Take The Dollar Challenge. See if you can make it all the way to the end of this article without giving us $1.

GO HERE TO DONATE YOUR DOLLAR.
As a business owner you learn to stop whining and complaining about what this administration is doing or what that politician is enacting.
All you have are the rules. The rules change all the time. If you want to survive you play by the new rules. You can complain all you want. But that’s not going to do you any good.
As you might imagine, the rules are changing, rather significantly, from a Liberal President to a Conservative President.

Trump FY18 Budget Calls for Massive Cuts to Affordable Housing Programs: National Low Income Housing Coalition
The administration would slash federal investments in affordable housing at HUD by nearly 17%, or $7.7 billion, compared to FY17.  The proposed cuts could mean more than 250,000 people could lose their housing vouchers. It would also impose punitive measures that would jeopardize family stability – increasing the financial burdens they face through higher rents and ending support to help cover the cost of basic utilities, like water and heat.

This is the philosophy of conservatives.
Just recently Paul Ryan was asked by a nun how he squared his Catholic understanding of helping the poor with his Conservatism. He said:
Paul Ryan Faces Off with Catholic Nun at CNN Town Hall About Healthcare

And for me, the preferential option for the poor, which is something that’s a key tenet of Catholic faith, that means upward mobility, that means economic growth, that means equality of opportunity.

I don’t think I’m being too bold to say that the philosophy of the current President, Senate and House is: We make it too easy for the poor to stay poor AND the government isn’t here to take care of the poor.
They believe that by giving the poor too much they are making it too easy to stay poor. They also believe that it isn’t the job of government to take care of the poor.
I’m not angry at that. I’m not judgmental of that. I’m simply trying to understand the lay of the land. If you feel that I’m incorrectly judging the current government please let me know in the comments below.
But if we can agree that’s the situation then this article is for you. And this is why you need to give us $1.
Please take a minute (literally 60 seconds) to watch Keith’s testimonial on his experience with us. He’s moving back to Indiana now. He’s got his CDL and will start driving again soon.

“Second Chance Village gives people a second chance so they can clean up the past so they can move forward.” – Keith

On not making the homeless too comfortable.

I saw the head of the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carsan, tour some HUD facilities in Columbus Ohio.
This is his quote:
Don’t Make Housing for the Poor Too Cozy, Carson Warns – The New York Times

Compassion, Mr. Carson explained in an interview, means not giving people “a comfortable setting that would make somebody want to say: ‘I’ll just stay here. They will take care of me.’”

Well, we’ve got that covered.
The people in the Second Chance Village live 24/7 in the cheapest tents we can find. They cost $50, maximum.
The zippers break. They leak. They are too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter.
I will say that we may have over done the coziness of them by giving these people old pallets to put their tents on and sometimes, if we have them, we give them tarps to put over their tents to keep out the inevitable leaks.
But fear not. Many times we don’t have pads to put their blankets on (we almost never have actual sleeping bags). So they have to sleep directly on the slats of the pallets.
Our pallets often come to us looking a lot like this:

So, while it’s true that we’ve gotten most people up off the ground, the broken nature of the pallets are still quite uncomfortable.
We have 2 porta potties for 30 people to use. Granted, that’s pretty comfy considering we used to make them all use 1 porta potty.
But being that they only get cleaned out once a week they get really smelly for at least 3 or 4 days. You pretty much are assured of gagging every time you use them. We don’t have men’s and women’s porta potties. Everyone uses the same ones.
About one third of our residents are women.
They have no running water by their tents. They have no electricity.
The fire department has demanded that no open flames are permitted what so ever. So there is never a camp fire. Nor are they permitted to use tiki torches. So, when the sun goes down it’s lights out.
Winter is coming. That should continue to add to their discomfort. We certainly don’t have year round tents. We could never afford those. We’re mostly hoping some donations of more blankets will come through.
And, as I mentioned above, you don’t have to worry about them cuddling around a cozy campfire when the temperature dips below freezing. We aren’t allowed to have fires. Just blankets, if we get enough donated.
Just cold and darkness. After 5pm it will be just darkness and cold.
It should be like that for a good 4 solid months.
You are always more than welcome to come visit some time. I’d love to show you around. I assure you I’m not over exaggerating any of this.
Just the same, our people are thankful to have a place that is stable and secure.
Stability, security and dignity are the only extravagances we afford our residents.
I can understand if you feel that’s too much. But that’s where we draw the line in eliminating society comforts.

On not being the job of the government.

I’ve met with the people in the government who give out money to the homeless. They flat out told me that there is no place in their program for what we do.
So, I can’t imaging ever seeing a dime from the government.
That means that this tent city we’ve made must exist on private funds. It’s on my private land being paid for by working families’ private money.
We’ve never gotten a grant. But maybe some day we will. Although, I’m not exactly holding my breath. Magically getting a grant is not my marketing plan. If it happens, great.
But otherwise we grind out our money. My wife supports our family and private investors are slowly supporting our Second Chance Village.
But we’re still easily $2000/month in the hole. That’s being covered also by my wife’s income.
I’m building up my auction business and we’re also building out services and products we can sell that are made and offered by the homeless that live with us.
So, you don’t have to feel bad that you are contributing to a non-profit that’s getting fat off the money of government programs.
“Fat” is nowhere near where we are currently. We are just in survival mode.
So, this charity is everything a conservative could ever dream of.
Incredibly sparse living that no one would ever want to spend any more time at than is absolutely necessary. And it’s all run by private money.
Here’s the pitch: I NEED YOUR DOLLAR!!!!
GO HERE TO DONATE YOUR DOLLAR.
I don’t need $5. I don’t need $10. I need $1.
On top of that, when you donate $1 you will get inside information that is only available to members.
I know some dirt poor people. I’m talking: no photo id, no food stamps, no social security, no disability, no income at all. Zero. Zilch. Nada.
AND THEY CAN AFFORD TO GIVE $1.
GO HERE TO DONATE YOUR DOLLAR.
YOU can afford to give $1.
What’s your excuse?
Do you still feel you’d be throwing away your hard earned dollar on lazy, no good losers?
Everyone at our facility is only allowed to be at our facility if they agree to be moving forward in some way. Quit drinking. Quit drugs. Go to your doctor. Work on your resume. Get a job. Get a house.
If you aren’t moving forward we kick you out.
Your dollar is not going to lazy people. Your dollar is going to people that fell through all the cracks in society. All they are asking for is a place to sleep so they can get back on their feet.
That’s it.
There is no one that is more deserving and more needing your dollar than the people at the Second Chance Village.
I don’t mean to be rude here. But what is it that you can rationalize not giving us $1?
Are you too lazy? Are you too selfish?
What?
Here is a testimonial from another one of our residents, Cloud:

GO HERE TO DONATE YOUR DOLLAR.
If you are a Conservative I’m giving you EXACTLY what you’ve asked for.

• A very sparse, uncomfortable living situation for the poorest of the poor.
• A totally privately funded organization completely outside of the government. (If anything, the government would rather we not do what we’re doing.)

GO HERE TO DONATE YOUR DOLLAR.
If you are a Liberal: PLEASE help me. The government is abandoning the poor like rats off a sinking ship. Without a doubt, homelessness is going to get worse and the suffering is going to increase the next 4 years. We need you so much.
GO HERE TO DONATE YOUR DOLLAR.
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GO HERE TO DONATE YOUR DOLLAR.

“The Red Cross emailed me this morning. They want me to come to Houston.”
That was the conversation Rocky, my wife, and I had this morning.
Rocky is, among other things, certified with the Red Cross in emergency sheltering.
She’s worked with them and worked on various certifications with them for years.
When you sign up for the Red Cross this is what you think it’s going to be. Traveling the world helping in the biggest disasters of your time.
What it really is is going out in the middle of the night to some country town an hour away in the middle of winter to help with a house fire.
The Red Cross is huge in helping with house and apartment fires. They often use a portion of the money they get from big disasters like today’s Houston flooding to help with these house fires. They give out gift cards for hotels, supplies and furniture.
It’s disasters like the one we’re experiencing right now in Houston that bring out the best in people.

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

That is powerful advice from Mr. Rogers.
In my own work I see the greatness in people every single day. There are so many people that are good, caring and generous. It’s actually humbling to see.
But sometimes the help can become somewhat of a difficulty.
My friend Marcia Marshall shared a story: ​When disaster relief brings anything but relief – CBS News
The story reports that right after the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre they started getting teddy bears.
And how many teddy bear came to Newtown? “I think it was about 67,000,” Kelsey said. “Wasn’t limited to teddy bears. There was also thousands of boxes of school supplies, and thousands of boxes of toys, bicycles, sleds, clothes.”
“Generally after a disaster, people with loving intentions donate things that cannot be used in a disaster response, and in fact may actually be harmful,” said Juanita Rilling, director of the Center for International Disaster Information in Washington, D.C. “And they have no idea that they’re doing it.”
Now… let me be clear. This is in no way meant to make a person feel bad or get discouraged in giving. The giving nature of Americans is one of our absolute greatest qualities.
I just wanted to put this article together to offer some giving tips.
The first thing to do is to do a little research. I just did a search for “What donations does Houston need?”
Here are two articles I found:
Hurricane Harvey: Where you can donate to help with disaster relief and recovery – Vox
How to help Houston after Hurricane Harvey – SBNation.com

SOUTH TEXAS BLOOD & TISSUE DONATION: You can donate here. Local residents can also donate blood in person.

TEXAS DIAPER BANK: You can donate here.

HOUSTON SPCA: You can donate here. (SPCA is an animal shelter and is also taking in stray or displaced pets.)

CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK: You can donate here.

SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK: You can donate here. Many displaced Houston residents will be relocated to San Antonio.

COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS: An umbrella organization coordinating shelters and organizations across Houston. You can donate here.

AirBNB: The hospitality company is working to coordinate people in need of a place to stay with people willing to offer a free room. More information here.
If you have food and clothes and money these places will likely take your stuff.
But what if you want to do more? 
Many people want to get involved personally. They want to go directly to the source.
This is where it gets tricky.
Rocky tells me stories of people that will show up at the Red Cross during an emergency and want to help. That is not the time to show up to the Red Cross.
If this emergency inspires you to help with the Red Cross I strongly encourage you to talk with the Red Cross (in a week or two, after this tragedy) and start the process of becoming a volunteer. Click here to go to their page on becoming a volunteer for the Red Cross. 
Boat owners asked to help in Houston rescues – WXYZ.com

Emmett, who oversees government operations in Harris County, where Houston is located, says, “We desperately need boats and high water vehicles … We can’t wait for assets to come from outside.”

If you have a small boat you might be able to help.
During the BP oil spill nightmare I went to Louisiana to cover that tragedy as a photographer.
There were many people that came as free agents to help.
There was a guy that came down to try to rescue sea turtles.
There was a group that brought pet food down to the area.
Here is a photo I took of one of the pet food people at the Gulf Oil Spill:

But the key was that none of these people were improvising. They knew what they were doing. They had some sort of infrastructure in place for when a disaster strikes. Or at least they had stuff on hand before they showed up.
Here’s the thing: You can always rely on the fact that another disaster will be right around the corner.
If the Houston flooding inspires you to physically help then use this as an inspiration to be ready to help the next time around.
Otherwise, try to be sensitive to what the needs are at this point.
Don’t send winter coats to a tropical island in the summer. Don’t send perishable food to a place without electricity. Don’t send toys to pretty much any disaster area.
And when in doubt, send money. I know it’s not sexy. And I know you are concerned that it might just go to a bloated infrastructure.
But the fact is, we need the Red Cross. It’s not like someone else is waiting in the wings to take over all the work the Red Cross does.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE MONEY TO THE RED CROSS.

Steve, Jon and Ronnie are directly responsible for saving the life of one of our residents from an overdose last week.
Because this is a sensitive topic, I’m going to save the details of the encounter for the members only content area.
But let me just say this: I know you all don’t think you did much. I know you don’t think you are heroes.
You saved that man’s life.
I truly believe our community made it possible for you to see something that was wrong and act on it immediately.
Thank you!
I go into the details of what exactly happened and who Steve, Jon and Ronnie are in the members only area.
Membership is only $1/month. Click here to sign up and read the full article.

On 3 different occasions I’ve had volunteers from the outside become quite upset with our facility.
I just took a call from a great volunteer that was upset because people didn’t greet her warmly yesterday. She said it felt “dead” at our facility.
This article has sensitive, internal working’s information in it. I’m making it a member’s only article. If you are interested in what is going on with this topic please consider becoming a member.
Membership is only a $1/month.
Click here to get access to the full article.

By clicking that link you will be taken to the article and asked to become a member. You will then get instant access to the article.

I was reading about an idea someone had on Reddit:
A way to help the homeless more effectively : nonprofit
He writes:

So. My idea.
What if there were a network of small towns around the US where the economy is working and housing is cheap? Towns like the one I grew up in.
And what if there were an organization that could provide connections with people in these small towns – people who could help you find your footing, connect you with community programs in the local town?

Basically, he’s saying what would happen if we moved the homeless out of expensive towns and moved them to cheaper towns?
I’m hesitant to say that it’s absolutely a great idea. But that’s simply because I haven’t seen it work.
I will say that I really like the idea. And therefore think it needs to be tried.
I don’t know of anyone else in Akron that is brave enough to make this statement so I’ll just say it:
Send your homeless to Akron!
Our homeless infrastructure is quite good. We have shelters, feedings every night of the week, a lot of mental and physical health support systems as well as detox facilities.
I’ll also say something else slightly provocative: There is money in homelessness.
Charitable Giving in America: Some Facts and Figures | NCCS

Giving by individuals makes up the vast majority of contributions received by nonprofit organizations. Giving USA 2015 estimates that individual giving amounted to $258.51 billion in 2014, an increase of 7.1 percent in current dollars from 2013. This accounts for 72 percent of all contributions received in 2014.

By standing up, being brave and having a heart I absolutely, 100% believe people will support this cause.
This is what I know about the homeless:
They are in a rough patch of their lives.
They are trying to get back in the game one way or another. You simply can’t live long as a raging alcoholic or drug addict. They know it. So the vast majority are working on getting past this point in their lives.
And then you have just expanded your workforce. Now you have people that want to work. I know that’s the case because I see it everyday.
On top of that, if other cities send us their homeless we are going to get skilled people. The notion that homeless people are worthless bums is just plain wrong. All the homeless come with a back story. And that back story usually involves a career that entailed specific skills.
Akron has the ability to take these people and help them get back into society.
On top of that, this is being done already. Communities all around us are shuttling homeless to Akron. We already are a homeless destination locally. We might as well be a homeless destination nationally.

The cost of housing in Akron is 45% lower than the national average.

Cost Of Living In Akron, OH

• The cost of living in Akron is 8% lower than the Ohio average.
• The cost of living in Akron is 16% lower than the national average.
• The cost of housing in Akron is 45% lower than the national average.
• Ohio general sales tax is 13% higher than the national average. Ohio state income tax is 76% lower than the national average.

Conversely:
Cost Of Living In San Francisco, CA

The cost of housing in San Francisco is 255% higher than the national average.

These high rent cities simply can’t cost effectively deal with homelessness.
I think it’s very possible we could even get money directly from these cities that send us their homeless.
This business model is very viable in my opinion.
Additionally, we can keep the homeless in specific areas of the city. We can keep them out of downtown and the west side. The east side has plenty of room for more homeless. The abandoned homes are endless over here.
The downside to the Midwest in general is that most of us are conservative in our risk taking. There is a significant level of fear.
I’m just not one of those people. I’m a risk taker and I’m not afraid. I see this as a huge opportunity for Akron to become one of the kindest, supportive cities in America. And in doing so we can show that a model of giving is very lucrative and desirable for a city.
Money will come to Akron. Smart, caring people will come to Akron. Innovation will come to Akron.
I’m telling you: the homeless bring the best and brightest to the table. I see it every day on a local scale. By being the national center for homelessness we will see more businesses move into Akron and we’ll see young people move to Akron. All to be part of this highly innovative concept.
So, put your homeless on a bus.
They can go to the Haven of Rest the first night.
Address: 175 E Market St, Akron, OH 44308
Phone: (330) 535-1563
Then come see us at The Homeless Charity and Second Chance Village the next day:
15 Broad St., Akron, OH 44305
Phone: 330-415-7519
While America might not currently believe this, Akron believes this:

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

This has always been the secret to our success in America. I absolutely believe it can be the secret to our success in Akron.

When I was a kid there were these hushed conversations about Cousin Darrel.
“I hear he’s living in the woods.”
“I hear he drinks all day every day.”
It was clearly considered more of a shame put on the family than it was a concern for Cousin Darrel.
I would suspect this is how many families still feel when one of their own slips away into the woods.
But when it happens to your daughter all the emotions quickly intensify.
I know that’s the case because the only parents of homeless that ever contact me (so far) are the parents of homeless women.
In these cases, the parents, typically moms, are terrified.
They are in a state of shock, disbelief and fear. The conversations usually end in tears.

Here are my observations of homeless women:

They go homeless for the same reason men go homeless. A base of mental health issues sometimes mixed with addiction issues.
Everything is magnified for the homeless. Their mental health issues are worse than average. And their addiction issues are worse than average.
Then, when you mix mental health with addiction everything becomes out of control.
While mental health issues seem to be nearly universal with the homeless, addiction issues are not.
Not all homeless are addicted. But almost all homeless have mental health issues.
Personally, I believe we all have mental health issues to some degree. So it only makes sense that all the homeless have mental health issues.
That said, the mental health issues of the homeless in general are more apparent and exposed.
So, there is almost always something going on that could use work in the head of a homeless woman.
Then there are family issues.
It looks like to me that family issues are more heightened with homeless women than men.
But that’s likely just a bias I’m getting because families of homeless men don’t typically talk to me.
Just the same, I often see a conflict with the man the homeless woman is dating or is married to. This often leads to a conflict that can’t be resolved with the family.
I could be wrong, but I don’t think this would be as big a deal with a homeless man.
Homeless men often report being violent, selling drugs and stealing. Homeless men also are often dealing with anger issues.
Homeless women also have anger issues. But homeless men with anger issues are probably more scary.
So, if I had to guess, homeless men are probably not usually kicked out of their families because of who they are dating.
Now let me stop right there.
I want to make it very clear that while a family may feel guilty about forcing a loved one away, you never ever should feel guilty for doing so.
The men homeless women date could likely be a danger to the rest of your family. And homeless men can just be straight up a danger to your family.
When it is time to demand a person get out of your house then get them out. That’s a perfectly respectable and necessary action.
It’s OK to kick a man or a woman out of your house.
The reason it’s OK is because they are going to be OK on the street.
At least in Akron, the street doesn’t kill people. Opiates kill people.
Specifically, Fentanyl and Carfentanil kill people.
These drugs are mixed with other drugs in random doses. The user doesn’t have any idea how much is in there and then they overdose.
Fentanyl Crisis: Ohio Cop Accidentally Overdoses During Drug Call – NBC News
It takes such a small amount of this stuff to overdose a person.
And now I’m hearing they are starting to put it in marijuana.
Three Ohio toddlers overdose on opiates in one week

An Akron 1-year-old overdosed on pills and was revived at a nearby hospital on Tuesday, according to the Akron Beacon-Journal. He was given Naloxene and lived. Another Akron-area toddler wasn’t as lucky. Tymaine Thompson, 18 months old, died Sunday after overdosing on a combination of heroin, fentanyl and another unknown opioid.

Addiction city: Ohio’s opiate addicts would make the fifth largest city in the state | cleveland.com

There are an estimated 200,000 opioid addicts statewide, U.S. Sen. Rob Portman said. That’s roughly the size of the city of Akron.

If a person dies that has passed through our facility it’s not because they are homeless it is because they accidentally overdosed.
And sadly, people do die. A woman named Lori who was staying with us recently passed away from a drug overdose.
This is a topic of great interest to me. While we currently don’t have any Narcan at our facility I’m going to be getting some if I’m able.
There is a lot of talk about not reviving people after a certain number of times but I do not believe in that.
All I have to do is think about my own kid dying on the street as someone with Narcan stands over him letting him go.
I don’t believe the first responders of a city can be the one and only solution to reviving people from a drug overdose. It is so prolific they simply don’t have the resources to do it.
But a place like ours could definitely help in the process.
Addicts are a great interest to me and I have no limit on how much I will try to help and revive them.
As far as homelessness goes, generally, homeless woman are protected.

• They stay with a man.
• They have a dog.
• They are part of a community that watches out for them.

Now, I’m not saying bad things don’t happen to them. But more often than not it’s the drugs that lead to these bad situations, not the homelessness.
And not everyone that is homeless is using opiates. They might be using another drug, they might be drinkers or they might be dealing with mental health issues.
So, this is my recommendation: talk to your homeless loved one, if you still have contact with them. See if you can help them get Narcan. If nothing else, they should have it in case one of their friends overdoses.
In Ohio you can get Narcan without a prescription. It has no other use than bringing people back from an opiate overdose. You can also safely give it to a person who isn’t overdosing. It has no other effect than just saving the lives of overdosing people.
You can go to this page and search on which pharmacies near you will give you Narcan: NARCAN® Nasal Spray Availability
And here is a letter you can take with you that your can show a pharmacist.  
As of now, I don’t have any personal experiencing working with Narcan. So I can’t tell you prices or how easy it is to use. But it’s a nasal spray. So hopefully it shouldn’t be too difficult to use.
As I get more involved I’ll report back.
So, as it stands right now, in Akron, try not to worry too much about your daughter being homeless. Chances are, she’s going to be ok.
The focus of concern needs to be more on opiates.
 

• Food is always available.
• Opiates are rampant.
• Mental health issues are a huge component to homelessness.
• Shelter is available to everyone in the winter.
• The shelters are focused on food and shelter with little concern for human dignity.
• Some people, for varying reasons, prefer to not go into shelters.

The problem is PEOPLE not the building! Replacing staff on a regular basis and change the system from a treat everyone like garbage to a work your way up to royal treatment will change people! A carrot in front of a mule gets the donkey going! Dangle good things in front of these people / give them some incentive! There needs to be more structure! If they ran these places like military facilities and treated the soldiers who preformed the best with better treatment and the soldiers who preformed worse with worse treatment you would see things change in society SO FAST!

• Volunteer time
• Go to mental health professionals
• Go to AA
• Come in doors once a week
• Talk to an outreach person

While it doesn’t illicit death threats like our tent city, Second Chance Village, panhandling is, by far, the most controversial activity I promote.
You can find all kinds of articles and videos these days “exposing” panhandlers:
Stop AKRON Panhandlers – This person just runs around photographing and videoing panhandlers in Akron that he believes are scammers.
Virginia woman in ‘fake homeless video’ is arrested | Daily Mail Online
Pregnant panhandler caught driving off in Mercedes Benz | WGN-TV
Panhandler Caught Driving Fiat Is Confronted by Furious Man Who Gave Her Money
Scammer claims he pulls in $100K a year panhandling – CBS News
These stories always get a lot of attention. I’m not exactly sure why.

• Maybe it makes people feel justified in not giving these people money.
• Maybe it helps people validate their beliefs that these people are all just lazy.
• Maybe it’s just yet another story of shock and disbelief that we can add to our entire shocking world.

I work with a lot of panhandlers. So I thought I’d share what I know about them. Maybe it will strengthen your current beliefs. Maybe it will influence your thinking a little. Who knows.
You should know that I used to be a person who never gave to anyone on the street or on a street corner. I believed it was a con. I felt like I was just being deceived out of my money.
I now give to panhandlers when I have a few dollars in my pocket. I’m not some extreme giver. But I definitely give when I can.
This is my story on why I changed.
One of the first people I ever met from the homeless community was Ryan Scanlon. He’s a former drug dealer and now he is going to college and owns a home. Most of that money comes from student loans and, you guessed it, panhandling. You can read his story on his gofundme:
Fundraiser for Ryan Scanlon : A Homeless Homeowner
He writes:

I am a father of two young children (one of which has special needs due to autism). It is my dream that when it is my time I can make up for my mistakes and times of absence by leaving them this home in my living will so that they will never ever be forced to go through what I had.

This is his genuine belief. He is an incredibly committed dad.
He’s also incredibly smart and studied.
He quit drugs and alcohol not through Alcoholics Anonymous but through his own behaviorist therapy plan.
He is incredibly understanding of humans and human nature. He understands what makes people tick.

Why doesn’t he just get a job?

There are two reasons:

1. He has seizures. Regularly. So it’s very difficult to do manual labor, such as roofing, with the likelihood that he would fall off.
2. He likes panhandling.

That’s as honest as I (and he) can be.
He is the person who changed my thinking on panhandling.
There are several points he made that changed my thinking.

First, and maybe most importantly, you can’t possibly know the motivation of any panhandler.

Some panhandlers are definitely trying to get money for alcohol and drugs.
I will say, I’ve never met a wealthy panhandler.
Even my friend Ryan Scanlon is FAR from wealthy. He bought a condemned house for a few hundred dollars. And through sheer brute force and will power made that house livable. It was one of the greatest struggles I’ve ever seen anyone go through.
He lives in one of the lowest property value neighborhoods in Akron. Houses sell for $16,000 or less.
So, the most successful panhandler I know isn’t driving a fancy car or living in a fancy house. (He can’t drive at all, because of his seizures.)
Several panhandlers I know are living beer to beer. They make a few dollars and go buy a couple beers. They drink them and then get some more money so they could buy more beers.
I know one panhandler, who is now sober, that had a tab with the local gas station. They would give him his first beer of the morning free. He’d calm his nerves so he could stand on the street to get a few dollars so he could start his day over again.
That’s something you need to understand. Every single panhandler I know that is panhandling for beer has a serious drinking problem. They are jittery. They aren’t drinking for fun. They are drinking because they need to drink. It’s something that’s very difficult to understand unless you have been there or are close to someone who is.
This isn’t panhandling for fun. This is panhandling for medicine for their addiction.
And then there is Ellen: Fundraiser by Sage Lewis : Homeless to HomeFULL. She panhandles for diapers and her $50/month rent.

She has carpal tunnel, which has made it very difficult for her to get a job at the only profession she knows: fast food. So she does the only other job she knows: panhandling.
You should know that there are many people in America who are getting apartments for $50/month because of some sort of disability or illness. They can’t work. And so what I, and many others tell them is: “Go fly a sign.”
That’s the only way these people are going to make their $50/month. And if they don’t make their $50 then they will lose their apartment and be back on the street.
So, if no one gave any money to any panhandlers homelessness would, without a doubt, increase.
The question is: who is who?
Who is drinking their money? Who is shooting up their money? And who is using their money for rent, diapers and college?
You can’t know.
I barely can know.
People that are con artists are some of the most believable people you will ever meet. It’s very strange to be lied to with such sincerity and seeming honesty.
I know a panhandler that flies a sign that says, “Yes. I’m using this money for drugs.” He finds that it converts better sometimes. He is completely sober and uses the money for very good reasons, some of which are to help other homeless people.
These are all people that need cash. The don’t need a bus pass. They don’t need food. They need cash money. They all have things that need paid for with cash.
So, if you ever run into a panhandler that doesn’t seem very happy with your bottle of water or bus pass or granola, that’s why.
They are about to go into withdrawal.
They are about to lose their apartment.
They are always living on the razor’s edge of existence. Your dollar will save them from calling an ambulance to go to the emergency room. Your dollar will keep them in their apartment and not in the woods.

This leads me to the second reason I now give to panhandlers.

One way or another, these people are going to get money.
They have chosen the legal path. It’s the humiliating path. They constantly get yelled at and scorned. But it’s the legal path.
Many others chose other paths.
Some chose to sell drugs. And some chose to break into your house and steal your things.
Which would you prefer?
I can all but guarantee that if panhandling is outlawed crime will go up. That’s the next career opportunity these people know.
I am surrounded by thieves here at The Homeless Charity. Just this morning one of our previous residents returned a box of CDs a friend of theirs stole from us. Why did he steal them? He wanted to listen to them. I almost told them to give them back to the guy. But they were so strong doing the right thing I thanked them profusely and kept the CDs.
So the next time you see a panhandler you might just be thankful they aren’t selling your kids drugs or breaking into your house in the middle of the night.

And finally here is my third reason for giving to panhandlers:

I once interviewed Ryan Scanlon. During the interview I asked him if their was a segment of society that typically never gave to panhandlers. He quickly said, “Yes there is.”
I asked him who that group was. He said, “You.”
Middle aged white males never give to panhandlers.

• Women give.
• Other panhandlers give.
• Poor minorities give.

But middle aged white men in nice cars never give.
I hate being a stereotype. So that was the very day I started giving.
I have so much and I’m judging people I don’t know anything about.
Who am I to judge?
How much more power and privilege do I need that I finally can stop lording my success and prosperity over the poor?
I will say, if you are interested in helping a specific person but only want the money to go to things you feel comfortable with, I can help with that. Just email me: sage@thehomelesscharity.org.
I can basically help you sponsor a homeless person who needs the money for rent or for their baby or whatever you are inspired to help with. I know people in pretty much every terrible situation you can imagine. So I can find you a person you might like to help.
Otherwise, just give the person on the corner a buck or 2. It’s really going to help them out in whatever part of their journey they are on. And you will be really surprised at how good it will make you feel.
It will be the best dollar you’ll spend all day.
I also recommend giving to the same person over and over. You’ll build a relationship with them. It will likely become a part of your daily commute that you look forward to.
Helping the poor is fun and a joy filled experience. That’s all I can say. In fact, you might find that it feels so good you’d like to do more.
 
 
 
 

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In many ways we are creating a brand new society in our facility.
We are literally pulling people out of the woods and integrating them into a community.
It’s fascinating.
These are hunters and gatherers. They went out everyday looking for items to stay alive. Begging for money. Waiting on line for meals. Waiting in line for services. Stealing to eat.
They are now farmers.
They need to work together as a community.
Hierarchies naturally form.
The leader. The organizer. The security.
The leader is the visionary. He’s the person who has a dream.
The organizer is quiet. But yet influential. They sign people in, control paperwork. They make the system flow.
Security is powerful. They too are idealists. Any society is at risk of being ruled by security. It’s probably why America is always at war. Security clamps down in the name of safety and security.
Security isn’t wrong. Crime is happening.
Things get stolen. Stolen property is entering our facility. We just found a needle in our trash pile. Fortunately the person put the cap on it so no one got hurt.
In a normal society these are infractions that need to be clamped down on. It undermines progress and the right to quiet enjoyment that we all have come to expect in our own community.
But there is one difference: this is not normal society. There wouldn’t be a need for us if it was.
These are addicts. This is a community with close to 100% having mental health issues. These are outcasts. These are thieves.
This is a stepping stone society. This is society lite. We are the transition.
Keep in mind, this community just started in January. And none of us are experts at community creation, much less creating a community made up entirely of damaged people.
We are feeling our way around in the dark.
But this is where my thinking is now: physical safety is crucial. We have women here. And some day I’m sure we’ll have children.
People come here because it’s safer than the woods. I’ve been told that by a woman who came here from the woods.
They also crave security of their belongings. This is an ongoing issue in the homeless community at large. I’m going to go buy wood and supplies for people to make lock boxes today. I think it will be our first wood project.
But then, in my mind, everything else possibly needs to get lax.
Our security people are incredibly vigilant. They work really hard. So evolving our security needs to be handled gently. I don’t want to undermine them. We need them.
We’ve been talking a lot about items that are being stolen from the facility.
In my mind, that seems a little ironic. We are here to give things away.
But on the other hand, as an example, we are finding that people are taking a lot of toiletries.
Security believes people are taking these items to sell for drugs or alcohol.
I suspect it’s less dubious. Staying clean is not easy for the homeless. I think they are just storing these things for future use.
As an example, we recently had a drama where a lot of toiletries were taken.
It turns out that the items were taken by a family with 7 kids. They truly needed them.
My belief is that if we don’t want items to get “stolen” then it should be on us to secure them.
We have a decent amount of hand tools in our woodworking shop. Those would be difficult to replace quickly. So we should secure those and maybe only let them be used in our shop by residents. Staff could use them around the facility.
All of our toiletries are sitting out in the open. This is our problem, not theirs. We should secure them and hand them out in bags if we’re concerned about people taking too many items.
Of course these people are going to “steal.” They have nothing. They are addicts. They are mentally ill. They are thieves by necessity.
Let them take what they want and secure the items we don’t want to lose.
We have the facility to secure anything we want to secure.
We are working with people that need help. We are working with people that require us to be better people.
Our goal is to be more than just a warehouse for people society doesn’t know what to do with. We constantly talk about trying not to become a prison. But it’s incredibly tempting.
We must give them an environment where they can transition gradually from being hunter and gatherer outsiders.
We must be a place where they can interact in ways they are comfortable interacting while not setting them up for failure.
You don’t put a quitting alcoholic in a bar. And you don’t put a thief in a sea of unsecured items they aren’t allowed to take. It’s just a recipe for failure.
And ultimately we have to remember it’s all just stuff.
One of the greatest lessons homelessness teaches is that things and money come and go. They don’t define us. They don’t matter. Truly, we can live without them (and focus on what is really important, I might add). It’s one of the greatest gifts homelessness gives you. Hopefully these people will carry it with them for the rest of their lives.
God is good. We came from nothing and now we have more than we need.
The lesson for us is: people before things. God is on our side. He will provide endlessly for us.
Don’t worry about things. Worry about people.