Homelessness is a hard issue. It's not as simple as just showing compassion and providing these services. Other places have tried to provide services to help the homeless and they often end up completely destroyed. I lived in Seattle for a few years and every new initiative to help just ended in complete disaster.

The working homeless who aren't on drugs aren't really the hard group of homeless to help, or the ones who cause problems. It's the ones who are on drugs who will strip the wires from a house you provide, or completely ruin any apartment on a drug binge. It even got so bad in Seattle that ports potties provided to camps were completely and irrevocably destroyed by the homeless.

I wish the issue was as simple to solve as "provide services and show compassion" but it isn't. We do a disservice to everyone by not acknowledging the full scope and difficulty of this problem and boiling it down to simple ineffective platitudes.

i'm sorry life has been too difficult for you. i hope you are never dehumanised like this by someone as small and afraid as you.

it's a shame, but you're free to waste your existence however you please.

Pasta with vodka sauce?

Possible suicide attempt, maybe? Although death by incoming train seems like an unconventional way to go.

Thank you

And the train hit his car so hard it "pushed into the restaurant’s parking lot, where it collided with three other vehicles that were parked", but he was still allowed by emt's to drive it to the hospital?

Just make sure it's responsible and sustainable development. Ban suburbia. You can fit a lot of people in that way, without ruining the entire landscape.

Where?

I don't know what to tell you to make you care about other people.

My point is that we don’t have enough people to support our communities, especially in the central and northern parts of the state—it’s a common problem in the news. We need migrants, despite our issues with xenophobia (this “from away” mentality is really obnoxious). I’m grateful we’re a state people are moving to, instead of from. And anyone who’s fleeing destructive climate impacts gets my support and my sympathy.

Our population is literally dying! We need in-migration. If state and local governments stopped making it so difficult to construct new housing, that wouldn't be a problem either. This state's massive potential is squandered by those who cling to the past and try to keep everything static.

Either alcohol was involved or the pasta is intoxicatingly good.

We moved here from FL three years ago, the highest “Pro” on our list was How its going to handle climate change. This winter is a very good example. Already seeing major effects, and we thought we’d have a good 5-10 years of snow. Not so much. Bought 5 acres, with a pool, on the outskirts of town. Smartest thing we’ve done in a long time. Hate being treated as a Praia by most locals, but just could not take the heat and humidity of the south any longer. 🤷🏻‍♀️ It was Maine or Minnesota….lol Thank god we avoided the polar vortex!

Link for those who need help getting over a paywall

People: Let's help our homeless bothers and sisters!

(homeless person has a drug addiction that contributed to homelessness)

People: Well not THOSE homeless brothers and sisters!

Consider yourself very lucky you're not addicted to something

Driving with common sense is hard for some people.

We got the idea around the same time we started to believe having money is more important than how other people are doing... so a really long time ago

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Am I reading this right? Driver is unidentified? Drove himself to the hospital? In what car?? Does this seem fishy to anybody else?

Yes:

“Not unlike other areas in the region, the Kancamagus, known to locals as “The Kanc”, is home to an abundance of hiking trails, walking paths, picturesque ponds, natural wonders, and many other must-see stops. It is open year-round, although the only major intersection, Bear Notch Road, which connects the highway to the town of Bartlett, is closed during the winter months.”

This is infuriating. Smoking a cig? Mainecare? I work 60+ hours a week and choose not to indulge my vices. And yet I am forced to support this. Ugh! Bad choices should NOT be rewarded with free healthcare.

The article:

The sun wasn’t even up as Matt Brown checked the inventory in the back of the Prius was packed.

“We have these, what we call, snack packs. We’ve got some small food items, but we also put notes in them. We’re trying to send folks the message that they do matter because that’s not the feeling they have when they’re out here. They don’t feel like they’re seen or heard or that they matter, so that’s probably the most important part of this," Matt Brown told WMTW.

Each Friday, Matt hits the road to visit homeless encampments. He tries to provide nourishment and compassion along the way.

His first stop: Deering Oaks Park to check on someone who spends the night under a tarp.

“Just our presence – compassionate presence – goes a really long way. So, at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about," Brown said. “We’re losing so many people to fentanyl overdoses, and you name it. I work part-time at a funeral home. I have to pick people up who die of overdoses. The urgency is on my mind all the time. But I think what’s really killing people is despair, hopelessness, discouragement.”

His group visits the homeless encampments that are deep in the woods too.

He calls it the Hope Squad Maine. He’s even purchased an old ambulance that’s being retrofitted to make his mission easier.

“I had this concept of having an ambulance because of the way it sticks out, but also has room to actually talk to people. To be able to go around and connect with people," Brown said.

When he's not dropping off much-appreciated items, Brown is a peer support worker for the Spurwink Crisis Center. His job is to connect with people when they first come through the doors. One man recently came off the streets, freezing cold.

"I was talking to him about – can I get you a tent? Can I get you a sleeping bag? 'Nope.' Can I get you a sandwich? Can I get you a drink? He’s like, 'no.' And I said, 'What?' He said, 'to tell you the truth, just being in here and having a conversation, it’s reminded for a moment that I’m human, because I forget, and I matter to somebody,' – that’s why we’re doing it.”

If you’re wondering who his helper is? Brown's wife, Nancy Brown, is right by his side.

“I think he’s amazing. He’s got the biggest heart of anybody I know and he’s doing important work," Nancy Brown said.

He doesn’t have all the answers, but he has a lot of societal questions.

“We’ve got how many church buildings in this city that have heated buildings that are sitting there, and we have all these people out here that are freezing in doorways. How about opening up some churches, things like that. I think until, as community, we say this matters – it’s not going to change," Matt Brown said.

The Hope Squad Maine ambulance is about ready to hit the road soon. Matt Brown's co-worker, Jackie McCurry nominated him for this week’s Community Champion.

OP, maybe you would change more peoples minds if you didn't pointlessly editorialize the title of your post. When you come out the gate swinging with emotions, it makes you look emotional. Not factual.

I appreciate Susan's work. I don't know much about this specific thing. Your post could have done a lot more to spread factual, clear information.

So do that next time, if you want to get your info out there.

My phone bill is currently $15 a month (there was a 10 dollar plan, but I wanted the 3gb of data instead of 1gb)