A Denver TV station collects coats every year, and then has a public distribution in addition to the ones at shelters. It is too bad that they have to use holidays to boost the donations of food. There is a need for mission food other times besides Thanksgiving and Christmas. We give to the food banks, and at times I will feed a bum by work. A few of these guys are con men, working signs for donations. Most of them are nuts, and should never have been let out to start with. Last month the paper had a series on the heroin addicts and their struggle. I recognized some of the people specially the girl who made it back to her family and maybe safety. She in particular was so pretty that I wondered if she was actually a college kid doing research. She got away with having a steady home in a dumpster and some protection from the workers in the area. She also had to be at greater risk because of being a slim blonde girl.
One of the locals was a kid who grew up in the neighborhood by work, A student. I fed him often. Once he brought me some dumpster chicken to share in friendship, I had to suddenly be on a diet. His druggy mom was in a wheelchair in the area, too. Dad gave up and left. I learned his background from a neighbor woman who lives across the alley from work, and a business that had been there for years. He finally aspirated while drunk, shook up a lot of us who knew him, and it nearly killed his mom. I haven't seen any of that crowd lately, except for the Indian who squired the mom around. Mental illness, alcoholism, and above average IQ all go together.
The problem is that they will learn who is a soft touch, and then you get pestered. There is no hope for most of them.
I also have a homlessness prevention plan going for myself, wife, and family that has to take priority.