Hi 👋,
I live part-time in Exeter. When I'm out and about in town, I often see homeless people sitting, sometimes with their hats out asking for donations. I know some of these homeless people may use the money for drugs, alcohol and/or smoking, but I still donate to them frequently. I also donate to Pret's charity for the homeless and St Petrock's sometimes...
The homeless people are human beings. They are sentient beings, as are their dogs most likely. They deserve kindness, compassion and metta, to be treated as people/dogs. There are kind people who donate to the homeless. However, Exeter City Council are/were allowing the vandalism of their stuff and the criminalisation of homeless activities, such as sleeping rough. This should not be done.
We kindly demand that the Council:
* Provide more public showers 🚿 and toilets 🚽, for those who are homeless, in need and the public where safe and appropriate, without destroying too much wildlife habitat or doing any deliberate harm (do the least harm possible).
* More investment into food donations for the homeless and the needy (e.g requiring that all supermarkets/grocery stores, petrol/diesel stations, bakeries, butchers*, fishmongers*, greengrocers, restaurants, cafes, food stalls and any other food selling businesses donate all unwanted food that is usable and unwanted, and putting up more sustainable posters encouraging people to donate unwanted, usable to food banks, the needy and the homeless, putting out radio adverts encouraging the same).
* More effort and money put towards providing the homeless and the needy who want/need new homes 🏡 with good, suitable housing (renovating old houses and buildings into good, suitable houses, creating services helping the homeless and needy and their animals get housing/apartments for cheaper rent and/or other costs, turning old buildings into good, suitable shelters for the homeless and the needy, no unnecessary destruction of wildlife habitat or deliberate harm done).
* Supporting the provision and donation of dog 🐶 food and/or other animal food, bedding, toys, leads, collars, cleaning equipment, brushes and other care equipment to the homeless and needy who have animals.
* Promoting the donation and distribution of suitable clothing and bedding for the homeless and needy, baring the weather in mind!
* Supporting the provision and donation of toiletries 🧴(preferably cruelty-Free, vegan and/or secondhand but unused).
* More support for services helping the homeless and needy get off of drugs, alcohol and smoking, and the creation of more of these services.
* More support for the homeless to use other facilities, such as libraries, churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, meditation 🧘♀️ centres, yoga 🧘♀️ centres, gyms, etc.
Homeless/needy families with children 👶 in this country are given more effort for housing. We need to treat the young adult, adult, elder and non-human homeless and needy with almost if not just as much consideration.
Please do whatever you can ethically and within reason to help the homeless and needy humans and non-humans of Exeter and Devon!
