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The power's been out for hours, & probably will be for the rest of the night.
Helped a family on the way back from a second walk while waiting for power (it's Saturday night; repair will take a beat). They're fresh from Venezuela, 2 weeks here, & stood out because like most newcomers they were skittish of other street folk. I encouraged the mum to talk to the other street moms & showed her the best values at the discount store while she talked about adjusting to begging. Not an easy transition.
One tell-tale sign of a newcomer is that they'll beg by telling you that they're not thieves, not trying to trick anyone; they just want to eat.
And you'll look up & down the long line of mums out with their babies, the elderly, the disabled, the down-and-out youth, & think incredulously... no one here is trying to thieve by begging with candies. Everyone's just trying to eat.
But they haven't fully adjusted yet.
They will.
They always do.
But being looked at like scum when in need is *hard*.