Do homeless shelters or “soup” kitchens distinguish between the users and the def down on their luck people?
I’d go that way in giving. Seems like their administration people would know more than us on what should go to who
But really, do what you want to do, its a damn free country, right?
Listen up: Change the name, and the tale is told about you. I was out of work and damn near became homeless. All it takes is one bad break.
Most homeless and/or poor people are not druggies, lazy, or working a racket. Most are people who are broke, had a bad break, and trying to get back on their feet.
Treating a homeless person with dignity is one of the kindest things you can do. They are still a PERSON!
Hopefully none of these people badmouthing the poor and homeless and getting on your case for giving them money call themselves Christian.
If they do, it is you who should be shaming them for their shitty attitude toward people Christ himself commanded us to help.
It seems that a lot of people’s argument for not giving to the homeless or panhandlers is “they’ll just spend the money on booze.” So, don’t give them cash! Give them a gift certificate to a sandwich shop or someplace where they can buy themselves some food.
The main argument against giving to panhandlers is that panhandling is a bad way of helping those in need, in a lot of ways. Not least of which is that being importuned is annoying, particularly where they are persistent and aggressive: giving money encourages more of the same.
The fact that some percentage of them will spend it on booze or drugs is neither here nor there: to my mind it doesn’t matter why these folks have hit rock bottom, they still deserve help - just not necessarily in the form of individual hand-outs. Better to take that money and give it to professional charities, who presumably know best how to distribute it effectively to those who need it most, and not simply to those who are best at aggressively begging.
This exactly. I’ve had this discussion with a coworker who thinks it’s wrong to help street people. Some of her reasons have been “maybe they’re a horrible person who abused their children and that’s why they have nowhere to go”. My response is that I’m not responsible for anyone else’s actions but my own. I will never feel bad about giving someone in need a sandwich and a bottle of water.
It’s your money. You can do whatever you want with it. If your friends and family object, remind them with as much politeness as you can muster that it’s none of their business.
That said, when it’s my money I have mixed feelings about giving cash to the homeless. I’ve done it on more than one occasion, but I always wonder whether I might be doing more harm than good. When it’s your money only you can decide what is right, not your friends, not your family, and not a bunch of strangers on an Internet message board.
Just be grateful that your friends and family don’t expect you to beat or otherwise dissuade these homeless people from approaching you. Yet.
Also… I enjoy booze, why shouldn’t homeless people? Though more seriously (I was only half joking though), maybe they will, maybe they won’t. I don’t think it really impacts most people’s calculus though… they use it to justify why they don’t want to give the money. I mean if they were really concerned about boozing by the homeless, they’d just take that money and donate it to local homeless shelters/charities, right?
I rarely carry cash, but I generally don’t give to panhandlers but I will give to someone performing, even if it’s terrible. However, I will never condemn anyone for charity, even if that person straight up says they’re planning to buy booze with it. A well-intentioned gift is still exactly that and should be admired. By all means, when appropriate, have reasonable discussions about what is the best way to help people in various situations. Hell, I often inform people about how various well known charities for particular causes often have a better lesser-known alternative.
My advice, just do it, and who cares if they see it. If you believe you’re doing the right thing, defend your actions. It’s YOUR money and it’s YOUR morals, YOUR ethics, YOUR generosity, YOUR charity. I think you owe it to yourself to defend your actions if you believe strongly in it, and don’t be shamed into not giving just because they’re there. If they think there’s better ways to help them, fine. Let them put their money where their mouth is and donate to whatever charity or shelter or kitchen or whatever they think is better. Even better, offer to match their donation to what they think is better or invite them to volunteer some time with a charity and offer to match that with them too. Then they either have to give up because they’re actually not willing to give or volunteer which makes them a hypocrite, or because you’re still doing what they’re doing too which makes their criticism moot.
What is your point in giving the homeless money? Is it to help the homeless person or feel better about yourself? Does what you do really help the person?
If your goal is to help the homeless, giving them money is not the answer. According to the U.S. government, 2/3rds of the chronically homeless have alcohol, substance abuse or other chronic health problems. Cite. Also, the biggest health threat to the homeless population is drug or alcohol abuse. Cite.
So, up to 2/3rds* of the time when you give money to the homeless you are buying them a drink or a drug.
Want to really help? Find your local substance abuse halfway house and give them some money earmarked for the weekly rent**. Find an A.A., N.A or other substance abuse program that does outreach and donate. Check for churches in your area that help and donate to them.
Note many homeless will, when given food or clothing, trade the items for whatever particular drug they use. Giving food is better than giving money or clothes. However, there is still a large chance that the person will trade it away.
Slee
** I used to donate quite regularly to the halfway house I went to when I got clean and sober. I imagine the money I donated put up 10 to 15 people for the first month or 40 to 60 for the first week. That halfway house closed, the owner went back to Ireland. I have also gone to prisons to talk to addicts/alkies and done other outreach. Not so much these days as my family takes up all my time.
Proverbs 31: 6-9
Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more. Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
The money you give to the homeless is called “disposable income”–the term used for money you are going to spend on something you don’t really need.
What you spend it on is nobody’s business but your own.
Every day as a cashier I get at least one customer spending over a hundred dollars on paper and plastic dishes, tableware, tablecloths, etc. It annoys the hell out of me that people can spend that much for something that goes on the table and then into the trash when some people can barely put food on the table.
Do I have the right to say something? No.
I don’t think handing out bottles of vodka to the homeless is a great idea, however Biblical it may be. 
Me room.
It’s not about the asker, at all. It’s about me, not wanting to be the sort of person who grudges a handful of pennies or who thinks that giving gifts entitles me to hold all the strings.
Being generous is well worth a fiver.
Even if your generosity actually hurts the person you mean to help?
Slee
Back when I was doing outreach charity stuff, I’d give a sandwich and a clean pair of socks to anyone. But the ones I got to know - the ones I believed were honestly trying to get off the streets, not wasting money - I’d go the extra mile. Take them to a thrift store to buy some clean clothes for an interview. Get them a razor so they can shave. Help them repair their bike. Stuff like that.
It might not be the most efficient way to help…but it can work.
Do tell us how you know, whether my giving someone who asks money, ends up helping them or not?
At least when people give $5 to a guy on the street, he gets the whole five, not a dollar less to support a caseworker etc. Plus he decides what it goes to, nobody else. And maybe those things matter to someone else, more than to you.
A lot of people are on the street BECAUSE they are round pegs that can’t contort themselves into the square holes a lot of aid organizations present.
Giving on the street doesn’t preclude anyone from also supporting aiding agencies, after all.
I don’t often give cash handouts. It seems that many of the stories folks tell are not original, or from a script, designed to solicit sympathy. I understand the attitudes of those who don’t give to panhandlers.
But when I’ve been approached directly there have been exceptions. Sometimes it seems something pokes me in the back and says “Do it!” One time this really grubby guy begged for help. He was skinny and could hardly meet my eyes and sounded really desperate, saying “for the love of Jesus please can you help me.” I’d seen him approaching and was ready to back off but suddenly I felt compelled to reach in my pocket. All I had was a $20 and I gave it to him. Poor dude looked like he’d hit the lottery, and thanked my profusely.
I’d rather take a chance on mercy than to deny it, if the circumstances warrant it. To the OP, hey, it’s your money, do what you want to and don’t let anyone stand in your way.