Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
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.
This has always been such a difficult thing for me. I want to give money every time I see a homeless person. I really do. However, I don't always know when it's truly a good idea. This may sound really weird but we have a couple of people in our area that even fake being homeless... I didn't believe it at first but back when I was a scout, the mom's always gossiped. We were selling cookies and way across the street were folks with signs up for money, and one of the mom's told us that she literally knew the people and knew where their development was too. There was also an incident once in a neighboring city where a woman was trying to give a homeless woman money (the woman was begging) and when the woman rolled her car window down to help the other woman, she was stabbed. She was literally attacked for trying to help. I don't know if she was killed or not but I know she was stabbed in her vehicle. I also don't know if the person I'm giving money too is planning on using it for necessities or bad things instead. I try to give money to people in good confidence, but I have so many fears and concerns as well. I want to help but what if I'm the next person who's stabbed? Or what if the money goes to someone who doesn't truly need it, or towards bad habits that actually harm the person more? I always want to help but I feel like I have to be so careful.
Sadly, where I live they did this big expose on the news about a year ago on the problem of employed people or those already getting living benefits that have a nice home, good food, brand-name fancy clothing, all that, but go out and panhandle to make extra money because they can. It was crazy how much money people made (I'm talking a couple thousand dollars a month) by just dressing like a homeless person and getting a good sign to hold in a busy intersection or anywhere, really. And yes, it did interfere with the flow of traffic as many were more focused on the "homeless" person than going when the light was green and it would hold everyone up. It's a very normal thing here, so again, it's very hard to tell who is actually in need. It's incredibly sad that these bad apples spoil it for the bunch. That's why I like to take the time to talk to them and/or offer food or specific things they need. Sorry for the second response, but I felt I needed to explain myself a bit as normally, I wouldn't think twice about giving something monetary or otherwise to help someone if it's within my power to do so. I apologize if I came off sounding anything otherwise regarding this subject. Thanks for reading! <3
I usually give to some sort of agency or organization in hopes that they will get proper help instead of quick temporary fixes or plateaus. They can see things a person that the person themselves can't see. Alot of homeless have disabilities of some sort.
It's something that's situational, but I find that if they went through the effort to personally approach you, even if they don't seem genuine, it's difficult to get out of that conversation without just tossing them a dollar. They make everything feel uncomfortable, as if you owe it to them, but if my dollar will make them happy, at least my hands are clean. It really does seem like the more genuine beggars out there are the ones that are more modest and keep to themselves versus someone out there trying to hustle anyone for a quick buck.
I'm a very anxious person so if someone comes up to me and asks for money I kind of just quickly run away, plus I'm a jobless college student with very little money myself. I do, however, think homeless people should be treated with kindness and respect.
i'll be honest and say i'm scared of most homeless ppl i see, but...i still think they need help and deserve to live. i've seen a lot of ppl say "well what if they're scamming/lying" and what i think is, if they are, that's their problem not yours! at least thats what my mom's always said. she and my aunt try and give at least a little bit when we see someone unfortunate. i'm not sure what i'd do if one of them approached me, i have severe anxiety abt strangers anyway and homeless ppl are usually mentally ill/desperate so it's very scary!
i wouldn't give a homeless person money but i don't mind giving them food
however one time i bought 2 milkshakes, one for me and one for my friend and on my way to see my friend, a homeless man came up to me and asked for one of the drinks and said it was selfish for me to have 2
being the super shy person i am, i was proper freaking out on the inside so i just handed him my drink and he snatched it off me and i just turned away shaking like a chihuahua, i was only 15 at the time and it was the most terrifying thing that's happened to me
also the most annoying because that milkshake was £5
I look at it as I look at any gift. If I give it, it's up to the person after that. Could they use it for the wrong things, sure. Could they use it for the right things, yes.
I don't feel like it's my place to judge and once the money leaves my hand to theirs - that's the end of it and all I can do is have best wishes for them.
So whether you should is something only the individual can answer for themselves based on how it makes them feel to.
This is honestly a tough question.
With my nature and how my family raised me, I always love helping people.
I want to say yes because I want to believe in them and hope they'd use it for something good.
But also I want to say no because I get scared and worried they would use it for alcohol or drugs.
It just breaks my heart seeing homeless people and not being able to do much to help them.
My mom used to give this one homeless lady a bunch of stuff like food and blankets. So I'd say I rather give them stuff that they'd actually use and need instead of money, but then again it's hard to tell what they actually need.
I also used to make sandwiches with my grandma to deliver to homeless shelters. That was always a nice thing to do.
personally dont as i never have any money to spare and im anxious 24/7 so i dont even want to be acknowledged sometimes like ive given money before but i dont see myself doing it now. not that i care what they spend it on even if it is for drugs/alcohol its not any of my business people can die from withdrawal so
it also brought up a memory of two police officers coming into my school like 8 years ago telling the class that we should never give homeless people money because its a waste as 99% of them spend it on drugs (their words not mine) pretty sad
I don't tend to carry cash with me (like my wallet is usually a 20 and a lot of cards), but I will sometimes spare some food if I'm walking down the street eating.
It's hard to know whether or not they're faking it. I was on the bus once and the bus driver was telling me about the beggers and how her friend of a friend of a friend is one and dresses up to look homeless and makes around $400 on Saturday and then another $400 on Sunday. It sickens me that people fake it when there really are real homeless folks out there. That's why I just don't give to beggers. I'll donate to causes and whatnot but not to randomers on the street.
This is a hard question...because, homeless people (like all people) are all entirely different individuals. So...there's really no cut and dry answer. I always consider the character of the person, and whether or not they seem genuine...and also whether it would make more sense to give them something else in place of money. I genuinely like to try to help out those in need...but, you obviously can't be naive about the intentions that people might have (and whether the people are even homeless at all).
If they're being assertive about directly asking for money...then chances are, they probably want money for something they don't need. I usually find that the people who truly need money don't feel very great about asking for it. They might have a sign or whatever...but, they aren't going to jump in your face and demand you give them some. That's kinda what my measuring stick is. If they truly need the money for the sake of survival, you can usually tell by how indignant they act about it. The louder and more assertive they are about it...the less likely it is that they are genuine, IMO.
A lot of the genuine homeless people that I've encountered will even feel so badly about the situation that they will attempt to offer something in return, because they don't want money for free. Singing a song, playing music, whatever. Genuine homeless people usually have some more organized concept than just "give me your money".
I voted yes, but I just remembered every run in with a homeless person I’ve had, in the instance they beg for money, ive just kept walking. you can never tell with people in the city and i never want to get involved in things
I do not ever give money to homeless people when they beg because I am afraid of being scammed or worse. I would rather give them my time by volunteering at soup kitchens/homeless shelters or my local food bank, or donating items (used or unused). To me, directly helping them this way seems more beneficial. Plus I have had really amazing experiences doing it!
I'm not really sure. Like many people in this thread, I know a lot of 'homeless' people are indeed panhandling as a career. And I know a lot of people think begging is shameful. But I also think homelessness is a state of indignity that rarely is a choice.
Who elects to be treated as subhuman by society...? Many people won't talk to you or sit near you if you go into a restaurant. People look down on you for brushing your teeth in the public bathroom. Begging on the side of the street is extremely dangerous. Some people bring kids not "for pity points" but for their safety- people are less likely to throw an empty bottle at a child. I know there's an assumption that drug or alcohol abuse put them there, but there's no way of knowing & just as seliph said, it's not our place to judge. It's true that many homeless shelters & halfway houses are full of abusive people because few decent people would accept the terrible pay- they literally will take ANYONE to work in those places.
When I worked at SBUX, we had two homeless men who came by. We had an enclosed patio- which is a great place to sleep if you're homeless. You're relatively sheltered from the elements, and you can't be seen by anyone in or out of the store unless someone walks around to check. One guy slept there often. I knew he wasn't homeless because of drugs or alcohol or 'criminal behavior'. He was an intelligent man, and he had no bitterness. He just had debt and a lot of it. There was no scenario where I was going to chase him away with a broom or refuse to give him reduced price (or free) coffee & water. We threw away food regularly that he could eat. You won't tell me I did the wrong thing by giving it to him sometimes or turning a blind eye when he shaved in the restroom.
Although I completely accept the reasons that other people give in this thread to NOT give to the homeless, I have more reasons to give & believe in my reasons. I know that I'll feel bad if I don't give something, as I do every time I drive past another struggling person & avert my eyes.
I give them cash ($1... $5... i don't carry cash much these days) or a bottle of water. I never have food, since once I got ants in the backseat for keeping granola bars back there. If anyone knows of some like... dry? food that I can keep back there that won't spoil or attract bugs, lmk.
Sure, like one person said, You don't know every panhandlers story. Like SURE, there's a possibility that the persons not actually homeless, but how do you know? You can't go around thinking that they're all faking it. You lose your sense of compassion that way. And sure they could probably spend it on drugs and booze, but like... so do I? I buy **** and occasional wine and so do a lot of other people. How am I any better? And I don't have any addiction problems, these people 9.5/10 do,they suffer from withdrawals. They gotta live in the moment cuz moving up isn't a dream to be homeful about. Like, they know when they're hungry, and I trust that when they're hungry they will spend their money on food. But who am I to dictate what else they spend the money on. A couple 20s can't buy a house, can't buy a car, and even if it could buy a car, how you gonna get a job to keep that car legal when you got no house? And a lowly low-wage job is about all they're gonna get, and that ain't gonna get you anywhere in life. Certainly can't buy you a place to stay. The system is designed to keep the poor people poor while the rich get richer. I'm not here to judge.
