Showing kindness to strangers

Here in the UK, particularly London their have been a lot of changes over the last few years.
Following a campaign by the London Evening Standard, several major supermarket chains allow charities to collect food just an hour or so before it goes out of date. They often include new items that are still sealed, but the packaging has been crushed in transit, or slightly damaged while THEIR OWN staff were unpacking it.
Along with the work of the police and local councils, this is starting to make a major change.
Getting the alcoholics and drug users into the help programs is still something of a problem.

Offering help in the way that you do, is the best way to keep these people alive and help them out of the rut that they have fallen into.
Hopefully other countries will follow our example in the same way as other UK cities already have. It is not rocket science, but it does need a central organisation and cooperation with everyone involved to make it work.
A lot of the helpers on the London project are volunteers who organize a rota using their own cars and vans to help with the food distribution.
Once something like this is properly set up, it is surprising how many people are willing to join in and help.

 

Sounds very progressive and common sense too.

 

It was largely the evening standard reporter (one man) who made such a big difference.
By agreement, he named the companies who joined in and since it was a national agreement, it has paved the way for other areas to take advantage of the offer.
The shops were already being criticized for the waste, so by showing them in a good light, it was a win-win situation.
People are often quick to 'put down' the UK, but I am happy to be one of their citizens.
And we can do all these things without feeling that we need guns to shoot each other. LMAO.

 

Oh foolish you! Of course we need guns! Guns and Bacon! Both are sure paths to early death.. Everything in moderation but most important is not to let people be forgotten.

 

I like to give money directly to beggars too. It's mainly for my conscience and if people want to think it's bad they're free to think that.

 

Be the change you wish to see in the world. If everyone assumes the job is too big no one will do anything. But all you can affect is your immediate reality usualy. So use that power for good.

 

Now if you could just stop the tens of thousands of people there who feel the need to commit knife crimes and gun crimes, it'll be an even better place.

 

Showing kindness to a stranger can give you the feel good factor and its nice to help others who need help.

 

Yes being good is the best it is just that simple

 

Deep down I proper love giving food to the homeless. My head says its wrong - as you just don't know if its for a good or bad cause for their situation (they could be buying hard drugs), while my heart just wants to give everything to them.
A few years ago this homeless guy approached me asking for money, I didn't have any change so I gave him a £5 note. Some weeks later I noticed his mugshot in the news he was a heavy drug addict, I've forgot what criminal charge he was done for now but I remember thinking what a waste of money I gave to him - £5 which is somewhat generous.
A few months ago I gave another one a £10 note, mainly because I had no cash on me because I use contactless payments these days. He was extremely surprised at how much I'd given him, which I was surprised because even myself I come from a poor working class family, and yet to me a £tenner isn't much to me, but to him it seemed like it was £1000 to me.

Half of me thinks why should we give money to these people, when there are billionaires and millionaires who are preaching to us to give money to less unfortunate people. Their money is far, far, far, far, far worth more than anything we can give. When they shop they don't look at the price tags, while we're there looking for the best deals just to save a few pennies.cents.

 

I was leaving a swing dance at midnight last week Thursday and this black homeless guy asked me for money.
I reach into my pocket and all I had was 20s

I gave him a twenty and he said "bless you , but I could use more"
I said "I just gave you a twenty "
He said "I'm a vet"

I thought for a second ..... then gave him another twenty.

I fucked up hesitating to give him another twenty. Here I am about to drive off in my 2015 Chevy Tahoe and this guy has nothing.

I felt great afterwards giving him the forty bucks.

 

My boyfriend is an Electrician, he's often said how he'd love to wire up some heaters for these peoples outdoor "homes" using the local street lights power supplies. He's just scared of being caught via CCTV or something, being fined or losing his qualifications or something for doing so. He has ALL the tools and everything to do it, but being a law abiding citizen and all..