Kindness Pays BIG Dividends...

Poor people are targeted and made into criminals; there are no SAFE place to sleep, and too often shelters are NOT SAFE. People face loitering laws, and there are no public places for people to sleep/rest, why not???

This woman became homeless because her apartment building caught fire and was devastated by the damage. All stories are different, but few if any people choose to become homeless. The national economy is suffering and the job market is in shambles. Photo by Tim King Salem-News.com

(MENDOCINO ) - Many people are losing their homes, jobs, retirement funds and sources of financial well-being. What are YOU doing about it not just to secure your own future but what about your community?

Did you know that a growing segment of poor and homeless people are War Veterans as well as children and families? According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, 1.2 million children are homeless on any given night.

Also, the U.S. Department of Education that report almost 400,000 homeless children were served by the nation's public schools last year.

Homeless youth (adolescents) are also a big population. I recently met a 16 year old boy who was sleeping on hard concrete at a mall for a week and no one would help him.

Temperatures at night went down to freezing. I raised funds and drove him home to his parents.

Did you know that poor people are targeted and made into criminals (when there is no SAFE place to sleep, and too often shelters are NOT SAFE places), a person can be cited for violating no loitering laws.

There are no public places for people to sleep/rest, why not??? Often basic necessities (food, gas and such) are higher in poorer neighborhoods...

Here are some ways that you can be a kind, compassionate Good Samaritan, give what you have to give generously and create good karma for yourself. Contribute and be a Blessing to your Community and Country...

Do you pretend you didn't see the people holding up signs "Will Work for Food"? Instead of being judgmental, superior, lofty, and unsympathetic, how about:

1. Count your Blessings and Pray for the homeless, needy and poor: meditate, send light and see creative solutions happening for others (jobs, homes, food, all good things)....

2. Recognize that homeless and poor people are not all the same. Some have mental problems, others drug addiction or alcohol. Others have been traumatized and abused.

3. Give to the homeless directly... shelters, churches and other organizations (social service) raise millions and billions of dollars and much of it goes toward staff, administration, buildings, instead of directly to the people who need assistance most. Usually, a church or organization will give a person $5 or $25, a gas voucher, a food voucher or a bag of food or maybe a hotel voucher for a few days. These are only STOPGAP measures. What is needed are creative, dignified LONG-TERM solutions to help people get back on their feet. Help a person get a job, buy food, gas, or shelter, whatever you can do and feel comfortable doing.

Important Items you can donate:

l. Prepaid cell phone and/or prepaid phone cards and/or voicemail so the person can make phone calls to find work and be reached by potential employers

2. Locker or storage unit to keep personal items

3. Post office box so the person can have an address for job seeking

4. Warm clothing and professional clothing (hats, gloves, scarves, socks, rain gear, shoes or boots as well as attire for interviews)

5. Portable housing such as yurts, tents, tipis and sleeping bags, blankets and other such items

6. Cooler filled with Portable edible healthy foods such as dried fruits and nuts, cereal, snacks such as potato chips, pretzels, cookies or chocolate, apple sauce, protein bars, trail mix, juice boxes, water, yogurt, cheese, hot dogs, deli slices or sandwiches, potato salad)

7. Backpack filled with personal supplies such as soap, shampoo, toothbrush and other necessities (make up for women, shaving cream for men)

8. First Aid Kit with supplements, herbs, aloe vera, alcohol, peroxide

9. Laundry quarters or vouchers

10. Gift certificates and/or gift cards

11. Bus passes or tickets for public transportation

12. Organize a drive:

At your church, Girl or Boy scout troup, local service organization and/or work place, to put a large box or two in a public area that people can fill with the donations such as pet food for animals of homeless and poor people, and/or a place where money can be donated.

13. Give money and help needed to get ID [birth certificate, social security card, driver's license or health card, etc]

14. Donate money or help person to open a checking account

15. Perhaps your church or social service group can set up a fund, do a bake sale, car wash or other fundraisers to assist with first, last and deposit (given to landlord)...

CeliaSue Hecht is a published travel writer, co-author of five romantic travel guides and dog travel blogger (celiasue.wordpress.com). Her work has appeared in more than 40 publications including Entrepreneur, USA Today, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Boston.com, the Reno Gazette Journal, Nevada Appeal, Parents magazine, Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Record Courier, Auto Channel News, Marin Independent Journal, Napa News, Las Vegas Review Journal, Las Vegas SUN, Las Vegas Business Press, Real Woman magazine, Courier magazine, Nevada Woman magazine, Salem-News, Monterey County Weekly, Auburn Journal, Nevada Business Journal, NorthBay Biz magazine, Parents magazine, Senior Spectrum, Desert Trail, Hi-Desert Star, Boca Raton Daily News, First Class magazine, In Light Times, Soulfulliving.com, Working Spirit newsletter, HealthyWealthynWise, Small Business Briefs and more.