[Epic 4G General] lynyrd65:
You guys should read his story about shopping at the super market before a winter storm. I have known many people who have had wrongs done against them and live in poverty due to chance or because of what others have done to them. One of these people left a real impression on me and I probably won't be able to retell his story very well but this is what I remember.

Last summer I had serve some community service hours to pay for a scholarship I got from my tribe. I chose to serve those hours at the John 3:16 mission in the poor side of town. While I was there I cleaned up the areas where the homeless people slept at night along with several permanent residents in the mission. These people were called "students" and they worked to get off of drugs and take classes in theology and various other things.

Over the course of working there I had the unique opportunity of meeting a particularly abused individual who was in their program, I'll refer to him as Jeff. Jeff seemed cheerful enough and always loved to joke around about everything. I came to find out he had been abused consistently since he was five years old (he is now in his 20's). One of the other residents liked to joke around about the shape of his head then he told us without even a hint of anger that it was because he had been hit in the back of head with a baseball bat by his father when he was five. He would later tell me many other stories about how he had fathered a child with a woman who didn't care about the child. The mother ran off with the child and wouldn't let him see her. He later came to find out his child had died (I didn't ask for any details, he was raining tears as he told me about all this).

Eventually he decided to move in with the only family he had left (deadbeat uncle) who also gave him crap and frequently took advantage of his position. Eventually the constant abuse was too much so he left the town his uncle lived in, on foot, and walked all the way to Tulsa, (over 100 miles). Eventually after wandering around he found John 3:16 and began the program. I am glad for him and hope that others like him will find refuge there.

Having said all this I do have one issue I can't ignore. Many people who ask you for money only do it to be lazy (Not you OP) and take advantage of nice people. Let me give you an example.

I was at a gas station a couple months ago and a guy, (who made sure I wasn't looking when he snuck up on me), walked up and asked me if I support African Americans, (oh boy.....), and told me he and his buddy were out of gas and had no money, then asked me for money. He was close enough to me to be able to knife me and he had snuck up in such a way that out of fear (not compassion). I gave him my money. I didn't feel good about giving it to him and felt I did more harm than good to that man by giving him that money. Jeff never asked me for anything.

I don't know if you guys believe in God or not but one thing that we are always taught is not to judge and to help people if they ask for help. At the same time, I think we aren't called on to necessarily give people in need what they want but what they need. In the case of the guy at the gas station, I would love to do something to help him get out of the cycle he's in but I don't know how. I think that if you can figure out a way to help a person even if you do something for them they don't necessarily want, you have done the right thing.

Too often people are quick to misjudge the poor and underprivileged. I have had everything given to me in my life and have never really had to worry about basic necessities or dealt with real pain but having known others who were afflicted with disease or just bad luck, I know that I should be thankful.

Next time you have a chance to really help someone in need don't let it slip. Many people need the help and I know if I were in their position I would appreciate it.

Sorry if this appears a little unrelated to autism.....