Should I give homeless people money?

I’ve never given them money. When my kids were young and we went grocery shopping, we always bought a bag full of fruit and dropped off under a bridge where homeless people live. It was a good lesson for them, as well as the actual purpose.

I give homeless people money, usually when they are standing at an intersection with a sign. I know I have no idea what they will do with it and it may be a racket, but they look pretty bad and I’m thankful for what I have.

I generally give whatever I have in my purse. I know that I will get more. My oldest daughter does this now. I’m so proud of her.
This man has some great things to say about the subject.

I don’t give money to random people strangers. It’s the same when somebody phones out of the blue trying to sell me something.

I give to the Chicago Food Depository and spend one evening a week helping feed people at the neighborhood food pantry.

Also there’s a newspaper, Streetwise, distributed by homeless or nearly-homeless people who buy the paper for $0.75 and sell it for $2.00. I’m happy to buy that.

Yesterday a woman approached me in a food court and asked for help buying a meal. I said no, I had no cash on me. She passed me later and said, “I didn’t want any f*cking money, I want food!” Despite the attitude I was inclined to get out my debit card, but she hurried off too fast.

I sometimes give homeless people food, as opposed to money, to make sure it is spent in the right place. For instance, there is a homeless man who tends to ask for things on the block of a Dunkin’ Donuts on my way home from school, and I sometimes buy something from there to give him.

@plethora It’s usually the ones with signs who are scheming unfortunately…people who become homeless are usually too proud to beg; I know I would be.

Anywho, I’ve never given them money only because I really never have any to give, honestly, nothing. But I do recall when I was little in a McDonald’s my family and I were eating when we saw a homeless family who had young children… my bro and I gave the kids our happy meal toys and my parents bought their meals because we know what it’s like to be where they were at.

No! a huge percentage of homeless aren’t just down on thier luck; they’ve massive mental issues. The family couldn’t contend with the behavior, and the healthcare system can’t keep them forever. They end up on the street, and self-medicating. Buy them food, give a coat or blanket, or things they can use. Money often goes to drugs and alcohol. DO still care, but do not care with money. Care with supplies.

I worked 9 years in city parks. I never met a bum that didn’t think all the worlds problems would be solved if only every one would just listen to them and do what they say. For bums it’s all about them. Don’t give these pieces of shit any thing EVER.

Personally, I don’t think it is a good idea. Many, probably most of them, will use the money for alcohol. I also think that it is a good way to get attacked, beaten up, and robbed.

It depends on what your goal is, but usually giving them money is counterproductive. Here in our city, a charity issues business cards with places to contact for help. I usually give those out.

I always do. I have plenty of money. It’s easy. I don’t care if they spend it on nuclear bombs. Institutions I’m required to give money to definitely spend it on nuclear bombs, have major mental-health issues, and are confirmed alcoholics.
I really like the link @Trillian gave us (above).

The problem with giving the homeless money, who are, as Phillis points out, often suffering from significant mental illnesses, is that it enables them to stay on the street. As long as they are on the street, they won’t get well. They won’t get services they need. They won’t get meds. They won’t get clean. They won’t have an address from which to look for a job.

In my city, there is a struggle when some class wants to come downtown to “help” the homeless. They want to set up a food handout station. They think they are doing a good thing, but what they are really doing is making it much harder for people to help them. To help them, we have to get them into stable housing situations so we can get them medical care, and provide them with a host of other services that will make it possible for them to take care of themselves.

I know a number of the formerly homeless from my bipolar group. I see how easy it is for things to fall apart fast. So, I’m afraid, it is not helpful, in the long term, to give money of food or drink to the homeless. It makes you feel good, but it doesn’t really help. I’m sorry.

@wundayatta : don’t be sorry. xD I asked a question and I wanted answers.

Only if you liked the way he smelled.

Another vote on the side of no. Give money to organizations that provide support, treatment and are focused on getting them out of there. Rather than prolonging the problem.

But yes to giving food, water – anything else humanly possible. Share, live, let live.
So maybe carry more food with you. Nobody should go hungry, especially when we make so much more food than we can consume.

I can joke with the best of them all damn day long (see dead baby thread), but saying that these people are pieces of shit stops funny dead in it’s tracks. I feel safe in assuming that there isn’t a single person on this thread who hasn’t been thought of in those terms. Let’s be human about this. Jesus!

Forget all the politics and opinions (except for mine, of course), do what you feel is right. Would you feel better about yourself if you did or did not give someone money?

I do it, sometimes. I can’t say what makes me do it for one person but not another. It’s all about how I feel at the moment. Sometimes, I remember when I was on the street and had no money for food. You never know who’s life you might be saving.

@phillis
Amen, thank you

Yes.

I hate to sound mean here, but one of three things will happen:

1. You give them money. In this instance, all you’ve done is enabled them to keep feeding off everyone else’s (I wish I could say generosity) codependence. They never improve, and they continue living knowing that people will just continue giving them handouts.

2. You don’t give them money. If everyone stopped enabling these people, they may realize “oh shit, I need to do something.” And MAYBE they would be productive members of humanity.

3. You don’t give them money and they die b/c they eventually stop being able to sustain themselves or they do something in desperation and end up being killed or locked up.

My dad is one of these worthless people. Please don’t feel like I’m insensitive. I have first hand experience.

I remember a few years ago I was in Burger King having a meal when a homeless man walked in off the street and was eating leftovers off trays that hadn’t been cleaned away yet.

I felt so bad for him. He looked so scared of being caught and was shovelling the half eaten burger scraps in his mouth while desperately looking around to ensure he wasn’t caught by BK employees.

I ended up giving him $5.00 when I saw him outside and he was so happy. I watched him walk into BK and order fresh burgers and fries.

I ended up getting quite emotional about the whole thing and really felt for him. This is quite unusual for me as I tend to feel nothing for the incessant beggers and drunks I see around the place. I suppose this man moved me because he was so scared and hungry and still not begging.

That would be an exceptional situation, @Rachienz. Someone that hungry and still not begging would break my freaking heart. I’d probably have taken advantage of the fact I was in a cheap eating place, but I understand how you felt, definitely.

Panhandlers and good ones at that can earn $50—$200 per day tax free. What is your take home pay??

Panhandlers and good ones at that can earn $50—$200 per day

You’ve done this?

@Cruiser Our local newspaper did an article on that very thing. Their information had it pretty much at an average of $50 per day, and many had homes. However, there are also constant dangers, just as for any business that deals in cash.

Keep voting for the same people we have in office and before long you can be getting that money yourself…

@YARNLADY the ones here in Chicago are aggressive and make good coin and drive nice cars too!

Dude if your homeless population is like the homeless population in my city, you got to grow a skin to deal. You can’t help everyone despite your best intentions. Have sympathy and treat them like human beings of course, but you don’t know them and some are violent. Just keep going. If you want to help the homeless, donate your free time to a shelter or soup kitchen or something that helps more directly. If you’re giving it out on the street, you might as well be throwing it out the window on your drive in to work. You have no idea where it’s going and in most cases it’s not going anywhere helpful to the situation.

Money gives a person choices. People can use it however they wish, whether you consider that to be in their best interest or not. This is why I have given and do give money to homeless persons. I want everyone to be self-determining. The homeless person you give a little cash to can spend it on booze, drugs, a blanket, a meal, or at the track. You’ve given that person a moment of choice, and therefore you’ve seen him as human – for good, for bad, but he gets to make a decision.

I’ve always heard that it’s better to give them food. Either groceries, or take ‘em to a restaurant.

I give no questions asked as well.

I think it is arrogant and controlling to decide how the money ‘SHOULD’ be spent.

The whole idea is to simply GIVE, no strings attached.

Giving for the sake of giving.

I have seen firsthand the damaging effects of alcoholism and drug addiction. I don’t feel comfortable enabling that in anyone.

I will buy them food and I do give my time to help out at a food bank.

Let them spend someone else’s money for prolonging their addictions. It won’t be mine. I’ve worked too darn hard for it all my life. If someone else feels comfortable subsidizing their addictions in the name of giving them dignity and choice, that’s THEIR decision and they have a right to it.

But when someone chooses to remain in active addiction rather than getting help to overcome that addiction, they have sacrificed their dignity a long time ago. I am not under the illusion that giving them money magically restores their dignity by giving them choice.

Every addict makes a series of poor choices on the way to homelessnes. THIS is what erodes their dignity. They had plenty of choices to do otherwise. No one forced them to sacrifice their dignity with all the lies and alienation of those closest to them. They decided that the addiction meant more than their basic humanity and dignity. No one forced it upon them. It was their choice. If they did not value their dignity by living in integrity, how can I value it for them? It doesn’t work that way.

They chose to toss their dignity out the window in order to maintain the addiction. But the good news is that they can choose to regain that dignity at any time. It’s an automatic accompaniment to sobriety. They just need to reach out for the help that is readily available to get out of their addiction.

I know it’s not an easy journey, but it is definitely possible. And there is a lot of dignity in THAT CHOICE.

As for me, I’m not comfortable with enabling addiction whether in my family or a perfect stranger.

I just refuse to do that. MY money, MY choice.

I never give homeless people money but I do help them.

Not long ago, I spotted two homeless men dumpster diving for food.
I stopped and asked them if I could buy them lunch. They agreed.

I walked with them to a nearby restaurant, selected a suitable meal and spoke to the owner. He wanted to refuse to suit them.

I told them that their meal would be paid in full and that they would leave after they had finished their meal which would not include alcohol.

I ordered their meal, paid in full and left these people to enjoy a decent meal with dignity.

I do the same for people who ask for money. I buy them a meal instead.

It’s my choice. I taught my children to do the same. They still do that same as I do.

My Dad taught me this and I still think he is a pretty good man.

The other night here on fluther, I heard a commotion in the street below. Long story short. A female homeless person had just had her basket of “food” she had probably begged for all day stolen. She threw the empty basket on the road and started to cry, but deep heart wrenching tears. I really felt her despair. My heart spoke to me, and I called her to the window and threw R100. to her. Now you are never supposed to speak of a good deed as it cancels it out. But my feeling is yes I would. A lot of homeless people are mentally ill, we do not have good support structures here for them. I guess one has to listen to ones heart. I don’t always just give money away. But I do in fact give it often to various strangers. I just think somehow life has a dynamic and money has a flow.

Then there’s the indigent person here in our city that shot a handicapped man when he declined to give her any money, and he eventually died from his wounds.

Jesus counseled against doing so using his customary caustic sarcasm:
“Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
—Matthew 5:38–42, NIV

This issue is close to my heart. It’s hard for me to be objective, so take this with a grain of salt.

When I was homeless money did help. I have a mental illness, so yes, I fit in that category as well. The money people gave me went to food, tampons, cheap combs, socks and once I bought a candy bar because I hadn’t had one in a year. it was delicious.

I can’t speak for all homeless people, yet for me- having that money felt like freedom from all the shit around me. Freedom from fighting off rapists, freedom from being so fucking untouchable and unclean. It made me human again.

I had choices just like ‘normal’ people. I could buy whatever I wanted, not what someone got rid of, not what someone casted off or decided I should have.

I hate peanut butter. Yes, I was a beggar and so couldn’t choose- but damn I hate peanut butter. All the shelters served peanut butter. All the mental hospitals I’d been to served peanut butter. Growing up it was one of the only foods we had from food stamps. So I bought balogna (didn’t have enough for the bread, just the meat) and I sat eating that damn balogna in the spring sunshine. I nibbled at it like the finest cheese, like caviar plucked from God’s own fish supply. I felt whole again- I felt real, if just for an hour.

It wasn’t until I felt that basic human freedom of choice that I was able to pull myself up. If you live as an animal for long enough, you start to forget there is a whole other side to you. Once you get a taste of it- it gives you a drive to rejoin society and find a piece of humanity you can call your own.

I would say, give if you want. Give to charities if it makes your more comfortable. Just give what you can and release the strings.

If I have money on me, then the homeless are welcome to it. I earn, I have a house, I grew up in a well-off home with parents that were present, if not interested. Who am I to stand in judgement over people I know nothing about.
From my time working in the local Drug & Alcohol service I know for a fact that people end up on the streets for a variety of reasons… the most common seeming to be that their home environment is so destructive & dangerous that they can no longer cope.
Frankly, what they do with the money I give is of no concern of mine. They can buy food, clothing, drugs, alcohol, whatever helps them get through the next hour or day.
@gemiwing I just wanted to make a point of saying your post was very poignant, & the fact that you’ve managed to turn things round is remarkable given the odds against it. I’m not normally one to get emotional but that brought a lump to me throat!

When I was younger and lived in NYC, I use to give money but had several eye opening experiences that changed that for me.
1. Seeing a woman in the street with two young children and they didn’t even have a jacket for the cold. They were skinny and pale. However, you could tell the mom was strung out on drugs. Any money I gave her wasn’t going toward those kids. It was probably going to her drug habit. If the kids were fed, it was probably because of food stamps.
2. There was this guy who would role on the train every day on a large board with wheels and beg passengers for money. He always seemed angry as well. Many people would put up with it daily and out of guilt because they thought he had no legs and he claimed to be a vet, they gave him money. If guilt didn’t work he used aggression and would cuss people out who didn’t give him money. One day I saw him in the streets carrying his board.
3. In the city, if you take out cash, you take the chance of a mugger spotting you. You make yourself an easy target.
As a result, I gave in my church and trust that they will help those really in need. My church use to raise money to help shelters and soup kitchens and organized events to raise money for coats and clothing for the homeless.
If people helped support shelters instead of giving money out randomly than more shelters would be around to help the homeless people who really need the help. Shelters are getting less aid and as a result less people are actually getting help.

In the past, if they were sober, an I have always walked with them to the nearest grocery store and helped them buy stuff to eat and take with them to eat later. I hate doing it but I hate even more thinking the money I gave them bought them booze or drugs or something that would take them down even further.

Be honest about your tax statements. This is what I do. I earn good money and I like paying taxes. Homeless people should not be forced to depend on charity.

Our societies as a whole should show solidarity. Above all, they should focus on prevention as well like paying decent wages, health insurance for everyone and stop the idiocy of firing thousands of people to please shareholders. The only two reasons to fire people are: misdemeanor and the inability to sell products and services. But many people become homeless as a result of greed. Another reason: eroding families.

@gemiwing I think you are a wonderful and strong and humble person. Thank you for that insight.

Most of the homeless people are false in our country, so i don’t give money to them.
But i think it is the best way to give food to them.

@Gemiwing

Obviously what I wrote applies to addicts rather than those dealing with mental illness. Apples and oranges.

Unfortunately, it’s sometimes difficult to gauge the situation accurately in a brief interaction with someone wanting money.

That’s why I personally prefer the food rather than the money option.

But reading your personal account was very touching and I’m so happy for you that you’re in a much better place now. You really are a survivor. Good for you.

I resent the discrimination of homeless people accusing them of being false. Same for the unemployed. Yes, there are black sheep, but go visit the trading floor of certain investment banks and you will find lots of black sheep as well busy creating bubbles receiving million dollar bonuses. When the bubbles burst, well, oops, legally they can keep their money. So who will have to deal with the mess? The tax payer. Oops again.

@season Wow…. most are fake! What country do you live in?

Give them food , not money (=

Well , just to share . . . it is known in my country that most people who appear to be homeless or beg for money , are probably with syndicates . Like you will see a person with no limbs begging for money on a bridge , but how he got there , nobody knows . That’s why some people are more wary of these kind of people .

(I think that the above stated is most prominent in some parts of Asia .)

However , there is an organization in Singapore which helps people who are disabled or are unable to find jobs (due to disability) . So they will give them a license to do street-busking , like you will see a blind person playing an instrument or singing , or maybe doing some other kind of performance .

(=

@higherground Ah, thank you, here in England thats very much not the case.

@JeffVader Yeah , and the scary thing is , I heard that those beggars with no limbs were victims of kidnap (by the syndicates) . After which , they were amputated so that they will look like pitiful when they beg for money .

Oops , I think I side-tracked from the ‘homeless people’ topic . Sorry !

I always offer them money. or give them the option to join me. And if they don’t smell so bad we have a great time. They have more soul than most people I know.

@higherground The crooked buggers…. & thats probably not their dog sitting next to them either, they probably nicked off some kid!

@JeffVader Talking about beggars and dogs , it reminds me of something I saw when I was in Thailand . I have to admit , every time I walked past that beggar , I will give him all of my spare change (=

Take a look at this picture !

Give them food. Money could be spent on terrible things that might have made them homeless in the first place.

@higherground Ah, now thats one cute dog. I think I’d have to give them money too!

@mattbrowne Homeless people should not be forced to depend on charity.
Government-provided charity is still charity. The difference is that now you’ve sent the government fishing around in other people’s pockets, completely circumventing the will of the individual and removing the human element from the equation.

Giving money to homeless people enables them to remain on drugs. If you’re near a fast food restaurant, you might take them in and buy them food. However, the best use of your charity is to give to shelters and centers that help homeless people learn job skills, life skills, etc.

@Nullo Where I live, most government charity programs include a chance to find employment or other means of legitimate income (such as social security, or disability) and therefore anre not the dead-end ‘giving’ that you might think.