# Dollar-store food for the homeless - good or bad? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 27, 2013, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569 "2013-02-27T23:23:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569/21 "2013-02-28T16:48:27Z")
I buy various items (both food products and toiletry items) to donate to the poor/homeless, and in the past, I have looked at items sold at dollar stores. What I’ve found is, it’s VERY rarely cheaper to buy these items from dollar stores. Now, your experience may be different from mine, but I’d advise you to check the prices of the items you buy against what you’d pay at a regular supermarket. That small can of Chef Boy-ar-dee spaghetti and meatballs or Libby’s fruit cocktail you got for 98 cents at the dollar store may actually be a little cheaper at a supermarket (or even a Target). Do NOT automatically assume everything at the dollar store is less expensive than what you can get elsewhere. Oh, dollar stores often have VERY cheap generic crap, but when they sell actual name brand products, they often DON’T sell them for any less money than you’d pay at ordinary supermarkets. ---
**Author:** ![FrankJBN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@FrankJBN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankJBN)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569/22 "2013-02-28T16:49:58Z")
As to “most homeless are employed”, probably not the ones that are begging on the street. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569/23 "2013-02-28T16:53:37Z")
> [@FrankJBN](#): > > As to “most homeless are employed”, probably not the ones that are begging on the street. In Indianapolis, very few of the people begging on the streets are actually homeless. ---
**Author:** ![coffeecat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coffeecat/32/3405_2.png) [@coffeecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffeecat)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569/24 "2013-02-28T17:06:10Z")
**ThelmaLou** , will you pray for my family & me? God will listen to you; I think you’re on His speed-dial. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569/25 "2013-02-28T17:13:48Z")
[Please](http://xfinity.comcast.net/slideshow/news-dollarstoredeals/18/) [don’t](http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/money/spending/deals-dollar-store-00100000068812/page12.html) buy [pet food](http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/everpet-dog-food/) at a [dollar](http://socialcafemag.com/dollar-store-deals-what-to-buy-and-what-not/) [store](http://www.naturalnews.com/025234_food_dog_store.html). ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569/26 "2013-02-28T17:15:03Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > In Indianapolis, very few of the people begging on the streets are actually homeless. There are homeless people, and there are panhandlers, and there are homeless panhandlers. Most homeless people aren’t panhandling. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569/27 "2013-02-28T17:18:10Z")
> [@coffeecat](#): > > **ThelmaLou** , will you pray for my family & me? God will listen to you; I think you’re on His speed-dial. Sure, especially because your screen name combines my two favorite things. P.S. I’m not sure God listens to me. That’s why I ask other people to pray. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569/28 "2013-02-28T17:18:47Z")
> [@bup](#): > > I have much more friendly advice: what the homeless really want are homes. They could really use homes. Obviously YMMV, and perhaps the homeless people you all encounter are a different variety than the ones I do, but it’s my experience that what they really want is booze and drugs. They would happily trade a home for either of those. ---
**Author:** ![coffeecat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coffeecat/32/3405_2.png) [@coffeecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffeecat)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569/29 "2013-02-28T17:43:43Z")
Some want homes, some want booze & drugs, some want better health, most want simple, human respect. I dare say druggies & crazies are overrepresented, but like the non-homeless, everyone’s different. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569/30 "2013-02-28T18:12:09Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > There are homeless people, and there are panhandlers, and there are homeless panhandlers. Most homeless people aren’t panhandling. Absolutely. There’s a local conservative talk radio guy who on Twitter was trying to drum up support for his latest anti-panhandling article, and said “99% of the ‘so-called’ homeless are just con artists”. He was referring to panhandlers. Now, a large percentage (certainly not 99%) of the panhandlers out there are not homeless - but that statement completely misrepresents the actual homeless population, the \*vast \*majority of which are not out on the streets begging for [del]food[/del] spare change. ---
**Author:** ![FrankJBN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@FrankJBN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankJBN)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569/31 "2013-02-28T18:58:08Z")
“Most homeless people aren’t panhandling” This is likely true. Howeveer, most panhandlers I see are wearing signs that say “homeless” ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569/32 "2013-02-28T20:52:45Z")
> [@FrankJBN](#): > > This is likely true. Howeveer, most panhandlers I see are wearing signs that say “homeless” And everyone in prison says that they’re innocent. Year after year, our local homeless count confirms that the panhandlers just aren’t showing up at shelters, and they’re not accessing services. That’s because they’re not homeless. I’ve seen shift changes at multiple panhandling locations. A car pulls up, a guy or girl gets out, the panhandler hands over his or her sign to the new guy, panhandler gets in the car, new guy or girl starts panhandling. Now, that doesn’t mean they’re not in need, and it doesn’t mean they’re not destitute. But I know multiple organizations I can support where the people absolutely are, and where they’re not lying to get those organizations’ assistance. They get my time and money. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569/33 "2013-02-28T21:06:56Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > I’ve seen shift changes at multiple panhandling locations. A car pulls up, a guy or girl gets out, the panhandler hands over his or her sign to the new guy, panhandler gets in the car, new guy or girl starts panhandling. There’s a big intersection near my work where I see different people on different days with the same sign. Never seen a “shift change,” but that’s kind of funny. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569/34 "2013-02-28T21:11:18Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > …One time, a tall, regal black man dressed in the shabbiest imaginable clothes stopped right then and there on the sidewalk, put his hand on my shoulder, raised his face to heaven, and invoked blessings on me so sincerely, eloquently, and passionately (and for several minutes) that the memory of it, even now, years later, brings tears to my eyes… That’s a lovely story. I wish I could have heard him. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569/35 "2013-02-28T21:18:06Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Fuck that. Nobody wants stank-ass bums hanging around in an otherwise clean-ish restaurant where people may bring families, and otherwise bathed, non-reeking people aren’t usually at. **bump** , McDonald’s provides a place for those “stank-ass bums” to wash up. And you do not have the legal, or any other, right to tell them to stay out. I once got some $1 boxes of drink mix on my food stamps. A total bitch in line behind me noticed my card and stated 'She shouldn’t be buying that on food stamps. She can drink plain water." I looked at her groceries and remarked “What’s with you and the four six packs of Coke?” ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569/36 "2013-02-28T21:18:32Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > And everyone in prison says that they’re innocent. That’s a popular misconception. Very few prisoners claim they’re innocent. \ ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569/37 "2013-03-01T13:37:20Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Fuck that. Nobody wants stank-ass bums hanging around in an otherwise clean-ish restaurant where people may bring families, and otherwise bathed, non-reeking people aren’t usually at. Yeah, but McDonald’s smells so bad that if a bum went in, it’d probably improve the smell. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569/38 "2013-03-01T14:37:59Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > **bump** , McDonald’s provides a place for those “stank-ass bums” to wash up. And you do not have the legal, or any other, right to tell them to stay out. Legal right, no. But I can’t say I blame him for not wanting to smell the person next to him. I don’t have the legal right to tell the “homo sex is sin” people to stop preaching on the sidewalks, but I would prefer they were not there all the same. > [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I once got some $1 boxes of drink mix on my food stamps. A total bitch in line behind me noticed my card and stated 'She shouldn’t be buying that on food stamps. She can drink plain water." > > I looked at her groceries and remarked “What’s with you and the four six packs of Coke?” I think the difference here is that she is paying for her cokes and what she does with her money is her business. Food stamps are provided on the taxpayer dime and it doesn’t seem unreasonable to me that the taxpayer would like food stamps spent on necessities (You occasionally here those stories about about someone using food stamps to buy lobster). Not that I think food stamps are a bad program or that you shouldn’t be able to buy drink mix with them, but the attitude that “you shouldn’t use food stamps for drink mix” and “I can use my own money to buy coke” is both rational and consistent, even if somewhat heartless. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569/39 "2013-03-01T16:28:22Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > **bump** , McDonald’s provides a place for those “stank-ass bums” to wash up. And you do not have the legal, or any other, right to tell them to stay out. Generally any business can refuse to serve such a customer. And if another customer complains they can ask them to leave. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569/40 "2013-03-01T18:53:07Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > **bump** , McDonald’s provides a place for those “stank-ass bums” to wash up. And you do not have the legal, or any other, right to tell them to stay out. I didn’t say to eject them, I just was saying not to encourage them to actively go to McDonald’s or somewhere else like public libraries where they don’t do anything useful and primarily pollute the place and disgust and/or terrify the legitimate patrons. I don’t give a shit if it’s a public place or not; smelling like some sort of combination of a dumpster and a public toilet at a football game isn’t acceptable anywhere other than your own home, and I see no reason that we should be tolerant of that or any other sort of misbehavior on the part of the homeless, just because they’re homeless. If they want to be treated like civilized people, they need to act and smell like civilized people- it’s part of the bargain. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-store-food-for-the-homeless-good-or-bad/651569.md?page=3)