Room For Improvement

Clean up cities. Give the homeless a place to live. And save money too?

By Scott Carrier ~ Mother Jones

It’s early December, 10:30 in the morning, and Rene Zepeda is driving a Volunteers of America minivan around Salt Lake City, looking for reclusive homeless people, those camping out next to the railroad tracks or down by the river or up in the foothills. The winter has been unseasonably warm so far—it’s 60 degrees today—but the cold weather is coming and the van is stacked with sleeping bags, warm coats, thermal underwear, socks, boots, hats, hand warmers, protein bars, nutrition— (more)

Should You Give Money to Homeless People?

The short answer is no. The long answer is yes, but only if you work for an organization that can ensure the money is spent wisely.*

By Derek Thompson ~ The Atlantic

Giving money to the homeless is an economic crisis of the heart, a tug-of-war between the instinct to alleviate suffering and the knowledge that a donation might encourage, rather than relieve, the anguish of the poor.

We’re all familiar with our mothers’ reasons not to empty our pockets for beggars. “The best help is a shelter… (more)

Homeless. Not hopeless. Not helpless.

Brianna Karp entered the workforce at age ten, supporting her mother and sister throughout her teen years in Southern California. Although her young life was scarred by violence and abuse, Karp stayed focused on her dream of a steady job and a home of her own. By age twenty-two …