Close Topic Options

Santa Claus Visited A Homeless Shelter In Denver!

Yeah...believe it or not, this guy was like Santa Claus for some of these people!!!

From CNN:

DENVER, Colorado (AP) -- Residents of Samaritan House didn't know what to expect when the bearded, middle-aged man parked his sport utility vehicle in front of the downtown homeless shelter Christmas Eve.

The man walked into the building, pulled out a thick roll of $100 bills and began passing them out to each of the approximately 300 residents.

When he was finished, he had given out $35,000.

"It was like seeing Santa Claus and God all at once," said William Chengelis, who has lived at the shelter since November. "You hear about stuff like that but you don't think you'll be there when it happens."

As a crowd gathered, the man said he had once been homeless and knew what it was like to be in need. He did not identify himself and said only that he lived in Denver and had also distributed money at a Las Vegas shelter....

https://www.cnn.com/2004/US/12/25/christmas...s.ap/index.html

Denver Shelter Homeless Visited Claus Santa

Seems to me this guy truly understands the true meaning of Christmas. Regardless of what his religious beliefs are, he truly had the proper Spirit with him this year. It is nice to know that not everyone forgets from where they came when they receive some measure of success.

Edited: tenaheff on 26th Dec, 2004 - 5:42pm

Santa Claus Visited A Homeless Shelter In Denver! Christmas

I read about this in several different places -- what a great thing to do! I sure hope that those who received are better off today for it. It's a really uplifting story.

Roz

Denver Shelter Homeless Visited Claus Santa

While I think the gentleman with the SUV has great intentions, I do not believe handing out $100 bills to people in a homeless shelter is the answer. I have sat across the street from shelters just to observe their behavior. I see them beg for food money. They collectively pool the money, run to the liquor store and buy alcohol and cigarettes with the money instead of food.

If you really want to help homeless people, I believe you should give them food, first aid, bathing supplies, clothing, blankets, interview suits, hair cuts, jobs, education, inspiration, motivation, morale. Teach them how to fish so they will eat for life. Giving them $100 bills is a noble gesture, but it's short-lived.

Denver Shelter Homeless Visited Claus Santa

Name: Son of Thunder

Comments: I would like to have met this Santa Claus so I could have invited him to help me with funeral arrangements for one of his recipients that overdosed. Not to mention the myriad of other problems this well intentioned generosity but ignorant behavior that wreaks unbearable temptations into the broken lives of these unfortunate and unprepared people.

Indubitably, Santa thought he was doing good works and probably feels very proud of himself about it, but he didn't do the benevolent act he intended. Please pardon me if I sound incisive, but I am very entrenched in this matter. My hope is simply to convey the message that giving money to a homeless person whom one knows nothing about can be very damaging. If one wishes to help the homeless, do the same homework one would do if one were investing the money for oneself. Look for advice from someone that has built a relationship with the homeless that one wishes to invest in to get an honest assessment. Or easier yet, give to charitable organizations that help the homeless, and please do your homework on those too, many are administratively heavy and don't do what they say they do.

P.S. God bless you Santa for the sentiment, but please, I beg you, find people less fragile to get your once a year Christmas jollies out on.

Source 1: I'm a Chaplain who's been working with the homeless for six years.