HUMANE EXPOSURES’ second Call to Action event on March 1 was enlightening, occasionally sobering, and once again productive. Eighty-five attended—politicians, business owners, service providers, and downtown residents. It’s good to see so many people turning out to discuss and seek solutions to the crisis of homelessness in our city.
This past Sunday, PARADE magazine featured an intriguing article—Compassion Counts More Than Ever—exploring “how and why so many Americans are working to improve our communities and the world.”
PARADE asked 1,000 Americans how, if given $100,000 to donate to charity, they would spend it. What do you think of the results of the poll? Is the breakdown based more on the immediate than the long term? It’s encouraging that “Food and shelter for the needy” tops the list, garnering 16% of the hypothetical pie; is it discouraging that literacy received only 4%, when improved literacy would help stave off future homelessness and hunger?
At our Call to Action event, we explored ways to help the chronically mentally ill on the streets of San Diego. According to the PARADE poll, Americans clearly feel compassionate toward the homeless. Do you think that compassion is directed more at people “down on their luck” than those with serious disabilities?
If you were given $100,000 to help manage and support the chronically mentally disabled on the streets of San Diego, how would you spend it?
Join in! Share your thoughts—on the PARADE poll, on the subjects discussed at the March 1 event, or on anything else that would help spread awareness of these important issues.
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This is a great idea, i can’t wait to get involved!
Thanks for provoking thoughts, somewhat uncomfortable ones but important.
Speaking personally, I like to believe I do feel as much compassion for a person muttering to him or herself on a street corner as I do for someone who’s more coherent and maybe just going through a rough patch, but I also feel way more helpless. I have a friend whose brother was maybe more in the former category, family loved him, wanted more than anything to help, and he eventually died living in his truck in Northern California having not contacted them in months.
I honestly don’t know what I’d do with that $100,000, especially if trying to help as many people as possible; not my area of expertise (and not much money in the big picture, though I know ANY funding is hard to come by these days). Wasn’t at the event, and I know this was discussed; would like to hear what others have to say…
You made some Good points there. I did a search on the topic and found most people will agree.