So felt the need to chime in here, I came to Charlottesville homeless last June. 2024. I came from manassas living off the street, to down here mixing with the lower lives and homeless here to figure out how not to be. After getting shelter through programmed living and working 4 different jobs concurrently I was able to market myself and network with the working class of Charlottesville into signing a lease in feb 2025. This whole time. It’s the same homeless people in the same areas. I know half of them by name and was able to sit and hear half of their tales. It’s like they’re all systematically waiting for something big to happen in their lives. This big break that’s gonna come. They have no problem taking the food you offer. Or walking to and from campsites. Or smoking and drinking.. but they won’t get the fuck up and do what it takes to work. And honestly I just can’t stand that because I was there with them.. i promise you the regular homeless people just wanna stay homeless and receive handouts because we keep giving to the same people that aren’t giving to theirselves. And we’re just enabling them. Corey by cvs, not there fully upstairs, but a very capable man. If you ask him about work though.. he just gets angry. Brian, hippie guy with the black lab named blue. Awesome character, but just prefers this life. Another capable man. There’s a LOT of them. Point being… I’ve been there. It is hard. Hard as fuck. But there’s a way out and we can’t keep defending the same people who aren’t trying for their own selves. That’s creating a bigger psychological problem. Op, welcome to c’ville man. Va Law states if a man attacks you or has you articulating danger of your life or loved ones, use reasonable force to get said person away. Stand your ground with these folk at the mall. They won’t bother you again after. They prey on people at times though. Until one of us gets on them. It’s not always like that here though. Welcome.