I felt compelled to respond to this thread because of a predominant attitude about homeless people. There are many misconceptions people have about homeless people, not unlike those of some of the far-right with "get a job" attitudes.
Homeless people can look very normal. They can live in cars like those who lost their home in the real estate bubble; they can live under bridges in cardboard boxes because they don't want to sleep in a large room with others or endure proselytizing sermons/speeches; they can live in bivouac-like areas with shelter only from the rain (like some vets I've met who prefer being on their own instead of in a state-supported facility); they can migrate from one friend's sofa to the next, as some of the teens I've met at our youth center. They don't all stink (some do, as I've uncomfortably experienced on a downtown bus), they don't all wear ragged clothes; in fact, they make use of clothing donations so they can retain some semblance of normality.
One of the eye-opening programs I volunteered to support was a homeless/hunger awareness opportunity for teens. You would never know some of the teens we encountered were homeless--they had iPods, backpacks, funky clothes with the typical tears, piercings, tattoos, dyed hair... Some only sought support for meals at the local agencies geared to help teens, some willingly accepted bedding when temperatures dropped below freezing. Truth is, homelessness exists all over, even in middle America Minneapolis or Des Moines, or Edmonds, Washington. People don't like to recognize the truth because their towns/cities are progressive and not at all like deteriorating cities like Detroit.
Jamie may or may not be/have been homeless...I can't definitively judge that. He does look like one of the two kids I just took to Costco to pick up food for their house--an add-on cabin at a friend's grandmother's house that keeps them from being shelterless.
There are many who are borderline homeless because of the housing bubble, or because of major medical expenses that have eaten up their life savings, or because they're victim to the continual downsizing at many companies. I don't criticize those who have opinions of the less fortunate, because I had similar opinions about seven years ago.
Think of the food donation bins at the stores--what kind of food do you see? Top Ramen because it's cheap? Because 'those people' will eat anything because they're hungry and grateful to eat anything? Are those people not similarly deserving of good nutrition? Yet the attitude so many have, that I used to have, is that providing bulk cheap items is better than donating fewer higher-priced items. People without much discretionary income enjoy treats as well, whether it's an occasional ice cream bar, cake mix with frosting, or meat that isn't canned.
Next time you feel compelled to make statements about homeless people, consider volunteering with various programs that deal with this very issue. It may be eye-opening, because many are so close to needing assistance. That could be your neighbor, your coworker, the person that serves you at a fast food joint, your elderly person you see shopping at Goodwill Industries...
You just never know...