Why Do We Concern Ourselves With The Homeless Only At Christmas?

You only have to go into London to witness Cardboard City, and with this damn recession and mass unemployment, more and more people are being turved out into the street, unable to afford the raising prices of inflation, utility bills and generally the cost of living. For some it's a case of NIMBYISM, (Not In My Back Yard) attitude. If you don't see them they don't exist. But they do, 365/366 days of the year not just one Christmas Day. Goodwill to all men, but only on Christmas Day. We have a lot of charities that ask for donations, but very rarely are they for the homeless.

They tend to bring it up more at Christmas because people tend to be more generous at Christmas.

In the US it sort of starts in mid November, leading up to our Thanksgiving celebrations and our focus on gluttony. We do hear about it more then because it does play on our sympathies.We may feel the tiniest bit guilty at having plenty and hope to assuage that guilt by giving. My suggestion to you, and anyone else concerned, is to find an organization that helps year around and support it with all of your heart. Spread the word, and express yourself. Our church runs a food pantry year round, we also voluntarily provide furnishings for people who have a roof but maybe nothing else. Whole families sleeping on floors.Diapers and infant formula, sometimes gasoline to drive to work or to the doctor. During Advent we also focus on an extra charity, either here or abroad in an Advent Conspiracy, which is joined nationwide by many churches and denominations. We have helped in our own country and we have also provided wells in Africa and filtering systems in Haiti and assistance to those who suffered from hurricanes in the US. Our special project for our own church this year is to raise funds to buy shoes for people in Haiti, because if you do not have shoes, you cannot go to school, if you cannot go to school you will never pull yourself out of poverty. Instead of paying to ship shoes, however, we are going to have an agent that we work with there buy shoes from local manufacturers to infuse money into the economy. I know, I am off topic now. My premise is that we can feel badly or we can do something. Even as one person, do something.

I think that your first responder says it eloquently. At Christmas time we acquire a veneer of humanity and compassion. I suppose this has its origins in the ordinariness of Christ's birth and the sentimental and nostalgic desire that we have for cosy fires in the grate and loving families sharing good things, Christmas comes in the middle of winter when the weather, at least in Europe, is at its worst and families huddle together. We like to think that nobody is left forgotten. The truth is that in every single town and city, villages too, there will be somebody alone this Christmas. A very few of them will be happy to be that way but the majority will simply be the victim of circumstances. A proportion of those people will also be homeless, Of course they are homeless all year round and fortunately there are charities about that will help them to the best of their ability. I feel quite strongly about this issue because in the past I have volunteered with Crisis at Christmas In London and the boss is a trustee of a local homeless charity. People are more likely to give at this time of the year than any other for the reasons I suggested above. The homeless, like the poor, will always be with us and the longer that I live the more I come to realise that that is a condition that will probably never be resolved satisfactorily.

It has always made me angry too. They, the people doing the good deeds, are always quick to blow their own horns. Talking about how they are feeding the hungry on christmas day. Well I hate to break it to them but those same people will be hungry the day after christmas too. Another thing. I know kids like to have toys, but I think it would be more productive to help a family pay the bills that keep them in a house with utilities going than worrying about what new doll or video game the kids need. Jesus said we would always have the poor with us. How about offering help year round instead of waiting for a special occasion.

Thanks for sharing this. It's very good for you to be sharing this thought.

Ah, yeah i have thought of this myself too. I knew a lot of people who are like this, who are always ready to be giving out and is actively participating only on holidays. The thought or idea was that because they want the kids, the old ones, to feel happy during this time.. especially this time of the year... it is also the same time that we all are feeling we have been very well blessed that we do need to share a bit of those blessings as well.

Its true that people are more likely to give to charities at Christmas that's why the show a lot of charity appeals on TV at this time of year.I suppose at Christmas we have nice food and drink in our warm houses and it makes us think about how lucky we are.This then makes us feel guilty that we don't do more to help those who are less fortunate than us.I know that's how I feel when the charity appeals come on TV especially if I have just finished a large Christmas dinner.

You make a good point. I help out at our church's food pantry, and from Thanksgiving through New Year's we always get a TON of donations, which is nice. But then during the rest of the year, especially in January-March, we get almost nothing and have to beg people to donate food. Many of the families we help go hungry because we can't get enough donations the rest of the year. It is wonderful when people are so generous around the holidays but I really wish they were as thoughtful the rest of the year. I think it is easier to remember others around Christmas, but it would mean even more in February!

Hey Janey, It's true that there are many homeless all aound the world. yet, it is during christmas especially that those who are homeless will be remembered. Because it is thanksgiving and christmas, it sort of reminds that we need to be kinder and be grateful and to try to help other. I think this is the reason why it is during such occassions like Christmas that the homeless are mentioned. I believe even during normal months, they are talked about too, but not so many people are bothered with them.

Perhaps it strikes some of Christians at Christmas that they are Godchildren and should do something for the homeless and other poor people.

I know. It bothers me but there is nothing I can do about it. I think most of us get complacent. We have a roof over our heads, food on the table and there is little thought about those who go without the most important of necessities. I had a short experience of being homeless and without a dime to my name. I couldn't even get a pack of sugar. I was treated like I was some kind if an animal. A stray dog probably got more compassion. It's a scary existence.

Perhaps we think of the homeless at Christmas in particular because in the back of our minds there is a degree of guilt about being a 'have' when there are so many 'have nots. around. Christmas brings this into stark contrast as we open presents we do not need and sit down to stuff ourselves full of food that we can hardly finish. Not everyone neglects the homeless, many put themselves out to help over the Christmas period and others help all the year round. Christmas is special because it is the time we celebrate God's gift of a Son to manking. Charity is special because we are told that if giving is prompted by love then it is greater than faith or hope without it.

Although giving and sharing should be whole round year but it's like giving more emphasized during Christmas because we celebrated it because of the birth of Christ and is the best teacher of the values like giving , sharing , loving and forgiving. That is why we most remember those homeless this season.

I think there are many reasons why people give a little bit more money during the "holiday season" (we need to be politically correct, haha). It is the end of the year. People tend to give a little bit more during this time frame. Why? You can still claim it on that years taxes. I think there is a little sense of some guilt. They are sitting around the xmas tree, opening up presents while sipping on egg nog while the movie "The Christmas Story" is on in the background, and someone thats homeless is sitting in the cold and having the potential of not eating anything. All the major holidays there is usually a higher amount of volunteers helping out and more people donating items and money. Like Thanksgiving, veterans day, memorial day and of course, XMAS.