James Cook: Ideas to help the homeless and improve recycling
Re “Council targets homelessness” (Page 3A, June 2): This issue needs to be an interfaith concern, not just a Christian issue as the article suggests.
My observation of the homeless is that there are some who are capable people who need help to live and compete in this environment. Others have delayed social skills who prey on the helpless and other homeless. Many in my neighborhood use shopping carts to help them manage. How can they get 2 or 3 miles downtown for food and shelter?
Would it be possible for the community to place stands at grocery stores to collect recyclables such as cans, bottles, paper etc., the things many homeless collect anyway? Stands could be portable and assigned to a responsible homeless person, who could be given a bus pass for transportation. Community members could bring recyclables to the stands. Our community is not appropriately recycling. Some kind of incentive for the homeless worker could be arranged.
This might be an opportunity for a person to start Homeless USA, a non-profit organization that provides a helping hand to homeless persons and improves the community.
James Cook, Modesto
This story was originally published June 11, 2015 at 12:50 PM with the headline "James Cook: Ideas to help the homeless and improve recycling."