Another helping hand
Dear editor:
I have appreciated the recent letters by L.J. Gibson and Dick Collins concerning the many panhandlers at most of our main intersections. I am in agreement with their viewpoints.
In L.J. Gibson’s last letter (Sunday, May 27) a list of various organizations was named as places that might be of assistance for these beggars. Gibson plans on handing them a list with those organizations, rather than giving them money. Good idea!
There is one other organization that Gibson didn’t mention. The Samaritan Ministries of Hot Springs is a wonderful Christian organization that ministers to homeless men.
I want to share the highlights of an article from a newsletter published by Samaritan Ministries for the month of May. Their article tells about some of their experiences with these panhandlers.
They told the true story of a man who said that he needed a place to stay, so they took him in for awhile, but later discovered that he was receiving a Social Security disability check! He obviously was not without money. “Much to our dismay, he panhandled during the daytime. The day he left the mission, he bragged that the people of Hot Springs paid for the $1,200 truck that he had just purchased.”
“Many of the people that panhandle have income and/or disability checks. Some people treat panhandling as a parttime job with no taxes to pay and free to make their own hours.”
“One of our donors stopped to tell a panhandler about the mission and their response was like so many others that don’t want to change.”
“To that we say, yes, we have rules. No drugs or alcohol in their system. No, they cannot go in and out of the building after they check in, as we maintain a secure environment. We have established the mission to restore lives, not to offer a free hotel.”
“We freely give the men the tools and help they need to turn their lives around. Obviously, so many of these people do not want to change or work.”
Our church has been involved with Samaritan Ministries for several years and we know firsthand what a good organization this is. They are always in need of more financial help and volunteers to help out (telephone 321-2888). They are located on the corner of Sanford and Valley streets.
In closing, I, too, feel very sorry for the panhandlers’ poor dogs that they make stand out in the hot sun all day long! Shame on them for this animal abuse!
Some of those people apparently will do almost anything to get sympathetic donations!
I suspect that this is a highly organized bunch of “gypsy” freeloaders who have invaded our city. If they are so poor, then why do some of them have cell-
phones and large cups of soft drinks? Why have they all appeared here at the same time in large numbers? Lots of questions cause this to not pass the “smell test.”