nintendofan85
Good grief.
What do you think? I feel like some are genuine, but some are not.
-
Guest, you're invited to help build our new TBT time capsule! It contains three parts, with some of its elements planned to open in 2029 and others not until the distant future of 2034. Get started in 2024 Community Time Capsule: Blueprints.
Should you give money to homeless people, if they beg?
- Thread starter nintendofan85
- Start date
MasterM64
🍀 Mayor of PARADISE 🍀
Tough question, I will go off personal experience.
After dealing with many beggars in many scenarios, I would advise not to give any money to them. A lot of them are exploiting people's kindness and there are plenty of organizations they can get in touch with or visit that can help them. I know it seems immoral and awkward to turn them down, but it is best to keep your money & donate to said charities if you feel the need to put it towards such a cause.
If they specifically ask for food though, do not give them money. Give them food instead. A real beggar who is in need will gladly take it while fake ones will act irritated about it when they should be thankful to get any food at all if they are hungry/thirsty.
Another tip, if you run into someone at a gas station who needs help filling up with gas because they don't have money, whatever you do, never give them your card, money, or gift cards. Fill the car for them instead if you feel it is the right course of action and it is safe to do so and keep the receipt afterwards (just in case if there is any card info, etc.).
After dealing with many beggars in many scenarios, I would advise not to give any money to them. A lot of them are exploiting people's kindness and there are plenty of organizations they can get in touch with or visit that can help them. I know it seems immoral and awkward to turn them down, but it is best to keep your money & donate to said charities if you feel the need to put it towards such a cause.
If they specifically ask for food though, do not give them money. Give them food instead. A real beggar who is in need will gladly take it while fake ones will act irritated about it when they should be thankful to get any food at all if they are hungry/thirsty.
Another tip, if you run into someone at a gas station who needs help filling up with gas because they don't have money, whatever you do, never give them your card, money, or gift cards. Fill the car for them instead if you feel it is the right course of action and it is safe to do so and keep the receipt afterwards (just in case if there is any card info, etc.).
Its not so black and white.
That is for sure a case by case basis.
Assess them. Their clothes. Do they have kids with them? A lot of times, there are people with kids with them to try to make you feel guilty into giving them money when they are not homeless.
A good indicator is their shoes.
I have known a lot of people that go and panhandle as a job.
Some people genuinely need it and some are just there for free money.
That is for sure a case by case basis.
Assess them. Their clothes. Do they have kids with them? A lot of times, there are people with kids with them to try to make you feel guilty into giving them money when they are not homeless.
A good indicator is their shoes.
I have known a lot of people that go and panhandle as a job.
Some people genuinely need it and some are just there for free money.
It depends? There are times when I have given someone a few dollars, but most of the time I don't.
If they approach me in a respectful way and don't make me feel uncomfortable or wary, then I'm more likely to help them out. If they approach me after dark in an empty parking lot or just generally leave me feeling like I'm backed into a corner, I tell them I don't carry cash, which is mostly true anyway. I don't know what they'll do if I go to pull out my wallet and it's not a chance I'm willing to take.
Luckily, it's not something I encounter too much where I live.
I agree with others, though, that the best course of action if you want to help them is to buy what they need rather than give them the money for it.
If they approach me in a respectful way and don't make me feel uncomfortable or wary, then I'm more likely to help them out. If they approach me after dark in an empty parking lot or just generally leave me feeling like I'm backed into a corner, I tell them I don't carry cash, which is mostly true anyway. I don't know what they'll do if I go to pull out my wallet and it's not a chance I'm willing to take.
Luckily, it's not something I encounter too much where I live.
I agree with others, though, that the best course of action if you want to help them is to buy what they need rather than give them the money for it.
I try to when I have cash on hand.
My dad, meanwhile, is REALLY big on giving to beggars, no questions asked. He thinks giving to the needy is the benchmark of true Christianity, and that this is what Jesus meant in Matthew 25 about giving to the least of these. He's not dogmatic about morals and doctrine and such -- or much of anything else, for that matter -- but he does think people need to give money to whomever asks, and that we shouldn't make judgments about the people, or ask questions beforehand. He's all about, don't judge them, give money to them, don't ask questions, just do it. This is true Christianity and true love in his view, not all the moralizing about morals and politics or whatever. I find this interesting because few view this matter, and the faith, in the way he does.
My dad, meanwhile, is REALLY big on giving to beggars, no questions asked. He thinks giving to the needy is the benchmark of true Christianity, and that this is what Jesus meant in Matthew 25 about giving to the least of these. He's not dogmatic about morals and doctrine and such -- or much of anything else, for that matter -- but he does think people need to give money to whomever asks, and that we shouldn't make judgments about the people, or ask questions beforehand. He's all about, don't judge them, give money to them, don't ask questions, just do it. This is true Christianity and true love in his view, not all the moralizing about morals and politics or whatever. I find this interesting because few view this matter, and the faith, in the way he does.
MasterM64
🍀 Mayor of PARADISE 🍀
As a Christian, I used to be like your dad and give people money/help them out without questions asked, but after running into enough rotten apples, I'm not that way anymore & more mindful of my safety especially now that I have financial responsibilities and I have to be accountable for more than myself now (especially now that I own a home with my beautiful, amazing fiancee).
I can understand that. My dad is very much a pie-in-the-sky, optimistic, cheerful sort, so I don't think he considers any negative ramifications of this sort of thing, or any other perspectives on the matter, because he really believes generosity and non-judgmentalism are what that passage indicates. It's just interesting the conclusions people draw, from reading the same things, sometimes...
Katzenjammer
♫Cat that Jams♫
I don't give money, but I do offer food or other supplies they might need if I'm able to. I just don't want them to spend they money on drugs or booze :/
it all depends on the situation. where i live, rather than beggars approaching people individually, they like to hang around busy roads or outside grocery stores with a sign that briefly explains their predicament. 9/10 times, these beggars are wearing expensive clothing, more commonly high-end footwear (adidas, nike, etc).
if i’m able to, i have no qualms about helping someone get food or something of the sort, but i solemnly ever give out money to beggars and i definitely prefer to donate to charities that help with this sort of thing, instead. it’s very easy for an act of kindness to turn into a dangerous situation as you never know just how far one might go to get cash and so, while i have no problem helping people out, i always do my best to remain cautious, as well. ^^
if i’m able to, i have no qualms about helping someone get food or something of the sort, but i solemnly ever give out money to beggars and i definitely prefer to donate to charities that help with this sort of thing, instead. it’s very easy for an act of kindness to turn into a dangerous situation as you never know just how far one might go to get cash and so, while i have no problem helping people out, i always do my best to remain cautious, as well. ^^
There are a lot of scam artists in my city, it's useless to give them money because the real homeless people aren't out in the open like that. At least speaking from my experience.
I wouldn't mind giving them money and let them make their decision, but everything they need is freely available to them and I can't give them housing or a job. At least giving them the money to buy something nice lifts their spirit for a moment, even if it's just cigarettes. I don't know, it's just so sad that they have no one who would house them momentarily.
I wouldn't mind giving them money and let them make their decision, but everything they need is freely available to them and I can't give them housing or a job. At least giving them the money to buy something nice lifts their spirit for a moment, even if it's just cigarettes. I don't know, it's just so sad that they have no one who would house them momentarily.
Kiracuils
Senior Member
I'll give small amounts of money to homeless people (like $5 or less) if they ask and I have it on hand and can afford to give it to them. I've known people who have been homeless before in the past (including my own mother) and based on what they've told me and what I can glean from my own city's fairly sizeable homeless population and how my city handles it, I don't really feel like most of the arguments against giving homeless people money are particularly good ones aside from being worried about your own physical safety. A funny story is that I dated a guy a few years ago for a while who was from an affluent family in another country, and the one time he visited me in my country (America) a homeless woman actually warned him to be careful because it's very obvious to everyone that he's a rich tourist. And yeah, tons of homeless people asked him specifically for money, although we never actually felt threatened by any of them.
Argument one: They'll buy drugs/alcohol.
My counterargument: You don't know that for a fact, but even if they do, you're probably not going to find out. Also, drug/alcohol withdrawal can literally kill people. I'd rather a homeless person take my money to use it to buy drugs or booze so they can live another day than end up dead from withdrawal. And no, medical treatment for drug addictions is not always available for these people.
Argument two: But they have shelters and tons of other resources.
My counterargument: A lot of places, at least in the US, do not have actually have these and if they do they're almost always not enough. In some cases even, the only positive things about shelters is that the people in them aren't out in the freezing cold or scorching heat. You have problems with disease spread and lice, and also problems with people stealing from each other because they aren't getting their material needs met, or also getting into fights because well...naturally, things to not go that great when you have a bunch of very stressed out people, some with untreated mental illnesses, all crammed together. Some homeless people have pretty rational reasons to be wary of shelters, especially right now when we're having a pandemic.
Argument three: Real Homeless People In Need(TM) never ask for money, they ask for food/clothing/whatever.
Any argument of "Real [X] Only Do [X]" is just never convincing to me on principle because I've had this form of argument weaponized against me so many times in my personal life, just in different contexts than being homeless. I also don't think that someone wearing expensive shoes or having a phone means that they're faking being homeless. They could have had those things from before they were homeless, they could have had it donated to them, maybe even a kind stranger could have given it to them, etc.
Argument one: They'll buy drugs/alcohol.
My counterargument: You don't know that for a fact, but even if they do, you're probably not going to find out. Also, drug/alcohol withdrawal can literally kill people. I'd rather a homeless person take my money to use it to buy drugs or booze so they can live another day than end up dead from withdrawal. And no, medical treatment for drug addictions is not always available for these people.
Argument two: But they have shelters and tons of other resources.
My counterargument: A lot of places, at least in the US, do not have actually have these and if they do they're almost always not enough. In some cases even, the only positive things about shelters is that the people in them aren't out in the freezing cold or scorching heat. You have problems with disease spread and lice, and also problems with people stealing from each other because they aren't getting their material needs met, or also getting into fights because well...naturally, things to not go that great when you have a bunch of very stressed out people, some with untreated mental illnesses, all crammed together. Some homeless people have pretty rational reasons to be wary of shelters, especially right now when we're having a pandemic.
Argument three: Real Homeless People In Need(TM) never ask for money, they ask for food/clothing/whatever.
Any argument of "Real [X] Only Do [X]" is just never convincing to me on principle because I've had this form of argument weaponized against me so many times in my personal life, just in different contexts than being homeless. I also don't think that someone wearing expensive shoes or having a phone means that they're faking being homeless. They could have had those things from before they were homeless, they could have had it donated to them, maybe even a kind stranger could have given it to them, etc.
I hope I’d never have to be in a situation that warranted me to beg, I can’t imagine how hard it would be. It’s a personal choice, but what I believe is, whether or not they are exploiting your kindness is on them. Sure they might take that money to their family to feed and clothe their children or they might take it down to get a drink...but at the end of the day you still did a kindness to a stranger. At the point in which you give them any item or money, it’s theirs to do with as they see fit. You cannot judge how someone spends their money. If you are able to help, a dollar or two goes a long way. If not, pay it forward in some other ways or donate or volunteer at your local shelters. In the end, just be kind, but don’t feel that you are required to do anything.
I don't think this is a question that has a definitive yes or no answer. It's a matter of opinion and personal choice.
I personally don't give money to the homeless. Make time to converse with them and offer food/drink, yes - but I don't agree with giving money.
I personally don't give money to the homeless. Make time to converse with them and offer food/drink, yes - but I don't agree with giving money.
It is definitely situational. I have been in cities and I know what to look for to avoid. I do not recommend you take out your wallet/phone or pull your bag forward in front of you to get something out; prime target for snatch and grab.
Edit -- As this topic is more polarizing on here, I thought I should go more in-depth about my reply.
As in "situational" it's in the meaning of how they ask. There is no way to know the depth of a persons' situation in being just a stranger to them, that goes without saying. I feel strongly about this as I have had people make me uncomfortable by obstructing my way, trying to follow me home, or yelling profane things in ways of asking for money.
Edit -- As this topic is more polarizing on here, I thought I should go more in-depth about my reply.
As in "situational" it's in the meaning of how they ask. There is no way to know the depth of a persons' situation in being just a stranger to them, that goes without saying. I feel strongly about this as I have had people make me uncomfortable by obstructing my way, trying to follow me home, or yelling profane things in ways of asking for money.
Last edited:
I live in Toronto, which is currently ranked as the 6th most expensive city in the world to live in, according to this international housing affordability survey. Rent is exorbitant. There are 10+ year long waiting lists for affordable/subsidized housing. And this was all pre-covid. Now, the situation is even more dire. There are tons of people experiencing homelessness in the city. I'm a social worker, and I have repeatedly sat with people facing housing insecurity, trying to find them places to live within their budget. It is impossible. It makes me so upset that in Canada, which is widely considered as a great country, so many people can't access housing. There are of course shelters and drop-in centres but those aren't always safe or inclusive places. For example, I used to work as a peer support worker at a LGBTQ2S (the 2S stands for two-spirited, it's a Canadian indigenous gender identity term) drop-in and finding trans folks a bed at a shelter that is specifically gendered (ie. a women's shelter) is a very difficult task. They aren't welcoming or affirming places for many members of my community. So they inevitably end up on the street, and are susceptible to unspeakable violence and dehumanization.
I like to avoid the judgmental, dehumanizing tropes like "they're just going to spend it on alcohol/drugs anyway" or "there are jobs available, they just don't want to work" because we have no idea what traumas they may have experienced or what led to their circumstances. They are already marginalized. They are already largely unseen, ignored, and viewed as a blight on society. I see no purpose in making assumptions or using language that perpetuates these attitudes.
I don't live in an area where I encounter homeless people everyday (because I can't afford to live in downtown Toronto) but when I work and study downtown and encounter them, I like to make sure I have granola bars, transit tokens (pre-covid), and sometimes I will give change but I use debit for everything so I rarely have it.
Here is a useful tip-sheet on how to engage with homeless people.
I like to avoid the judgmental, dehumanizing tropes like "they're just going to spend it on alcohol/drugs anyway" or "there are jobs available, they just don't want to work" because we have no idea what traumas they may have experienced or what led to their circumstances. They are already marginalized. They are already largely unseen, ignored, and viewed as a blight on society. I see no purpose in making assumptions or using language that perpetuates these attitudes.
I don't live in an area where I encounter homeless people everyday (because I can't afford to live in downtown Toronto) but when I work and study downtown and encounter them, I like to make sure I have granola bars, transit tokens (pre-covid), and sometimes I will give change but I use debit for everything so I rarely have it.
Here is a useful tip-sheet on how to engage with homeless people.
yes, and if they buy drugs/alcohol with it then idc, i would too if i was homeless and complete ignored/shunned by society, they aren't sub-human. it's disgusting that we live in developed countries where there are people sleeping on the streets. it's not my choice what they do with money and there's so many reasons why they would need this rather than food/clothing etc (traveling to a shelter/food bank etc), so while i agree with giving them food, i also think it's fine to give them money
tessa grace
yeehaw
If somebody is on the street begging for money at least something is going on in their life and they deserve a little kindness. But you aren't a bad person if you don't give money.
nightxshift
‧˚*☾ 𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙚 ‧͙⁺･༓
If someone approaches me in the street I would probably feel uncomfortable and say no. I'm pretty innocent when people beg for money but my parents have always told me to choose wisely as we don't know what those people will do with the money. In Europe we usually give 1€ so I doubt they'll buy drugs with that amount of money anw.
This is why I have trust issues
This is why I have trust issues
Similar threads
