By Tom Henderson • Staff Writer • 

Homelessness: Campers offer a view from the streets

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Comments

Sponge

While most of these people would prefer a better living situation, few of them are willing to take responsibility for their circumstances, nor are they willing to do the hard work to change their lives. They would rather express their umbrage at potential solutions that they consider insults to their dignity. We rarely see any of these people own up to the many poor choices they made on the road to homelessness.

Joel

As I was reading the first 1/3 of this story I couldn't help but think of something Henry Ford (or maybe it was someone else from that era?) said: "If you're looking for a helping hand, the best place to look is at the end of your own arm."

Stella

So two people here are from other places? One from Marion County and the other arrived two weeks ago.

With the nice weather they will flock from all over the Country. Word is out / McMinnville not only allows campers but we offer unlimited services including needles to keep it going 😁

OregonBorn

“How can they talk about a situation when they’ve not done one thing to help?”

One has to wonder how much she has helped herself rather then sounding like an smug, entitled vagrant.

The economy is the best it’s been in decades with PLENTY of work available.

Get a job.

Mike

"Oh I'm nuts, too," she said. "I'm completely nuts. I just have a good vocabulary." What a great quote. I hope Minor keeps a journal and tells her story some day.

Nick

From the comments here, there seems to be a lot of finger pointing at the homeless with no real solutions. Believe me, I see the eyesore of the camps in town, but finger pointing isn't a solution.
The police and justice system don't have the resources to police these encampments over every other call they receive. You can't jail people for homelessness and if you could there aren't the resources to do so.
From the comments here it appears they just want the homeless to somehow miraculously disappear but no one seems to be able to articulate how and where they should go.
What I see when I read the stories above from the homeless people is some people damaged by years of trauma from abuse etc. The research shows that people who have traumatic upbringings suffer forms of 'brain damage', which affects their growth and ability to process executive decisions that most of the take for granted.
The point I'm trying to make is there isn't a magic wand solution and just brushing it aside and hoping it disappears won't fix it either.

Stella

Nick

There is a huge difference between someone who is homeless and wanting help vs campers flocking here to live their lifestyle at our expense.

"Campers" is our problem. The economy is doing well and local businesses have job openings but the campers are not looking for a job or "affordable housing" they are here for the handouts.

Quit enabling. They will migrate North if services for out of town drug addicts is cut off or accept help When/IF we have a quality program to offer them get clean.

It might make you feel warm and fuzzy to donate to their cause, hand them a clean needle and clean up their waste but you aren't helping them change their life you are enabling them to live this lifestyle

Tuvey

"There's no good in demanding things that we obviously can't do for ourselves right now. We need help"
Until you can clean up after yourselves and patrol each other to make sure trash, needles and other drug oddities are no longer lying around You haven't proven that you're interested in help. Apparently you are a community. Help each other. Clean up with each other, form teams to do so. Show the rest of the world that you still have some sense of order and are worthy of help. And yes, I specifically chose the word "worthy", NOT entitled.

Rotwang

Want work? Move to Pennsylvania and start over. https://wnep.com/2019/05/03/workers-in-demand-in-central-pennsylvania/

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