As Homeless Line Up for Food, Los Angeles Weighs Restrictions, by Adam Nagourney, The New York Times

http://tinyurl.com/qzqthlb

On the day when many of us are concentrating on bringing our families together and giving thanks, we are reminded that many will go without with what many consider the normal Thanksgiving “feast.” TV commercials show families sitting around the table. For weeks, cooking shows have concentrated on giving us dozens of ideas for new twists on how to cook those sweet potatoes and new recipes for cranberry relish.

Cities and towns across the country provide a city-wide Thanksgiving dinner open to anyone who wants to come.  In other cities and towns, free meals are provided for the homeless. Many families and individuals will not sit around the table and carve a turkey today. They simply cannot afford that luxury. They may be homeless or unemployed – or both.

But for many, attracting the homeless and needy to their neighborhoods or other areas of a city is a problem. Many homeless are mentally ill. The question of where the line is drawn becomes a hot issue.

People want to help, but they do not want the homeless to become squatters or a blight in their neighborhoods. This article attempts to tackle the issues of cities with a high homeless population and present both sides. It is a difficult and complex problem with no easy answer. CCE