What can we, as individuals, do to alleviate the plight of homeless people? Care. I could leave it at that, but I'll elaborate.

Fortunately, most people have housing, most people have heat, and most people have food. Others don't. These other people are alien to the sheltered people. Ever hear people say, "It's their own fault," "What can I do about it," or even, "It's not my problem." Those are pretty pathetic statements.

Even people who say "Poor man," or "That's terrible," don't always really care. People without homes are just that , people. Try to treat them with some kindness and maybe even help them out a little. The people who really care aren't the people who pity the homeless, but the people who empathize with their situations and help out in any way they can. If homeless people feel that people care about them, they may have more motivation to try to help themselves, instead of dwelling in the self-pity encouraged by people who pretend to care. The government has enough problems of its own, so it's up to society to at least take steps towards eliminating homelessness. n