Do you give money to homeless people who are just sitting on city streets(read on)???

Question

me and my family have done it before. they have also come up to us and asked us for money. we just gave them some. but i have a feeling some of those people just wanted it for bad things(like drugs or alcohol). its none of my business on what they spend the money on but i would just wonder.

judging from many of your guys' answers, ill think twice next time!!!!!!!!!

Answer 1

Here is my story... Me and my husband were going to KFC and outside of KFC there was a lady with a little girl (5 or 6 yrs) The lady asked if we would give her money to buy some food. I told her to come in with us to KFC and she could get any thing on the menu and even buy something for later. The lady had the nerve to say that she was allergic to chicken. By this time I was very disgusted by her answer so I told her that she was standing out side of the wrong fast food place and she should cross the street and stand outside of Burger king, unless she was allergic to burgers too.

So no, I do not give money...I offer food only.

Answer 2

If I have some money, I give it to one of them. An LDS prophet told us that if only one out of ten "beggars" are honest, then it is better to give to 9 dishonest people, than to turn away one honest person, down on their luck.

When I was a student I saw a few different homeless people sifting through the rubbish to find some food. One time it was a young man, and I was so sorry for him that I gave him my lunch (I didn't have any money). He was so amazingly grateful.

Most beggars I have seen are not just people with no job. In the big city, they are men in wheelchairs, or with some kind of illness (eg muscular distrophy), or people collecting for charity, selling raffle tickets, etc. They get a percentage of what they collect. I sometimes give money to one of those, but there are just so many of them I usually wait until it's someone supporting a cause that I believe in. I prefer to give regularly to charitable organisations instead.

Most Australians can get government benefits if they don't have a job. Some homeless people (ones I have talked to) are homeless because they like a roving lifestyle. (You should hear some of their stories... It can be very fascinating.)

My little brother was homeless for a while (yes he was on drugs). The real reason he never had any money was because he was too philanthropic, and kept giving his money away, or because he just forgot to hand in his form, and then the government didn't pay him any money. Once he told me how he only had one blanket, but he gave it to a guy down the street who didn't even have a house to live in (my bro was sleeping on the floor at a friend's house). So my bro slept freezing without a blanket because he'd given it to someone more needy than himself. Another time he slept on the beach every night, to protect the baby turtles from foxes/dogs. My little bro is proud of what he learned as a homeless person. I'm proud of him, too.

I don't think I would recommend talking to ALL the homeless people on the street. I've tried that, lol, and run into some trouble. My own experience, and statistics that I read as well, show that most Australian homeless people have a mental illness. It can be scary. Now I pick and choose who I'm going to talk to. (Derr.)

Answer 3

Forget drugs and alcohol, some of those guys are fakes. I worked at a restaurant for a while, and every day, at 5 p.m. the homeless guy from the corner would come in, and trade his coins in for bills. On average, he made $250 a day in the middle of the week. Weekends was twice, or even triple that!
On the other hand, I'm a kind person, and I offer to buy needy people some lunch or a cold/hot drink (depending on the season). This is a good idea, because the fakers and addicts all say no.

Answer 4

We're in one of the richest countries in the world,
but the minimum wage is lower than it was thirty five years ago.
There are homeless people everywhere.
This homeless guy asked me for money the other day.
I was about to give it to him and then I thought he was going to use it on drugs or alcohol.
And then I thought, that's what I'm going to use it on.
Why am I judging this poor bastard.
People love to judge homeless guys. Like if you give them money they're just going to waste it.
Well, he lives in a box, what do you want him to do? Save it up and buy a wall unit?
Take a little run to the store for a throw rug and a CD rack? He's homeless.
I walked behind this guy the other day.
A homeless guy asked him for money.
He looks right at the homeless guy and says why don't you go get a job you bum.
People always say that to homeless guys like it is so easy.
This homeless guy was wearing his underwear outside his pants.
Outside his pants. I'm guessing his resume isn't all up to date.
I'm predicting some problems during the interview process.
I'm pretty sure even McDonalds has a "underwear goes inside the pants" policy.
Not that they enforce it really strictly, but technically I'm sure it is on the books.

Answer 5

If you want to make sure they use the money for food or water, give them food or water. I've done this a few times and they actually refuse it, which gives me affirmation that they want the money for drugs, alcohol, whatever. Most cities have free shelters with free food and a place to sleep. Some homeless people choose not to take advantage of these places because there is usually a 10pm curfew and the centers help you find a job.

Answer 6

I've given money to homeless people before, but not the ones who ask for it. I've been known to quietly slip a few dollars under the blanket of a person sleeping on the street. I also give money to homeless people who tell me, point blank, they need a drink. What the hell--at least they're honest!

Word of advice for the future: If a homeless person gives you a long, drawn out sob story about how so-and so is sick and they need money for a cab fare to get to the hospital to visit, or they're hungry and they need a few bucks to go to McDonald's, etc., do NOT give them money. Chances are they're a crackhead or a wino.

I encountered a man once (as my husband and I were walking through mid-town Atlanta one night) who had this whole, drawn out story about how he was just released from the hospital, he was diabetic, he needed food, etc., and asked for some money. I looked at him point blank and said, "No hospital employee in his or her right mind would let an insulin diabetic leave without feeding them first." He stood there for a split second with his mouth agape, then walked away.

And it IS your business what they're spending it on. It's your money, right? You have every right to ask. Chances are they'll lie to you though, so why bother asking?

Answer 7

I sometimes do (just can't help it ) but at the end of the day I don't believe charity in the form of money helps as a long term solution. Whatever they spend it on, they'll be begging again when the high, hungers pains kick in again. Ideal is to give 'underprivileged' people the MEANS to help them selves. Once again, this only works if/when they are prepared to help themselves get out of the situation. I usually feel more inclined to buy one of those homeless mags sold by 'homeless' people because I think they need the encouragement for what they are doing already. It's hard standing there offering those mags, but it's a step up from begging.
Just my opinion.

Answer 8

i do once in a while. there was a study done on those people around Ft. Bliss area. ten homeless were followed. one was a million air, when he was interviewed, he said he made more money standing on a street corner then his own business made him. two others said they closed their business because of the same reason, they had real nice houses and servants. those two said the only money they have to claim is what they pay their servants.
five of them said they quit their jobs because they made more money standing on the street corners, they lived in the middle income area. and they said they don´t have to pay taxes on what is given to them.

two of the ten were actually homeless.

i have seen some of these people can make fifty to a hundred dollars a day just begging. so, i just go be a feeling, if i feel the need to give, i give, if not, i just keep going.

Answer 9

Aw gee, yah think? If you live in America, there are things like food banks and homeless shelters and social services that will provide them with everything they need to survive. They most likely are going to buy drugs and/or alcohol with the money that your family gives them.
The only way to justify giving your hard-earned money to an addict is to get somehting in return. I suggest you ask them next time if they would be willing to hear you vent about a bad day, 5 minutes for a buck. Then it will be worth your while, and he will have been paid for providing a useful service.

Answer 10

No - I do not. But our family does support giving money to homeless shelters. We have several in our area. They use the money to shelter, feed, clothes, transport and retrain the homeless. That way, we know our money is being used to help those who have found themselves in this situation . I have no clue if the people on the streets are really "homeless" or are addicts/alcoholics looking for a handout to fuel their addictions. I have a heart for the truly homeless and want to share with those in true need.