This is the saddest thing I have seen in a long time.
A girl carrying a sign written on a piece of cardboard that says she is pregnant and needs help.
Unfortunately for me, I was waiting for my son and so I was in my car watching her as she held her sign in front of the many people leaving Church after my Mass. The longer I sat and watched, the more heartbreaking it seemed...but I am a hardened New Yorker/Angeleno and things like this are not to be acted on.
What I wanted to do, is go up to her and ask why she was doing this?
How hard is it to get some help from the many sources we have here in Santa Clarita. The homeless shelter, for one.
That is why I did not approach her. Chances are, it's a scam of some sort and I really don't need that in my life.
But why do I keep asking myself, What would Jesus do?
Sigh...
I know the feeling. IF it's genuine you want to help, to do something, but unfortunately there are reasons (as you indicate) to suspect things may not be what they appear.
ReplyDeleteIn a perfect world there would be no scam artists and people "working angles" and you'd be able to trust and take things at face value. Then again, in a perfect world a person wouldn't end up pregnant, homeless, and alone either.
I sympathize. It's one of those situations where you probably end up feeling a little guilty no matter what you do (or don't do). There's no clear and obvious "right" decision. And I can't sit here on the opposite coast and offer any answers either.
Sigh, indeed...
SOMEbody in that Catholic church parking lot should have told her to go to the rectory, where they should have been able to put her in touch with something like BirthRight, if they don't actually have a parish program to help pregnant women. Our parish actually has a program where parishioners offer their homes to women who are pregnant and need a place to go. The parish helps with their board costs and assists in putting them in touch with the appropriate services.
ReplyDeleteEither she takes the person up on that (she's legit), or she doesn't (it's a scam)
Piglet, you are so right. Seriously, how tough is it to find a Priest on a Sunday? Especially between Masses. They are basically begging to be talked to after Mass. :-)
ReplyDeleteDim Skip: I had 40 dollars and would have gladly given her some of that, but I just couldn't get past that "scam" feeling in my gut. I am no ones fool and I work too hard for the money I have, to just give it away to situations I don't know.
One of the ways to get to the freeway from work takes us to a U turn type situation. There is always someone there with a sign begging for money. I was once in a car with a friend and she opens her window and asks how the woman's teeth were doing and HANDS HER MONEY to fix her teeth. Say What? I couldn't believe it. You just KNOW the dentist will NEVER see that money, but the liquor store will... :-)
I know how you feel we have a lot of those in Modesto. It gets to you but there is always the though of it being a scam, my grandma once gave money to a guy & told him that Wendy's was right down the street & he disappeared so hopefully he got the food. Jesus would have given her money but we are human and we make mistakes :(
ReplyDeleteMeme: Yes, you are right, Jesus would have helped. I felt like I took a test and failed and more than that, I felt like the entire Church took a test and failed.
ReplyDeleteOh well, if she really needed help, chances are good that she eventually got some.