How to help a homeless person overseas?

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I "met" this guy online, and we get along great. (I'm happily married, nothing like that) He's homeless in the UK and having a really hard time, and I feel really bad for him. I asked if he had a PayPal account I could send some money to, but he can't even afford to open a bank account. The only thing I can think of is to send him money with Western Union.
Is there anything else that I could do that I'm not thinking of?
I can't believe there's no help for him. I'm in Ohio, and here everybody gets placed in little low-budget apartments, and there are big shelters, so nobody has to sleep on the street.
If he were in the US I'd just let him stay in my spare room. Sad

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Type: Question • Score: 4 • Views: 2,794 • Replies: 18

@Asenath,

Be very wary of this. This very likely could be a scammer. It's great to want to help people that are in need - for this you should be commended. If they were local, you could see and verify the person's story. There's too great a chance this is fraud.

By the way, here's a link for those who are homeless in UK:
https://www.gov.uk/emergency-housing-if-homeless

Th advice and help offered in that link should be known by you and your homeless person. That is all that should be offered without verifiable evidence of truth of the matter.

What do you mean he can't afford to open a bank account? How can he be online without having some sort of money to be online and afford a device to access the Internet?

In fact, why not help someone (verifiable) local to you with your charity?

2 Replies

@Ragman,

I like to think I'm reasonably bright. I don't think he's a scammer because he hasn't asked for help. We just both blog on the same site, and he talks about his homelessness when he writes.
I don't offer to help people where I am for two reasons:
1, I live just south of Detroit, in gang territory. People here can be genuinely scary, and you never know who might have a gun. Most people do, actually. Someone gets shot every other day. So inviting a stranger into my home is a bad idea.
2, there's no such thing as true homelessness here. Because the winters are deadly, there are big shelters who take in everyone, and large public apartment buildings where people who can't pay rent are placed.
So people here didn't really *need* help.
This guy spent the summer sleeping in a tent in the woods. His situation is comparatively desperate.

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@Ragman,

On the phone he uses for internet access, my understanding is that someone gave it to him. He uses the library to get online, too.

By the way, it's not like I'm well enough off to send him lots of money, but enough for the ocassional meal would be nice.

1 Reply

@Asenath,

Asenath wrote:

2, there's no such thing as true homelessness here. Because the winters are deadly, there are big shelters who take in everyone, and large public apartment buildings where people who can't pay rent are placed.

this is definitely not the case for Ohio

there's a disturbing population of homeless vets there

___

consider volunteering with a local foodbank, get to know your local community and help out that way

1 Reply

@Asenath,

Quote:

On the phone he uses for internet access, my understanding is that someone gave it to him.

Phone internet access is not free in the UK, and you have to have an address to pass credit checks before you can get a contract. Of course he could be using prepay but then maybe he has more money than he is telling you.

0 Replies

@Asenath,

Quote:

I can't believe there's no help for him. I'm in Ohio, and here everybody gets placed in little low-budget apartments, and there are big shelters, so nobody has to sleep on the street.

The UK is not a third-world country; there is the same kind of help they have in Ohio.

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I agree with Ragman - be more than careful.
Help someone in your area. But only help through an organisation.
There are so many trying to get money over the Internet. It can be mail from Nigeria It can be so called "grandchildren" calling and asking for money from elderly people. Then there are the beggers.
Here you can read more about the help homeless get in UK.
http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_advice/homelessness/homelessness_-_an_introduction/homeless_peoples_rights
If a homeless person gets benefits they can get help to get a bankaccount.
Homeless people who cannot provide standard identification documents are likely to be in a particular socially excluded category. A letter from the warden of a homeless shelter or from an employer if the customer is in work should be sufficient evidence.

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@ehBeth,

I'm in Toledo. Maybe the rest of the state is worse, but I was under the impression people came here for assistance, not to be argued with and not picked.

1 Reply

Well, this has been less than illuminating. I'm out. Enjoy arguing with the other posters and mocking me in my absence. If I'd known this was like 4chan I'd never have bothered.

2 Replies

@Asenath,

Please take a look around in your own community.

There are so many people in need of help who don't have phones, don't have internet access, don't have housing.

Volunteer with a veterans support group.

I'm not saying you can't help elsewhere, but don't be blind to the needs at home.

0 Replies

@Asenath,

As far as I can see noone is mocking you - only warning you.
How much do you really know about UK?
If you read UK papers on daily basis you would see a lot of stories about people cheating and taking advantage of the state, the communty and others.

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@Asenath,

Quote:

Well, this has been less than illuminating. I'm out. Enjoy arguing with the other posters and mocking me in my absence. If I'd known this was like 4chan I'd never have bothered.

It doesn't say anywhere in A2K's terms of service that you have the right to only get answers that you like. As far as I can see, you have got a bunch of answers from people who are concerned that you could be about to get taken for a ride. Internet beggars are often very convincing and they are patient when they are reeling someone in. The story about this guy is full of holes. I live in the UK and I know that nobody needs to be homeless here. There are some homeless people, sure, and many of them have histories of crime, drug or drink problems, or they just plain prefer life on the street. A person who is willing to co-operate with help agencies can get help to get a home and look for a job, and welfare payments too. Britain is a rich country, the 5th richest in the world, and has a very generous welfare system compared to many countries, much more generous than the US.

1 Reply

Yay! Up to 6 votes now! It seems to me that the OP may be classic scam fodder - likes to think they are not stupid; won't listen to advice.

0 Replies

@Tes yeux noirs,

Tes yeux noirs wrote:

Britain is a rich country, the 5th richest in the world, and has a very generous welfare system compared to many countries, much more generous than the US.

And our benefits system pays cash, not food stamps. The OP is someone from the middle of America who probably thinks the London fog is still a regular feature.

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@Asenath,

If you really want to help him, tell him to call this number.

Quote:

Get housing help and advice
Contact Shelter's free housing advice helpline on 0808 800 4444 (calls are free from UK landlines and main mobile networks).

http://england.shelter.org.uk/what_we_do/contact_us

0 Replies

@Asenath,

Asenath wrote:

This guy spent the summer sleeping in a tent in the woods.

A lot of people do. Like these people protesting about the expansion of Heathrow airport.

https://vice-images.vice.com/images/content-images/2015/03/08/grow-heathrow-120-body-image-1425836239.jpg?resize=1000:*&output-quality=75

Quote:

I live just south of Detroit, in gang territory. People here can be genuinely scary, and you never know who might have a gun.

That's America, this is England, we don't have guns.

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@Asenath,

How about helping the poor here instead??

1 Reply

@VanMan,

Why revive a thread that was dead for 2 months?

0 Replies

How to help a homeless person overseas?

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