with the UK for the speed at which they helped, and while I have been appalled at how Boris Johnson waffles through important announcements with a disgracefully rambling and confusing manner that absolutely does not help and is actually - appalling ;- but on the whole,. as I will always keep pointing out, many will find fault, many will complain, many will have a better idea and many will voice discontent - but as this is the first time anything like this has ever happened before - and as governments have nothing to fall back on as far as ideas are concerned, and considering this is a MASSIVE global concern,. mistakes are going to happen, but we must ALWAYS be aware of peoples suffering, and so much more, and to those who are riding this pandemic high and happy, content and housed and fed and paid - offering a little to those in need goes a very long way and offering 'tough shit' attitudes - or any kind of detrimental attitude, just shows what a self centred asshole you are - and offering help to strangers in need, shows your humanity.
This period in our history has shown some people for their true selves.
Moaning and complaining serves no good.
Stating you know what should be done is redundant as you simply do not - you do not have a clue - not a fucking clue,. what the governments and ministers have to sort through at this time and it is to be greaty admired they have done so well so far.
Your voice is not worthy in complaint unless you can suggest a sensible - and legal - alternative - and if you cannot , then shut the fuck up.
It does not help.
ONLY Constructive input helps, moaning gets no one anywhere and it just destroys. So please - shut up unless you have a sensible suggestion - a really good idea - where you donate to the food banks ;- or friends you know are struggling ;- or offer a homeless person because of Covid 19 to come and use your bathroom for a shower a couple of times a week ;- or you do SOMETHING but sit on your fat ass watching Netflix all day and doing NOTHING TO HELP.
I feel redundant not being able to help my friend in Florida more - and all I can do is put the word out there, bring more into awareness of how millions are struggling, and promote our joint humanity - our oneness - our kindness to strangers - or as in the Bible, try and be a Good Samaritan to someone in need, and for no other reason than just helping and making your heart feel good that another human being has eaten tonight - taken a shower this week - has enough for a packet of fags or a drink or two as after all, even homeless people need to escape their mysery sometime.
Be warned and be aware, there is a great deal of mental health with and amongst the homeless and many do not mean to take advantage or abuse, but some do, so keep your eyes and your heart open but do not be a fool.
Pay attention.
We live in a world of great un fairness. The gap between rich and poor grows ever larger and many struggle.
Be thankful and be helpful if you are one of those who have a home and a job and money - as you are one of a few.
