Portland's Homeless

Homeless people in America are a National Tragedy. Today entire families are living in cars, or in homeless shelters all over this great Land of ours. We have our share of them in Portland, Oregon too, which is where I live.
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There are homeless people living in parks near where I live in South East Portland. These are unfortunate souls, and in the mornings they go through our recycling looking for cans. Years ago when I was broke, I used to ride around on my bicycle, and would hit all the city parks nearby, going through garbage looking for cans and bottles that I could turn into cash.
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These days I always give my cans to the homeless people who could really use an extra dollar or two from recycling these items. I do what I can to help.
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For at least tthe past year or more, you have seen the homeless standing with signs out begging for something at busy intersections where people are forced to look at them while waiting for the light to change. The homeless will stand there in the pouring rain with their signs, hoping for at least a little something.
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If one of these homeless people is seen smoking a cigarette, I give them nothing. Cigarettes are killing me with Lung Cancer, and though I have been a Cancer Survivor for the past two years now, I cannot in good conscience help support a homeless person who smokes. The price of a pack of smokes is equal to the cost of five cans of  Pork and Beans. You can either make a choice to eat or smoke. Personally, I would rather eat.
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If they are not smoking, I always give them something. After all, homelessness is a National Tragedy. Most of the other drivers trapped by stop lights ignore the homeless completely, and refuse to make eye contact. I will reach out my hand and give the homeless person a dollar, or whatever I had. Yesterday I gave away forty two cents.
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These people are all suffering, I give them what I can. When they take the money, they will often shake my hand, and they will say: "God Bless you".It is a small thing I can do to help make Portland a better place to live. Even for the homeless.

Mr. Charming