Comments on: Giving to the homeless?

By: LivingAlmostLarge

LivingAlmostLarge — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:12:42 +0000

Perhaps your $5 would be better spent buying medical supplies to be handed out. Or given to a doctor providing free medical care, which my dad did. He got free supplies from other doctors who didn’t do the work.

I’d have to argue that $5 to bandages, medicines, etc is more useful than nicotine. But perhaps they don’t want to live longer on the streets.

By: fitwallet

fitwallet — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:37:24 +0000

Saying homeless people are savvy is hardly an insult–it’s tough living on the street, and I give people credit for surviving there. It takes skill and knowledge to do so.

You continue to give in your own way; I will continue to give in mine. Personally, I believe advocating for the homeless (as a career or volunteer work) or giving donations to social service organizations is much more effective and realistic. But I’m not going to criticize someone else’s choice to give people money on the street. Hey, it’s your money.

By: Kerry

Kerry — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:23:02 +0000

You can’t be paid to be compassionate, even if you are a social worker. Making sweeping generalizations is NOT compassionate. I believe that saying homeless people are savvy and not paying for food with donations is like saying black people are lazy and shouldn’t be hired. Following it up with saying you are a social worker makes it far worse in my opinion.

You give a guy $5 and he buys a pack of smokes. So what? Maybe he already had his free bowl of slop from the shelter and wasn’t hungry, just craving nicotine.

By: Livingalmostlarge

Livingalmostlarge — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:13:36 +0000

Kerry, I 100% agree with fitwallet, probably because my mom was a social worker. And like I stated earlier I don’t tithe either.

But I volunteer at a women’s shelter and food bank. So people do come for free meals. And I guess based on where my mom lives there are many homeless people “working” the system.

She doesn’t approve of drugs and has connections where she can get people into shelters instead of petty cash. And she gives them vouchers for meals, but many will try and sell those vouchers.

Compassion isn’t giving homeless people $$$$. You can have compassion withou cash. Otherwise basically you are saying only people who give money are compassionate. And in truth, sometimes the poorest people give the most and have the most compassion.

By: fitwallet

fitwallet — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:16:14 +0000

Not trying to start a debate here, but suggesting I don’t have any compassion because I don’t hand out change on the street will get my attention I’m a social worker–my job is to be compassionate, and get paid very poorly for it. I am well aware “these are fellow human beings” because I serve them everyday. Still, I would rather spend 40 hours a week providing housing counseling to low-income and homeless people (as I do) than give change out to people on the street. I go home at night feeling good about what I do. And no, I don’t feel an ounce of guilt when someone tells me a sob story on the street and I don’t give them any money. If they’d like to know, I tell them where the nearest police station, homeless shelter, or food pantry is.

By: Kerry

Kerry — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:07:35 +0000

So the homeless are only entitled to food and necessities?

I used to work at the shelter, and it also changed my opinion. Sometimes food and shelter are NOT available.

It surprises me how many people are commenting that they don’t give. Wow, just wow. These are fellow human beings, let’s have some compassion.

By: fitwallet

fitwallet — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:38:26 +0000

I don’t give anything to homeless people–period. I used to give change now and then, but working in social services (serving many homeless and imminently homeless people every day) has completely changed my perspective. I know where the money is going (hint: not for food!), and I also know if they’re that hard-up and hungry, there are soup kitchens, shelters, and food pantries they can access. Is it a perfect system? Absolutely not. But trust me, homeless people are VERY savvy, and at least in my city, they know where to go to get food and necessities.

By: JoeTaxpayer

JoeTaxpayer — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 14:08:14 +0000

I once heard this story.
Two Rabbis are walking down Broadway, and the first one hands a dollar to one homeless man after the next. The second says “I won’t give directly to any panhandler, on the chance that one of them is just looking to buy alcohol.” The first one says, “I won’t just pass any by, with the hope that just one will actually buy himself a bite to eat.” I’m more in camp with Erin above.

On more than one occasion, I’ve asked “haven’t you eaten yet, today?” and taken someone into a fast food place. Some sad stories they’ve shared.
Joe

By: Jen

Jen — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 08:15:29 +0000

We donate money to the local shelter monthly. Not only that our donation is tax-deductable, we can also be fairly certain that our money is going toward shelter and food for those in need. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.

By: Monica

Monica — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 04:11:21 +0000

I don’t give money to panhandlers. I donate to charities, including charities that give aid to the destitute. I believe that organized charity is more effective than private charity. It seems like giving money in response to street begging would encourage it, and I don’t want to do that–it doesn’t help the panhandlers, nor their communities. Instead I want to encourage organized charities, especially charities that will help them get on their feet and find longer-term solutions to their difficulties. Teach a man to fish and all that.