Bitten by offer of help

Re: Lyndsey Wyse's letter, titled "fix a life"

If we all pitched In a little, we could do a lot. Let me tell you my story.

I own a commercial building in town.

I helped a person who was obviously homeless. She needed to charge her phone to contact her partner. It was dark, and I guess she was to meet up with partner for the night. I helped her out.

After talking about her situation, lack of money, nowhere to live, I offered her a casual landscape job.

She showed up the next day to work, and I was impressed. She knew what she was doing. What kind of trees, how to shape them, etc.

I paid her cash at the end of the day, hoping she would be back the next day to do more. I felt like I was giving a homeless person a leg up and maybe a nudge in the right direction.

The next day, she showed up with her partner and willing to work. She did well, but the guy just wanted to charge their phones. So I let them.

Again, I paid them cash for their day's work. Right after I paid them, a fellow showed up on a bicycle for a quick visit. (A drug deal, I think).

I was happy with the work they did. I thanked them and even let them use my shop shower. It was a great gesture, I thought.

Two days later, I had to call bylaw and RCMP to get them off my property.

I showed up to work to see two shopping carts, a couch, two mattresses, a small table and tons of drug paraphernalia. It cost me $50 to go to landfill to get rid of it. 

So go ahead and offer a homeless person a hi, but be careful how far you take it.

Mike Bell, Vernon