Do you give money to homeless people?

[eeyore65]

I was with DS outside a dunkin donuts when a homeless guy came up and asked us for money for "coffee." I said "no" and DS asked me why and I told him I didn't think he would use it for what he said. We watched him collect about $10. As we were pulling through the shopping plaza - we saw him coming out of the grocery store with a huge beer. Didn't look like coffee to me!

I lived in NYC and rarely gave. I did offer food and was usually turned down. Some guy down here in FL for a school project stood on the street at an intersection and begged. He made about $50 per hour!!! He donated it - but it just shows you they may have figured it is better to beg then work.

 

[princess momma]

I don't.

The one time I did the woman wasn't satisfied with the amount I gave her and she followed me down the street, screaming and threatening me.

I volunteer occasionally to make meals for a homeless shelter. They're very grateful for the food.

I love helping in that way, but I will not give out cash.

 

[Orangeandwild]

No way, too many professional homeless people in this area who probably make more than we do

We support local charities and give a lot to food banks, battered women shelters and groups that feed the homeless,

 

[look1angel]

Yes, I have & so has my husband.

I was in TN a while back & a homeless guy approached us & asked for a dollar; my husband gave him $5.00, through his teary eyes he thanked us over & over. We watched him go into a sandwich shop not far from where we were sitting & it just broke my heart.

This does not happen often as I live in an area where this is seldom seen.

It's sad that we have so many homeless people in the world & not enough means to help them

 

[ols386]

Yes, I have & so has my husband.

I was in TN a while back & a homeless guy approached us & asked for a dollar; my husband gave him $5.00, through his teary eyes he thanked us over & over. We watched him go into a sandwich shop not far from where we were sitting & it just broke my heart.

This does not happen often as I live in an area where this is seldom seen.

It's sad that we have so many homeless people in the world & not enough means to help them

What is really sad is that the U.S. helps out so many people in other countries, but I think we could do a better job of helping homeless adults and children in this country.

 

[lovepurple]

There is a guy who stands with a sign saying he is homeless down the street from my son's school every day. He is usually smoking a cigarette. Our city has its regulars on several street corners. Some of them work in shifts. I don't give to any of them. I did have a scary encounter late one evening when I was pulling into a Wendy's parking lot with my daughter, before I could even get out of the car a guy was right there with some story about needing bus money to get to another state because his mom was sick. I told him I had no cash, which was true by the way, and he got angry and started getting closer to me almost like he was trying to get into my car. I quickly closed to door and left. Now I look around before I open my door in parking lots.
I give to the food bank often. I don't give to the people on the street. Plus I really never carry cash with me anymore.

 

[nutterbutter2010]

When DH and I went to London several years back, there were A LOT of homeless people. We never gave them money, but would go into the little shops and buy then a sandwich or something. We always gave to the ones with a dog.

 

[waltskids]

DH and I do not give money to homeless people, but have given food in the past and we find the men and women to be very grateful. Last time my
8th grade students were on a field trip in Philly we encountered many homeless people, and after we ate lunch at the Bourse building, many of the kids had bought sandwiches and handed them out to the same people we passed going to lunch. One man had tears in his eyes because he was so thankful for the kind gesture. I was so proud of them that day.

 

[sunlver]

NO, I never give money or food to homeless people on the street. Call me rude, or insensitive, but I feel it is enabling them to keep doing it. I do donate to the Salvation Army at Christmas and I donate money to other organizations, but NEVER to anybody on the street..

With that said, back in the summer I Was driving out of the parking lot of the local grocery store with my 2 girls. I saw a homeless man and his small dog sitting on the sidewalk. This is an area I dont normally see homeless people. As I was driving away I said to my daughter "Do we have those boxes of dog treats back there?"(on a side note.. I volunteer with an all breeds doggie rescue, and many times I have 5 or 6 boxes of dogtreats that are donated to the group that I take home to my foster dog). My daughter looks and said we had boxes back there. SO, I turned the van around and told my daughter to go out and give the man a box of dogtreats for his dog...she did,and the man looked at me and thanked me about 5 times. He opened the box and started feeding his dog. The man was VERY skinny..the dog was very healthy looking. My guess, he makes sure that dog is fed.Anyways, I have never seen the man since, and often think about him and his dog.

 

[robinb]

When DH and I went to London several years back, there were A LOT of homeless people.

We travel quite a bit and the largest homeless population I ever saw was in Vancouver, BC. I think it's because the weather is quite mild all year round. This was after we had been to Seattle ... Vancouver was much, much worse.

We never gave them money, but would go into the little shops and buy then a sandwich or something. We always gave to the ones with a dog.

Now the people with the dogs bug me. If have to "spange" to feed yourself then why in the world would you take on the responsibility of an animal? I'm sorry ... you don't have a home and you don't have a job but you have a PET?!?! I think a lot of people are more softer hearted when there is a dog involved and the dog works harder than the human.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

Yeah, I give. A few bucks is not going to change my life, but it might help someone for an hour or two.

I used to carry packs of McDonald gift certificates and give those away.

I have also forfeited my mittens on really cold days.

 

[monkey68]

Never, I live in NY, if I gave to every homeless person I saw, I would be broke. Call me cruel and heartless, I'll donate to legit charities and organizations, but I won't give to some random person on the street who chances are will use it to buy alcohol or drugs. I've seen people turn down offers for food too many times to think they all are really down on their luck.

 

[Free4Life11]

Never. I might as well just throw my money in the garbage.

http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=84523

 

[SNylund]

I spoke with a police officer one time who had part of his responsibilities to keep up with the local homeless and keep them out of certain areas. He was saying that about 99.9999% of them, were what he called "professional homeless." They choose to do this as their lifestyle choice and they don't take legitimate help that is out there, like shelters, that help you get back on your feet and find a job etc. He said that the ones he dealt with were almost all professional con men plus drug addicts, alcoholics etc. He actually told me not to give them money unless I didn't mind it being spent on crack or nighttrain.

Then there are the ones I see in the WalMart parking lot almost everytime I go. The same people always have the same story. "I ran out of gas and I can't get home, I'm stranded can you give me some money for gas?"
After about the 2nd or 3rd time of hearing this same story I busted them out and told them this was the same story they gave me last week. They realized they got caught in their lie and said "sorry" and just walked off.

 

[WDWBarb]

I do, but have only started when I went to work for my current boss. He's extremely generous and gives money to lots of people in need. I've seen him open his wallet many, many times. I asked him once how he knew for sure he wasn't being scammed, or that the people he was giving money to were really going to use it for food or shelter instead of alcohol or something else?

He said, "It's not up to me to decide. If they are lying, or trying to take advantage of me, it's shame on them. Not me."

And that's what I love about my boss. If you see him out and about, you'll hear all kinds of people call his name and wave - from CEO's to homeless people. He smiles and speaks to them all.

So now I will give money to homeless people and I do feel good about it.

 

[java]

Sometimes yes sometimes no.

Depends where I am and what is going on. In San Francisco we had a homeless man hang out with us for the morning in the park. We shared a breakfast with him and he was our friend for the morning. We bought him a coffee and he said it was the first time in months that he got to "order" a coffee the way he liked. He cried. we cried. He was really a nice guy. Just down on his luck. I believed him. And honestly don't care if he was lying. We had a nice morning in San Francisco.

I am from NY. Commuted for years. I always saw this little old woman down on wall street. She was so very very old. and would be standing outside in the freezing cold. I just gave her $$. I'm sure she did ok over there. But still it did break my heart seeing her. I couldn't just walk by.

 

[omghidanielle]

I will once in a while......but I've had too many bad experiences with very bad people that have tainted my opinion. I am all for donating and food drives, but handouts are a completely different story.

I went to a Dunkin Donuts in the train station one more with a co-worker once and this kid, carrying a cup of coffee, came up to us, and asked us for some money so he could buy a donut. My co-worker freaked out on him and said "Oh yeah? Where did you get that giant coffee? Why didn't you use your brain and get a smaller coffee so you could get yourself a donut? No...we're not giving you ****" He wasn't happy and started to argue with her about whether or not it was her business what size his coffee was.

Another time, while riding the subway home, a guy was begging through the station. He walked from end to end, saying "I'm hungry, I'm homless, please help me, I haven't eaten in 3 days" over and over again. The night before, he was at this stop and used this same line and someone gave him a whole bag of pretzels (so I know he's eaten recently!), but what's special about this guy, is what he says to you when you ignore him or give him money instead of food. If you ignore him, he will call you just about any godawful name he can think of or say that he hopes something very disgusting happens to you. If you give him money, he will FREAK OUT and yell at you that that was NOT what he asked you for....but then keep the money.

This specific time, everyone on the platform was groaning when he showed up and this must have made him angry, because when he got on the (jam-packed) train and started his BS, he REALLY lashed out on people.

I was standing shoulder-to-throat with just about everyone, and he came to me and asked for food, when I said no, he asked the girl next to me, when she said no, he walked halfway around us, put his head between ours, and with his mouth right next to both of our ears, and shouted "I F***** HATE F****WHITE B*****"

The entire train just started screaming at him and pushed him off. He was there every single night that week, but I haven't seen him since.