[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by MikeSid

As a teenager I worked in a grocery store bagging groceries and stocking shelves. Early on Saturday morning when the bread trucks were still there, a guy walks up to the manager and offers to sweep the parking lot. He wasn't asking for a job application and just said he'd take whatever the manager thought was fair to sweep the lot. He was a little "off" but seemed honest and genuine upon first meeting.

So the guy sweeps the entire lot clean as a whistle and the manager pays him out of his own pocket and tells him to come back next Saturday. He does and this goes on for several weeks until a job opens up in the meat department cleaning up after the butchers - a messy entry level task paid at 4 hours per day. The guy gladly takes the opportunity.

Fast forward 1.5 years and this guy (who still seems pretty off) is working night crew 40 hours a week stocking shelves and is a dues paying UFCW member with healthcare benefits and vacation time. This was the peak of his employment. He lasted in the job for almost a year and then got fired. He started making mistakes, then slacking off and finally missing work. He had "Petered" out and couldn't handle the job.

I always found his experience both inspiring and tragic. It was a good thing for teenage me to see first hand. He was given a chance, but couldn't make it last for whatever reason. That, to me, is the homeless situation in a nutshell. Social programs can help and are necessary. But for some, it just won't work no matter what.

I also think of this guy every time I see someone holding a "will work..." sign. This guy wanted a job and got one. And he didn't get it by holding a sign.

I think this really captures the crux of the problem. For those that want to work, there is work available. Those who aren't working, aren't working by choice. You could argue the definition of "choice" should or should not include things like mental health or drug addiction, but my key point is that there is work available for those who want to work. Unfortunately our government and frankly society as a whole has also made it entirely too easy to survive without working.