MASON CITY – How far would you go to help a homeless person during the holidays?
On Christmas Eve at about 1:21 PM, Mason City police were dispatched to the area of the Indianhead shopping district to check on a subject with a sign saying “Homeless, Anything Helps.”
Police reported that the subject was “fine” and “living out of his car” and that was the end of the call.
Did police do enough?
During the holidays, do you feel more compelled to help a homeless or needy person, or do you go about your business shopping at store after store, running your credit card with reckless abandon?
I don’t have a problem helping the homeless…at times. It bothers me to drive by the women’s shelter and see them sitting outside smoking. If you are homeless then you shouldn’t smoke. I have stopped at times and given them the phone numbers for crisis intervention and also the homeless shelters and also bought some things to help them for the nite…beef jerky, juice, etc. And change for the phone. There’s resources out there, just need to use them.
Here’s what I gots to say about the homeless guy holding up the Veteran sign that I saw a couple days ago. Go knock on the door of the local VA or bus yourself to the Pentagon and ask them to help you out if you need some assistance…but asking the public to make up for the deficiencies in the “F**k em and Forget em” plan as recently promulgated by our illustrious Bushonian Opec Fighting Force ain’t garnering any sympathy in this guys mind…regardless if he was Ford era or not
The world needs to end
here here. finally someone with some reason.
Many folks do this for a job. It’s tax free cash that’s always better than minimum wage. In Albert Lea the men stand by Walmart and trade off shifts. When their shifts end they drive off in their late model vehicles and back to their home.
It’s easier to stand somewhere with a sigh if the pay is at least double the minimum wage with tax or FICA taken out. It’s simply a job.
Can’t say I blame them. They simply swallow pride for more pay and in America we can do that.
The shelter certainly seems preferable, but if the man refused to go, they can’t force him to. A lot of people have a real horror of “the system” and getting drawn into it, and not without good reason.
I actually stopped and gave the guy twenty bucks. It was Christmas eve and felt moved to do so. I looked back and noticed the car behind me stopped also to help him out. Hope it helped him out.
I think he should have been directed to the men’s shelter. It is way too cold for anyone to be living in their car. I’ve been there and done that, but with a little help, I was able to get myself out of the hole I was in, so I try and help those that I can and with God’s help and wise choices, maybe they will begin a new life too.
If the homeless people promise to worship God, why then we can help them.
The picture really has nothing to do with the story. It has been used several times in the past, and was first used on 20Apr12 in connection with a sting operation that was going on in Mason City. At this time of year, I would hope that a (homeless) person, would need something other then beer.
I bet this was a sting or something.
Left the man to live in his car on our Lord’s day. I’m appalled. I wish i could help this man. The policeman did all he could under the circumstances but just not enough.
If the sign said that he needed food, I would be compelled to take him to my house and make a dinner for him. Since the sign say’s (need beer,) I will pass on that.
The picture is at the 4 way stop by Taco John’s and at night. The incident report is at 1:21 PM by Kohl’s or Wal-Mart.
I see no reason not to help someone who is down on their luck and needs a helping hand. There are lots of reasons for someone to lose their home and have no where to go. It can happen to anyone at any time and anyone who thinks different only need look out the window and see what is going on around them. This country is getting poorer and poorer all the time and a lot of people just have no one to turn to for help.
There’s no reason the cop couldn’t offer him a few bucks/ or groceries or at least directed him to a homeless shelter, it wasn’t reported in the incident report anyway.
Shame full.
We do help the less fortunate, all year long.
No. I wouldn’t help. It’s their own fault they are homeless, not mine!
Figures that you are a Cy fan.
Wow, I sure hope that you never need anything!!! You never know when ill health or a job loss, or a death in the family or depression or some other tragedy may befall you!! May God turn your heart so that you may find a way to be kind, generous and full of grace!!
Merry Christmas, Jesus is the reason for the season!!!
I’m sure the People’s Republic of China and other third world countries just love how Americans spend all their “hard earned” money (welfare or “old money” around these parts) on cheap plastic crap, delving deeper and deeper into debt for no other reason than to satisfy the unlimited greedy wants of their undeserving and ungrateful relatives.