When coming across a homeless person on the sreet :?

Question

What is your response to that unfortunate person?
What do you actually do?
Please if the jokers who hover over some questions, like buzzard over carrion, spare me from having to hear something of great sadness, being mocked!

Answer 1

The thing that hurts the most is when you pretend they aren't even there.

If you can look them in the eye, and acknowledge your connection, you have given them dignity, which they need badly.

Then if you can help them, help them. If not, say no, with respect. Most of us are only a few paychecks from the street ourselves.

The vast majority of Yahoo people claim to be Christians- they should know that Jesus told us not to refuse those who ask us for help. And they should know the parable of the good Samaritan.

Other traditions have similar stories about helping those who need it. Let's see if we can live up to them.

Answer 2

In my area, we don't see many homeless people and if they are then I can't tell. But my heart goes out for the homeless. The age ranges from young to old. My response would be a big smile and if they ask for something, I would try to help them as much as possible. I could be that homeless person. Whatever pushed a homeless person to that point of poverty must had robbed them of their self esteem and of all the confidence that they had left within themselves. There are so many reasons why there is homeless people so that gives us more reasons to want to help them. We can start by praying for the needy and the homeless that is all over this world. Whatever we do to and for a homeless person, we have did it unto the Lord!

Answer 3

Well, what are you responding to?

Do they say "Can you spare some change for the bus?"
Or are you just wondering what sort of verbal comment or emotional reaction that you should have as a result of witnessing a homeless person?

Myself, I usually think "Oh thank God, that's not me, but if it were me...well shoot, it would never be me! I would never let that happen to me!"

I don't say that out loud, however.

And when prompted for spare change, I usually just say I don't have any. All I usually carry is plastic or twenties, and I'm not giving that to a homeless person.
I do, however, donate clothes and other items to the local homeless shelter, and when I always take leftover food from the restaurant and give it to people on the street so they don't have to dig in the dumpsters.

Answer 4

Honestly, in the city where I live, there are big homeless shelters that will give a warm bed at night, showers, three hot meals a day, and social workers who will help people find work and housing. There are literally people begging for money blocks from the biggest shelter, saying they haven't eaten in days. We give them directions to the shelter and tell them that they will be fed there.

Sadly, most of the time they get angry because they really wanted the money for drugs or alcohol. My father-in-law has spent a lot of time homeless and on the street because he preferred to spend his $1000 per month disability check on beer rather than securing housing and employment, and we don't feel sorry for him for making that decision.

I do feel that homelessness is a problem, but the best way to handle it is to donate money to food shelves and homeless shelters and organizations like the salvation army where you KNOW that the funds will be used to feed, clothe, and shelter people. If you give someone you don't know on the street $5 for a meal, it's more likely that they'd spend it on cigarettes at best and street drugs at the worst.

Answer 5

I always make eye contact at the very least. I have given money before...this woman asked me for a couple bucks to buy her baby in the stroller milk. They both looked like they needed help. I couldn't say, 'no'. So, I gave.

But, when people ask for money who are wearing expensive shoes or jeans or just give me a dishonest vibe, I still look them in the eye and say, "I'm sorry, I just don't have it." Then walk on.

You have to be able to tell the people that really need help and the ones that are just scamming.

Answer 6

I have learned to be relatively non-reactionary. I suppose I have lived too long, worked too hard, and experienced too much pain in my life... yet I managed to make it on my own without begging for help. I also managed to make it on my own without the help of wine or drugs. There were plenty of times when I would love to have done drugs, have gotten drunk, but I didn't have the liberty to do so...I had too many responsibilities to too many others...kids, friends, those who worked for me, etc. So, I have a real hard time being overly sympathetic to drunks and druggies. Somewhere along the line, they made a choice..a bad one, perhaps, but it was their choice. I contribute to homeless women's shelters, for these people and children are there NOT for their own reasons. That is very different. And, I know that some people on the streets are not fully capable mentally. But, there isn't enough money in my billfold to help everyone. So, I just leave it at that. If I sound heartless, it is because everytime, in my life, I have helped someone get up off the ground, I found they only wanted life to be handed to them on a tray, didn't want to work, but wanted me to just give them my life. As we age, we smarten up.

Answer 7

I do what one of the other answerers do.. I make homemade snadwiches and like small bags of chips, like snack sizes..

Because, sad to stereotype, but im afraid money wouldnt go to healthy stuff...

For homeless with dogs, I usually buy them a small bag of dog food; depending on puppy, adult or older looking dog.

Answer 8

I ignore them. I don't feel like being used just so some stewbum who is too damn lazy to get off his *** and look for a job can score another bottle of hooch. I am not going to support his drug habit.

Answer 9

Honestly, I look away.

However, if a homeless person speaks to me and is not threatening, I will give them a polite response.

My brother was homeless.

Answer 10

Whenever I go to London on business (where there are homeless people - we don;t have many here) I take food. Generally home-made sandwiches, crisps, bottles of soft drinks, cakes, etc. I never give them money as it might go on alcohol or drugs, but they always seem really grateful for food.