Just heard about this web site on the radio - 1410am.

http://www.homelesspartners.com/

This sounds like a really good idea...I'm always looking for ways to help the homeless in one way and another. I know that some homeless prefer to stay where they are etc. etc. and that this may stir up a hornets' nest of differing opinions.

O.K. - off you go, but I hope we don't need pop corn!

If you want to support the local poor why not give to the Sally Ann? I do because the only charities I see actually doing something outside are them and the Ashwinabwe Support Centre. I don't know what the efficiency ratio for the latter is nor if they'll deal with everyone. When I'm feeling especially generous I steal from the United Way (inefficient, disgusting marketing, payer of huge salaries to failed political candidates) collection box and give the funds to the Salvation Army.

Give loads to the Sally Ann - thankfully there are a lot of collection boxes around here. Plus, every year I put a note on my Facebook page telling friends in the U.K. that:
"Once again we are only sending Christmas Cards to family while supporting charities here and abroad". It cost us 37 pounds for all of the cards to the U.K. our first year here, so we've done it ever since.They seem to appreciate the idea and it seems to be spreading among our friends too.

A friend of ours is a supervisor for the christmas kettles in this area and sadly he tells us that funds are well down on last year.

I saw less kettles this year, I usually shove $20 in each time I go to the liquor store but several times there wasn't one.

Gawd - that livestock of yours must be lucrative!

Sally Army or Yonge Street Mission.

There was a Sally Army woman at Costco. She was stunningly beautiful, uniform was tightly fitted, hair swept back, the whole look was reminiscent of Sister Sarah in Guys and Dolls.

She had major $$$ in her kettle, you would have parted with more than $20 I think.

Salvation army is one of the three charities I try and support as actively as I can.

I saw fewer this year as well, not to mention the slowing economy apparently made donations of money and food fall a fair amount over previous years.

I generally give money every month, but have had to cut down due to reduced income and work.

I always give to the homeless either money or I will buy a sandwich 'n' coffee (depends if I am in a rush). However, quite a few remarks have been made from passers-by that I shouldn't give them anything?

Good on you Tracie you carry on i don't always agree with giving money to homeless, but food and drink yes, i gave some food and some dog food to some poor guy a few days ago ( he has a dog ) i see him around a lot, i asked him if he was okay he smiled and said i am now.

We give to a few charities every month, I noticed a new advert by Salvation army here last night on TV asking for a one off donation of £19.00 to get people off the streets,

is the 'big issue' in canada? i ask, as i always give to the big issue people but i rarley take one of the magazines; they can then sell 'mine' again to someone else........years ago, 'been there, done that and rarely had a t-shirt'....hubby always buys chocolate for the homeless in vancouver; it's not something that they are likely to buy with the little money that they have, so it's a very welcome 'treat'......

The Big Issue was a great idea back home - there were many homeless people who sold them and got back into society, but I've never seen it here.
I once bought one from a man in Newcastle then found that I'd given him the last cash I had - could have sworn I had a tenner in my wallet! Anyway - had no fare for the Metro and had to ring for a lift home - duh!

i guess the assumption that "every homeless has chosen this lifestyle, is just to lazy to work and taking advantage of all us hardworking guys" is quite spread in parts of canadian society (heard sentences along those lines more than once in the wake of victoria's "tent city" being in the headlines). in the eyes of those passers-by you encourage the homeless's "asocial behaviour" by giving them something.

There is a type of "Big Issue", at least in downtown Toronto but how successful, I've no idea. Homelessness and begging has been an issue in Toronto for a number of years now and attempts have been made to eliminate, but to no avail. I must admit for quite some time I took exception to such people but about 10 years ago I decided to be as non-judgmental as possible for me, and give when I came in contact with them.
Like dbd33 I almost never pass a Sally Ann kettle. They do great work with the homeless and less-privileged members of our society.