Do You Give To The Homeless?

[Venomous 18,813]

This upcoming Christmas, my family intends to guve to a homeless shelter

[Sky Knight 1,172]

I may as well join them, I pretty much have no money.

[cider float 2,535]

It's a tragedy when they're not really poor or when they act up for not getting enough.

 

 

Edited July 27, 2015 by cider float

[Guest90210 3,567]

If you are at a point where you have nothing at all, then you need to start getting that back. That doesn't mean asking for donations so you can buy new clothes, a phone, and a penthouse -- that means doing labor so you can afford the necessities and start working your way back up.

 

Good luck getting hired by a company without clean clothes, a phone, money, a house, an education, friends & family, or any other resources. It isn't as easy as plucking a job out of the job tree. A homeless person may have only a portion, sometimes none, of these things.

 

 

I don't know or care how they got in their situations. Unless I personally know them and I'm given damn good reason I'm not giving anything to anyone. Especially since I live in a place where most people asking for money are likely just using it for drugs.

 

I boot beggars off my parking lot at work all the time. They look perfectly healthy.

 

Not to mention sometimes they shove their hands in my face asking for money like I owe it to them. Fuck that.

 

Your attitude towards the homeless is very disheartening. Remember that the homeless are human beings too. You not knowing their situation is exactly the reason they don't deserve to be treated like dirt. Maybe begging is all they have left to do. How can you possibly know they're going to use the money on drugs? Second, can you honestly say you've never wasted money before? Third, it's a common misconception that all homeless people look completely beat up. This isn't the case. A lot of the time, they look like average people. Put yourself in their shoes.

Edited July 27, 2015 by Rivendare

[Blake of Gilead 140]

It's a tragedy when they're not really poor or when they act up for not getting enough.

 

 

This, right here, describes the "homeless" where I live.

 

I'd give to the homeless, except the ones who ARE SUCH FAKERS!

[Biggybrony 244]

Lets go easy on the judgements here people. As much as some of you may not like it people have expressed some valid reasons not to give directly to the homeless. They have every right not to do so and I don't want to see them getting harshly criticised for something they've made a logical decision not to do.

 

Well that's just downright draconian! It's "anti-social" to ask for help?! And even if it is considered such, anti-social behavior should be outlawed?!

 

It's more of a case of people feeling intimidated and pressured to give away money when they don't want to.

That is, to me, a misguided mentallity. Who are you to judge the homeless? You don't know their backstory or intentions. Besides, how many times have you yourself or others you know spent money on things that weren't necessary?

 

I don't think anyone here has the judgement of 'You are homeless and therefore only going to buy drugs'. The phrase 'you don't know their backstory or intentions' goes both ways. No, you don't know their intentions. They could be innocent and smart and using it to feed themselves or they could be addicts, fakes or scammers, ready to either trick or be back in the exact same situation the next day. You simply don't know and it's a risk you run by giving away.

 

Also I spend money on unnecessary things because I can afford to take risks. I would hope that anyone in a far worse situation would be smarter than that.

If you are at a point where you have nothing at all, then you need to start getting that back. That doesn't mean asking for donations so you can buy new clothes, a phone, and a penthouse -- that means doing labor so you can afford the necessities and start working your way back up.

 

I don't give money to beggars because there are plenty of opportunities in my environment for them to make their own honest money.

 

Is that really true? There would probably be a lot more problems in the world that could be solved if anyone could just waltz in and immediately get a job. Unemployment is a problem within the non-homeless as well. There is competition. In any job, what reason is there to give a job to a beggar than anyone else. Unless he has some very specialist skills, he is forever going to be surrounded by the stigma of untrustworthyness and undesirabilty that beggars have and has no chance of competing against others.

[Gaviera 52]

Every time I pass one, if I have a peso or five, I hand 'em some coins. If I don't, and I have food, I'll share it with them. I like to think that all my donations have been well spent. I am very trustful, I guess.

 

I just couldn't live with myself if I just passed on by without noticing or doing something for them. Worst case scenario, they'll use it on drugs. It's tragic, that a human life be wasting their lives like that, but I couldn't possibly know. But, I don't blame them. Having had an addiction before (and having relapsed recently), I can completely understand wanting to have something bad even though it's ruining your life just because it's there, plaguing all of your thoughts, not being able to think of anything else without it popping into it. An escape, if only temporary. It's a vicious, and frustrating and depressing cycle, and it's sad that they are in it, but, if not from you, they would get the cash from somewhere else, like mugging. 

 

Better, and what I think, is the most common scenario, is that you're donating to someone that needs the help for food and water. If I just walked by them and decided not to donate on the off chance that they might be using it for more questionable things, I'd be denying someone food. If I were in his situation, I would greatly appreciate it. We've gotta take care of each other, us ordinary people. The probability of it being towards a good cause, plus the amount of help a donation is to a good cause vs throwing your money into a hole of tragic indulgence is enough for me to be fairly certain that I've done a lot more good than I could have done harm.

 

A thing I can recommend for anyone that doesn't agree with me on this one is- just buy them something from a convenience store. Some fresh shit. I don't get this opportunity all the time, but when I have food on me, and I see someone that seems to be homeless, I share it with them. You do that, you can be sure you're not possibly throwing your money away. If you don't have extra coins or food, I find that a lot of homeless people appreciate a good cigarette. I don't smoke myself, just keep them for my friends and occasionally, the homeless, though, I don't want to give them only cigarettes obviously, 'cause they need some fuckin' food.

 

So, still strong on giving them cash and, if you've got it on you, food.

 

Help a brother/sister out.

[Galen 1,353]

Give to homeless shelters. NEVER give to homeless people directly, especially since like you say, some of them are posers. I know from personal experience a lot of them prefer to use the money they get for drugs, and by personal experience I actually refer to the brief period I was homeless (tho that was in Canada, not the UK, and homeless people there are actually more honest to some extent).

There's a number of charities in the UK which provide for homeless people, one in particular named Shelter that I give donations to at the end of each year. It's a much better way to give to homeless people because that way you know your money's going toward providing for them in the right manner.

Another trick I picked up when I was in Canada is also to see how homeless people act. Generally, it's the more vocally desperate ones for money that want it to get their fix. The more quiet ones are generally the safer bet, tho I'd still recommend donating to shelters rather than giving to people directly.

[Gaviera 52]

Another trick I picked up when I was in Canada is also to see how homeless people act. Generally, it's the more vocally desperate ones for money that want it to get their fix. The more quiet ones are generally the safer bet, tho I'd still recommend donating to shelters rather than giving to people directly.

 

Hey, I picked up on that too! This is in Mexico, though, but the same seems to go. I donate anyway if I'm unsure, but there are a lot of cases where you're one hundred percent certain that the issue isn't food or water or shelter, and they just want a fix.

Edited July 27, 2015 by Gaviera

[Incognito Bandito 73]

Some homeless people have a... how should i put this? An illness. They are addicted to their poor state and therefore cannot bring themselves to find a better alternative, even if they can. Why should i give to those who only wish to take?

[Tsukuyomi-MLP 33]

I live in Hawaii and here, homelessness is a BIG issue. Hell, from what I understand cost of living is so high that if you don't have a decent paying job you could still very well wind up homeless even if you do have a job. It doesn't help that the city and county of Honolulu is taking a "hide the problem from the tourists and pretend it doesn't exist" approach towards homelessness rather than actually trying to solve the issue by passing a few laws that effectively criminalize homelessness. That said, that's an entirely different issue that I'm not sure is very related to the OP.

So, getting back to the topic at hand, while under normal circumstances I would give to the homeless, whether or not I actually give depends on the person. Let's just say there are plenty of homeless here in Hawaii whom I don't want to be anywhere near for reasons of personal safety.

 

That said, there are a LOT more homeless people who are just honest people trying to live another day. My mom works at a public elementary school where some of her students are homeless so she sees this literally every day that she works.

 

So, rather than money I'd much rather give things like food.

 

That said, I'd much prefer giving to a charity over giving directly to a person. Mainly because when you give to a charity chances are you're helping a LOT of people, but when you give to an individual you're only helping that one person (and even then, only for a short period of time). Course, I will acknowledge not all charity's are good charity's, but that's a discussion for another topic entirely.

[Lisa 5,552]

Ya, I give my scrap change to homeless people, street performers and charities.

 

Change can be scrap now..?

"Spare" is the word.

______________

 

Anyway, no, because I've never seen a homeless person. If I did see one, one day, I wouldn't give them money. 

Why?

Because I'm a horrible person.

[Galen 1,353]

Some homeless people have a... how should i put this? An illness. They are addicted to their poor state and therefore cannot bring themselves to find a better alternative, even if they can. Why should i give to those who only wish to take?

 

This is a blatant generalization if I ever saw one. Not every homeless person is like what you say. Trust me, I've been there.

[Lisa 5,552]

Some homeless people have a... how should i put this? An illness. They are addicted to their poor state and therefore cannot bring themselves to find a better alternative, even if they can. Why should i give to those who only wish to take?

 

They're not addicted to their state of homelessness, freezing in the cold weather or melting in the hot, begging people for money each day. The reason they're not seeking a better alternative is because they either don't know how to; no one has told them, or they just can't because it's too hard.

[09thRoad 104]

I don't give money to beggers/homeless people. There are far too many peddlers, scam artists, and drug addicts in my region. Instead, I offer to buy them a meal in exchange for their story. I've met some interesting characters from these experiences.

[Invincible 2,090]

Some homeless people have a... how should i put this? An illness. They are addicted to their poor state and therefore cannot bring themselves to find a better alternative, even if they can. Why should i give to those who only wish to take?

 

Agreed. In several instances where a homeless person asked me for some change to purchase a piece of food, i have found myself unable to give them money because i had none. I did offer some food i carried with me, and they turned it down (one time they took it and violently threw it on the ground).

 

Some are indeed poor; but i agree that there exist a population of non-poor homeless people who are simply parasites leeching off of innocent people. They are nothing but drug-mongers and drunken waste. I stopped dealing with these type long ago.

[Incognito Bandito 73]

This is a blatant generalization if I ever saw one. Not every homeless person is like what you say. Trust me, I've been there.

that's not a generalization, I've clearly began my post with the word "some"

 

They're not addicted to their state of homelessness, freezing in the cold weather or melting in the hot, begging people for money each day. The reason they're not seeking a better alternative is because they either don't know how to; no one has told them, or they just can't because it's too hard.

 

look above

[javaleen 144]

Romania is flooded with beggars. Most are just people who would rather beg than get a paying job, there's also some who are being forced to beg by other people and not only get nothing from it but also are basically enslaved into it (in which case I think it's best not to encourage the practice by giving what they want). I've often ran into people refusing anything but money or receiving food/drink/cloth/anything else and throwing them away which I find very rude and obvious to them not really being in any trouble but just begging instead of working.

 

So no, I don'r give to beggars.

 

I will ocassionally tip a good street performer or share my lunch with someone who's obviously dead hungry... in the summer I often even give up my water bottle when the case. Got to see pretty upsetting sights like that. 

 

Like once I met what looked like a runaway teen. She just sat next to me in the bus and said nothing. I realized she must be very thirsty because she picked a bottle some jackass threw on the floor and tried to down the few drops left in... so I have her every drop of food and water I had on me. I felt bad that some of it was very packaged and I couldn't help her open it, but she managed eventually. Didn't talk at all. It was heartbreaking especially since I couldn't help any more.

So yeah... beggars. No. I don't give them shit. But if I see someone in obvious need, yes, I help them.

[Galen 1,353]

 

 

that's not a generalization, I've clearly began my post with the word "some"

 

Yet you refuse to have anything to do with any of them at all based on your observations of some homeless people. So how are you not generalizing?

Yes, there are those homeless people who just beg money for their fix, but the best way around that is to see how desperately they beg or, much better yet, donate to shelters. The fact of the matter is there are people who're ligitimately in need of help. You and I can't always tell the difference between who needs help and you wants to satiate their fix, but that's what shelters are doing.

[Screw Loose 156]

Change can be scrap now..?

"Spare" is the word.

______________

 

Anyway, no, because I've never seen a homeless person. If I did see one, one day, I wouldn't give them money. 

Why?

Because I'm a horrible person.

Scrap metal, scrap change, all the same thing

[Incognito Bandito 73]

Yet you refuse to have anything to do with any of them at all based on your observations of some homeless people. So how are you not generalizing?

 

Yes, there are those homeless people who just beg money for their fix, but the best way around that is to see how desperately they beg or, much better yet, donate to shelters. The fact of the matter is there are people who're  in need of help. You and I can't always tell the difference between who needs help and you wants to satiate their fix, but that's what shelters are doing.

Nope, read my post, I've never said that I 'refuse to have anything to do with any of them at all' as you've put it; On the contrary, I've merely asked why should I care for those who only take?

[Galen 1,353]

Nope, read my post, I've never said that I 'refuse to have anything to do with any of them at all' as you've put it; On the contrary, I've merely asked why should I care for those who only take?

 

All the while not mentioning that you don't mind to give to those who are actually in need. Which is why it makes me think you're implying those who only take are basically every homeless person and thus why want nothing to do with them. It's fine if you don't want to have anything to do with it, I'm just wondering what your reasoning is.

[Incognito Bandito 73]

All the while not mentioning that you don't mind to give to those who are actually in need. Which is why it makes me think you're implying those who only take are basically every homeless person and thus why want nothing to do with them. It's fine if you don't want to have anything to do with it, I'm just wondering what your reasoning is.

 

It was a question not a statement, I've only talked about those who take for the sake of maintaining their lazy lifestyle, of course I would help those in genuine need but without a proper way to discern I don't see how, nor do I have the time to assess every single homeless person I meet, I haven't mentioned a lot of scenarios that don't  make it right to assume my position from something I have yet to discuss.

Edited July 27, 2015 by Incognito Bandito

[Jokuc 8,172]

I don't really care much about them and I never give money to them for two reasons. 1. Because I don't like to give people I don't know stuff for free (except for hugs and kisses :3 ) 2. Because you hear from the newspapers and stuff that they're controlled by other people and the money won't go to them either way cause often someone else will take it.

[Standard User 2,127]

 

 

Good luck getting hired by a company without clean clothes, a phone, money, a house, an education, friends & family, or any other resources. It isn't as easy as plucking a job out of the job tree. A homeless person may have only a portion, sometimes none, of these things.

 

 

I'm not talking about some white-collar job or something that pays more than $10 an hour. Again, in my area, farming is a big thing, and unskilled seasonal workers are always desired. Is there still competition? Sure. But it's a job that isn't impossible to get.