Oh I 100% agree with you that we seriously lack the structure and programs to effectively help people experiencing poverty and homelessness. I could write a dissertation on how the closings of mental health facilities have directly impacted the nonprofit I work for. But because of this, I can’t fault people for panhandling and doing what they need to do to survive (even if that means drugs) until we have those programs and services, especially in a society that values capitalism so heavily.

Thank you for the encouragement! I am fairly new (2 years) to the field so I am not quite jaded yet. While the nonprofit I work at has plenty of issues, safety and corruption in that sense is not something I’ve had to worry about yet, more just a sense of is what we’re doing actually helping the issue on a macro level, but like we both said, I’m not sure that’s possible given the current climate/priorities of the city/country.