>We probably can't get a whole Salvation Army chapter in Vasarhely, but I
>will look around for one of those classy uniforms (w/bell and money pot)
>they wear when soliciting donations. I can see you now walking down the dead
>center of the main street of Vasarhely, your hat screwed down tight on your
>head, a soldier for civilization.
no no , you should move there, e, lock stock and barrel, set up your
own charity, like who cares the name? slavation army, smith family,
mother teresa, sue ryder foundation (that one is local, got one of
their shops just round the corner), what matter. at least then the
donations won't need to pass through two international banking
channels, it can be sent straight to your charity's account in
roumania. if you can get a job there, all the better to help them. or
mebbe eventually employ people yourself. open up a hostel for those
out on the streets there, at least it'd be something. cheaper to do
than it is here too.
that's the problem with rich countries -- it's easier to actually BE
poor, like comparatively speaking, cause everything is so damn
expensive. eg, petrol here is about $2 US a litre. not a gallon, no.
in those set of articles bill, did you see the one about the romani
guy who was chucked out of the 'tribe' for marrying a non romani? so
he can't get his van fixed seeing as now he has no support network,
and he and his wife live in his broken down van on the street in
cambridge. they can't afford to get it fixed cause they have no
money. so he goes out on the rounds every day, looking up others who
are dossed in toilet blocks, bus shelters and bike sheds just to
check they're ok, specially seeing as one guy he says came to
cambridge for the winter having heard that the council provided
emergency shelter at night for the homeless. but he was wrong,
becasue this year they can't do that seeing as the govt has decided
to withdraw funds becasue there are registered _charities_ for that,
and anyway, not so many homeless in cambridge, officially, so the
council reckons...and so this guy died of exposure last week. he was
old and a drunk though, that's what the romani guy said, still he
shouldn't have died of cold. some people he says, just disappear, and
others hide from the council workers, and even from him, seeing as
they're scared they'll lose their special hidey holes if they come
out or admit to being there....
this guy says that that he and his wife who is sick anyway, might
even be eligible for some financial help - if they had a permanent
address.
i guess they shoulda all worked harder.
no, no, 'smarter' not 'harder'.
boy, managerial types have all the answers.
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: ef <ef@somewhere.net> [mailto:ef@somewhere.net]
> > Sent: Friday, December 01, 2000 2:05 AM
> > To: fishbreath@somewhere.net
> > Subject: RE: meanwhile, in a rich country...
> >
> >
> > i am thrilled to hear this, bill. perhaps i can get the salvation
> > army to come set up shop in vasarhely.
> >
> > finally, a 1st class homeless hotel!
> >
> > -e
> >
> >
> > >Listen up ef.
> > >
> > >(Did you know that on WISC which is an intelligence test for
> > children there
> > >is a question about whether it is better to give to a beggar or an
> > >established charity. The right answer -- which requires also the reason
> > >why -- is established charity. So, basically, it's just stupid to give
> > >directly the needy. They might deceive you ...)
> > >
> > >"Nearly every person in this country wants to help those less
> > fortunate than
> > >themselves. The easy option is to toss a pound coin into
> > someone's hand. The
> > >truth is that the easiest things are not always the right things to do.
> > >
> > >Some of the help given to people on the streets, however well-meaning, is
> > >misplaced. We need to provide long-term answers to difficult problems -
> > >complex problems require complex solutions.
> > >
> > >The more difficult, but better option is to help people who are
> > homeless by
> > >giving time, goods or money to a registered charity designed to
> > help them in
> > >the longterm."
> > >
> > >http://www.societyguardian.co.uk/homelessness/comment/0,8146,4036
>17,00.html
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: lexie [mailto:lexie@panix.com]
> >> Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2000 4:07 PM
> >> To: fishbreath@somewhere.net
> >> Subject: meanwhile, in a rich country...
> >>
> >>
> >> http://www.SocietyGuardian.co.uk/homelessness
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
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