whats your opinion on panhandlers/homeless?

Question

people holding signs asking for money.

Answer 1

If I come across a person who is homeless and asks for money for something to eat, I will give it freely. If I happen to be near a store or fast food place I will also buy them a meal and give them a few bucks. One must remember everyone of us could be in that situation and may need help like that one day. Give freely from your heart and you will truely be blessed.

Answer 2

First of all, your initial reaction might be pity, and the need to help. Mine would too. However, after numerous exposes and incidence of people who CHOOSE to do this instead of finding gainful employment, and people who lie about their situation, and people who exploit their children, and people who make more money that I do working an honest day... I find it hard to differentiate between those who are truly needy and the con artists. This is why I prefer the people who sit out there with a sign that says "NEED MONEY FOR BEER". At least I know he's on the up and up.

Answer 3

i work with the homeless. ive been doing so for the past 2.5 years. prior to this, i was a client, sleeping on plastic chairs in the very same drop-in center that i now work in. this is in new york city, so you know the **** was rough.

our population is the mentally ill and physically frail so its real challenging work. a lot of our clients have an income - ssi/ssd, veterans, pa, work comp and they pan handle anyway.

some of them are just greedy or need to get something from someone because they feel like lifes given them nothing. some of them are junkies. some of them just need that extra change for cigarette money. some of them dont like to come inside and would instead like to beg for things. some of them have debts to other clients. some of them are alcholics. some of them are too mentally ill to even realise that they have ssi and do things out of habit.

when i see them, i understand them. some days, i cant stand them, other times, though, im usually sad that life has taken them to the point whereby they have to ask total strangers for help. this must be very humbling and paerhaps humiliating, even if they are drunks/alcoholics. i dont give them money but food if i have them. if i offer my card, the light in their eyes dims mostly, and they file the card away, obviously sad that the fix wasnt better.

Answer 4

They don't bother me. Some are just people trying to cope without coping skills, others I would not like. I used to talk with some every day at an outdoor restaurant, I would usually buy them lunch.

Answer 5

the ones that I knew and saw every day in Milwaukee colored me inot hating all of them. The pan handlers were "professional ones.." they had a downtown apt in our building..carried grocery bags with food in them.

That soured my sympathy

Answer 6

have you ever gone with out a meal,were it wasn't your choice,or lost everything because of job layoffs and there not any jobs,i really don think 99% of these people want to be that way it's the only way they can survive,some of them or mentally sick,and need help,lots of them or solder form viet nam,and other wars,that have just lost their selfs ,its not funny,and people need to reach out and try and help some of these people....its a shame,really

Answer 7

I generally don't like them, especially the ones that are rude to me.

Answer 8

pray for them...they need help...maybe give a phone number or address to a program that can help them.

Answer 9

let'em eat cake

Answer 10

the poor are always with you