Ever see the same homeless person every day on your trip to work, and wonder a little more about him/her? (But maybe, are a little afraid to talk to him?)
Or, perhaps you have seen the same person on Lexington Avenue every day for years, and then suddenly stop seeing him. Then one day, you are
walking on Fifth Avenue and there he is. He's "relocated" without you ever knowing. Maybe he lost you as a donation giver because you didn't know he moved.
This web site (www.homelessdirectory.com, o.w.) will list all your favorite bums (by general area of residency), providing names, pictures, histories, habits ("preaches scripture at top of lungs from 10am to 11am outside Grand Central Station") and a bit of information about their families.
Anyone can post information on a homeless person. Simply log onto the site, search for your bum by zip code, and add an annotation to the existing database. The database keeps track of what day the person was "last seen", and where.
The myHomeless feature lets you quickly check the status of a collection of bums that you are following.
If you know a little more about the homeless people you pass on the street, you may feel inclined to give them a little more. Or a little less. The decision will be yours, but the information will help you choose.