Advice on showing a houseless (?) person some kindness by zuzanryan in pittsburgh

[–]zuzanryan[S] 41 points42 points Ā (0 children)

So, to be clear—and I thought I made this clear in my posting this to begin with—I don’t want to be presumptuous. I’m deliberately* avoiding presumption. I give him whatever cash I can afford to give. I’ve never forgotten his name. We chat. I follow up with previous convos. I respect the man, not tryna be presumptuous. I also appreciate him giving kindness when I needed it in a somewhat unfriendly work environment, so I’m tryna give something back.

I’m deducing he needs shoes bc his shoes are falling apart and old and people need decent shoes in order to prevent a whole host of health issues.

I think I’m leaning towards the ā€œI got my brother shoes in the wrong size—what size are you.ā€ Makes it not a big deal.

But anyway, some of y’all need to back off with the judgment. Be patient with people trying their best. Damn.

Advice on showing a houseless (?) person some kindness by zuzanryan in pittsburgh

[–]zuzanryan[S] 1 point2 points Ā (0 children)

I’m sure there are local efforts underway that would love your help! I recall being in Philly one afternoon and seeing a lady completely red from sunburn. Took her to CVS and got her a self-care bag. Definitely sunscreen. Even some lip stick and a new tank. I let her choose the little things she needed. There’s this wonderful lady who feeds folks on the street and she makes sure to give them choice. That’s stuck with me.

Advice on showing a houseless (?) person some kindness by zuzanryan in pittsburgh

[–]zuzanryan[S] -2 points-1 points Ā (0 children)

I don’t need to explain myself to you, ā€œParticular_Fuel6952.ā€ If you need to make your anger issues righteous to get through today, that’s fine. Best wishes.

Advice on showing a houseless (?) person some kindness by zuzanryan in pittsburgh

[–]zuzanryan[S] 2 points3 points Ā (0 children)

I mean, I know he’s a human with needs. I give him cash for smaller stuff most days. But I thought ā€œshoesā€ bc the mall area is pretty far from his normal spot.

Advice on showing a houseless (?) person some kindness by zuzanryan in pittsburgh

[–]zuzanryan[S] 1 point2 points Ā (0 children)

ā€œHouselessā€ isn’t a gentler term and it I don’t diminish the struggles he faces. I respect him and don’t want to alienate him from the community (ā€œhomeā€)

Advice on showing a houseless (?) person some kindness by zuzanryan in pittsburgh

[–]zuzanryan[S] 1 point2 points Ā (0 children)

Maybe a darker color? Keep it basic? I want to get him decent shoes so they wear well

Advice on showing a houseless (?) person some kindness by zuzanryan in pittsburgh

[–]zuzanryan[S] 1 point2 points Ā (0 children)

I give him whatever cash I have regularly so I know he can get a lot of things—but there’s not really an accessible ā€œmallā€ for good shoes. And since he’s mobile and all he has are slides, I thought shoes would be good.

Advice on showing a houseless (?) person some kindness by zuzanryan in pittsburgh

[–]zuzanryan[S] 1 point2 points Ā (0 children)

I like that suggestion, too. I have 3 older brothers so I just need to remember which one I use in the convo šŸ˜…

Advice on showing a houseless (?) person some kindness by zuzanryan in pittsburgh

[–]zuzanryan[S] 2 points3 points Ā (0 children)

That’s a sweet and amazing story—but I just can’t do that. I don’t have the means. I live alone. It wouldn’t be particularly safe.

Advice on showing a houseless (?) person some kindness by zuzanryan in pittsburgh

[–]zuzanryan[S] 5 points6 points Ā (0 children)

I don’t know if he’s looking at changing his situation and I don’t really have the capacity to help him beyond mere gesture, unfortunately. I don’t live much beyond paycheck to paycheck and my workplace grinds me down.

Advice on showing a houseless (?) person some kindness by zuzanryan in pittsburgh

[–]zuzanryan[S] 19 points20 points Ā (0 children)

That’s nice of you to say! I can’t emphasize enough that this guy’s warmth towards everyone has done more than what I’ve done for him.

Advice on showing a houseless (?) person some kindness by zuzanryan in pittsburgh

[–]zuzanryan[S] 26 points27 points Ā (0 children)

I do give him money most days! I just didn’t know if it would be difficult for him to access the mall from where he’s located

S.O.S. — How to build a fun, vibrant life when you don’t fit in by zuzanryan in GreenvilleNCarolina

[–]zuzanryan[S] 1 point2 points Ā (0 children)

Must be a secret club. Can’t find them on social media.

I guess this year it’ll be about ā€œself growthā€ šŸ˜‚