USVI-On-Line

So after 8 trips to St John I saw something disturbing last month that has stuck with me and has me curious if this is a regular site.

As we were sitting in the ferry terminal in Cruz Bay, I noticed 2 men sitting in the surf on the taxi side of the bay. They were obviously very intoxicated. In fact, one got up and fell down into the water 3x prior to being successful at standing up and walking. This drew my attention to the area immediately to the left under the trees. I have never noticed this place before, but there were several people there sleeping or laying around with bags. Now, I am not naive. I know that even though this place is paradise to most of us, there are homeless people and crime etc. I was just curious if this is a regular site, and if so , how come the local police don't move them along to a place where the boatloads of impressionable vacationers are coming in to start their vacation. It was a sad moment that I couldn't tear my eyes away from.

there are many homeless persons about...(if i recall they do a homeless census there too) ..we picked up a woman hitching who was living in the bush by the dumpster at the end of gifft hill road -- she was an addict/alcoholic-- it was very sad. and then there are a LOT of very drunk tourists doing stupid crap...probably more of that!

I personally think it used to be worse. We always saw a few homeless people sleeping in Franklin Powell Park. They put "siderails" on the park benches with the renovation of the park. Even paradise has it's quirks...

Yes, there is a great deal of homeless folks in the islands. They are not criminals or bad people, perhaps if the vision of them tainted your view of paradise and the start of your vacation, then you should choose another island...like Mustique. But then, you might be looked down on there...you might not be a multi-millionaire.

I remember reading a post long ago by the local resident that said something along the lines of "STJ is a very hard place to live for folks with mental and addiction issues due to the lack of support services."

What PA Girl said is so very true.
Many people head to the islands to escape the real world, many times on their own with no support system.
It is very easy to get caught up in the "all day" drinking lifestyle which can lead to bigger addiction issues. I have seen it firsthand.
Then others that have mental issues can not get help for a variety of reasons.

I have never visited a place in the world that did not have homeless people. It is unavoidable, at least for the locations that I have visited. I have to remember that there is no perfect spot in the world. One man's paradise is another man's hell. It is the way life is. I can only do my part to make whatever small part I occupy, better.

Listen to Chessney's new song "Lindy" to give you some insight.

JIM

Addiction, mental illness and homelessness are a reality that affect some of our friends and family...count your blessings if you are not affected and move on. It's sad.

The area you are speaking of has been where several of St. John's homeless have congregated (and slept) for awhile now. Many of those folks used to sleep/congregate in the park. The police are very often on foot patrol in this area and keep an eye on the happenings in the vicinity. If anyone is belligerent and intoxicated they take care of it pretty quickly.

St. John can be a very difficult place for people who have any kind of addition or mental health issues. I know many of the homeless of Cruz Bay. It breaks my heart, and I have spent years struggling with the fact that I can not help someone who does not want to help themselves. So I do all that I can do and just treat them with the respect any human being deserves. There just are not enough resources on island to help some of these people get back on their feet and keep away from their demons.

I'm with stjohnjulie on this one.

I am also with st.johnjulie on this one, alcoholism and addiction is a terrible thing and some people cannot fight the demons within, I have witnessed this firsthand in my own family, it's very sad, you just have to remember these people have their own story and I feel we should not judge them. I just wish there were more resources to help them if they really wanted it.

She did say that it was a fantasy. This is the reality.

JIM

I guess I should clarify that when I said it disturbed me, I meant that it made me feel empathy for this group that I was watching. Not that is digusted me, or deterred me from wanting to return. In fact, I was discussing with my husband (whom is in the medical field) if we should go intervene and assist the 2 men out of the water since I was getting nervous that we were about to witness a drowning.
What I forgot to ask in the original post was, is there any food cupboard, meal programs ? I know alot of our local restuarants, and grocery stores will donate close to expiration or unwanted items to our soup kitchens.

Yes, the Catholic Church on St. John does feed the homeless two times per week, I think Friday's and Monday's? They are always looking for volunteers to help, but I agree with you that they need much, much more. I would contact Father Anthony at the church, he may know additional things you can do to help them especially with your husband having medical resources. I have learned that the services to any person with a disability or someone with mental health issues is virtually non-existent to most people and children in the islands.