So I read in the paper today that the county I live in is starting a program that costs $75.00 a person so you can spend 12 hours to "know what it feels like to be homeless" wtf? That's if you preregister. It's $100 bucks if you show up without registering. Oh and "part of the proceeds will go towards an area homeless shelter" I'm thinking maybe... just MAYBE that money would be better spent just donating it to the Red Cross or the shelter itself. Am I the only person that this doesn't make sense to??

no i agree

whats the sense though
its not like they really are going to know what its like because they they still have a home to go home to when its all done and they know this

exactly... what the hell is 12 hours gonna do?? You can't feel like you're homeless when all you have to do is a 12 hour stretch. Homeless is when you really have nowhere to go and you need to hurry and get in lines so you might get a cot to sleep on in a shelter for the night... and if you're lucky, someone might throw out some food that's still decent enough for you to eat. I think the program is insulting at best.

only in America...

Wow, what amazes me is those few and select that will fall for this program.

anyone that wants to know what it feels like to be homeless, leave your homes, live on the street, have absolutely no money on your person, do odd jobs or beg for money for food, have to use the bathroom at public places, sleep outside where no one is safe... all this for free!!!!

If you can spare the $75 to register or the $100 participate w/o registration - put it to good use like Jill stated donate funds directly or take some time and feed those you see that are out there yourself...

i think that is just stupid

can you imagine what the homeless people in the area are thinking about this?? If I was homeless I would go up to one of those people in the "program" and kick um

Oh yea, and I forgot to mention... they have "group rates available"

either kick them or just walk up to them and tell the participants they are doing it all wrong, but for a small fee they will be trained... It's amazing what people will do

Do they take Visa or Mastercard?

I mean really... can people not just donate anymore? Just for the satisfaction of knowing you donated for a good cause? You really have to "experience" it before you can help someone? OMG

actually .. They DO

I was homeless at 14 'till 15 years old. I really can't stand those radio guys who pretend to be homeless for "a good cause".
Try not knowing where you're going to sleep, bathe or eat tomorrow and tell me how well you sleep

Um, isn't that called camping? Pretending not to have a home?

Maybe if someone did this for several weeks at best would give them an idea of what it's really like to be homeless. Scared to death because at any given moment you could robbed or attacked while you sleep. Starving and no idea when your next meal may be. Maybe they should try and let them "pretend to be homless" in the middle of winter. That might show um

Sorry but this whole thing really ticked me off

OMG....Is that like reality tv come to life or what. Why would anyone WANT to see what it's like to be homeless. So pay to put yourself through the mental anguish that these poor people deal with every day. That's just WRONG. Why not do fund-raisers to get money to help the shelters do more for these people. Institute a "Get back on your feet and get back out into the world" type of program. Teach them life skills. Some day some place someone smart is going to start classes at the local schools to teach our children basic "life skills" like..."...how to budget money, how to balance a checkbook, why it's important to save for a rainy day, what your responsibility would be in owning a home vs. renting..." things like this would be alot more positive and productive than oh geez....let's be a homeless person today and see how terrible it is to personally put myself in that position! Where do you live? Wow! Terrible.

when i help someone:(1)i do it in person;myself. (2) i see to the need right then. (3) No questions (4) i then recieve --thank you's, even though i do not look for thanks. (5) thats all.

I slept in a high school football field's score board...really; from april 'til the end of august when I got busted one sunday morning, climbing down to find the whole football team looking at me. I had to move to the bushes

Ted that must have been not only hard but dangerous, sorry you went through that!