Do we see these People?

I read two articles today that made me question my self, Do we see these people? The first one was about veterans, the homeless ones, who show up some times near traffic stops here, where we erase our guilt by giving a dollar or some food. I have settled to give my lunch away, 'cos it is hard to see those hungry faces. And I don't know where the money will go if I give a dollar. But you see that here and there but do we really see?
I have no answer but I will direct you to these two articles, so you might find some answers.

1.U.S. vets from Iraq war emerge at homeless shelters
U.S. veterans from the war in Iraq are beginning to show up at homeless shelters around the country, and advocates fear they are the leading edge of a new generation of homeless vets not seen since the Vietnam era.

"When we already have people from Iraq on the streets, my God," said Linda Boone, executive director of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. "I have talked to enough (shelters) to know we are getting them. It is happening and this nation is not prepared for that."

2. Poverty in USA
For the fourth consecutive year, the poverty rate and the number of Americans living in poverty both rose from the prior years. Since 2000, the number of poor Americans has grown by more than 6 million. The official poverty rate in 2004 (the most current year for which figures are available) was 12.7 percent, up from 12.5 percent in 2003. Total Americans below the official poverty thresholds numbered 37 million, a figure 1.1 million higher than the 35.9 million in poverty in 2003. (U.S. Census Bureau, Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2004)

Both these resources came from, TCRNews.

Tags: poverty in America, Veterans, Homeless