I have on occasion given a few dollars to a homeless person who was standing on the street asking for food money. I just hate the thought of someone going hungry.
Then I saw this documentary a few years ago about the homeless in Las Vegas where a news crew hung out with over a dozen homeless people and they showed the crew how they made money, how much they made and what their life was really like.
Most the the homeless people they followed had homes and a car and wore old stinky clothes and held signs that read "Homeless need money for food"
They showed the crew that they were making upwards of $100 a day and when they made enough they would walk around the block, get int heir car and drive home.
Some of the people said they couldn't get a job because they were felons, made more money pan handling or were drug addicts and couldn't hold down a job.
It was sad but it also made me mad.
So the next time I saw a homeless person asking for money for food I asked them if they would like a burger from the fast food place I was going to. Only one time out of 4 did the guy say yes. All the other guys said they would rather have the money which they did not get.
Now I realize not all homeless have cars, a home or are going to use the money for drugs, booze ect.. but if I offer to buy them food you would think they would be happy to accept it and that's not always the case because some of them are scam artists and don't want food, they want the money for other reasons.
I think if someone wants to help the real homeless that actually need the help, they should give money to the shelters, food banks, chow halls, and homeless shelters that help the homeless in their area.
I had a friend at office once (one of the guys with rats as pets), who too used to do the same thing: offering food instead of money. It is very insightful on your part.
ReplyDeleteHave to have money first, but yeah doesn't surprise me.
ReplyDeleteI remember an episode of Kind of the Hill about that. lol.
ReplyDeleteBut, nope, I rarely give money to anyone. I never carry cash. So even the poor Girl Scouts get nothing from me. lol
Mostly the ones who need it are too embarrassed to ask for it. It's definitely better to give to charities. ~Miriam
ReplyDeleteI saw the same show, and I agree...give your donation to the proper agencies. If they are truly homeless, they know how to find them.
ReplyDeleteI was going to the store one afternoon and a young kid asked me if I wanted my car windows washed, I said...no thank you. He was armed with Windex and a roll of paper towels.
When I was finished shopping, he was still there looking for work, I simply handed him a couple of dollars and said...God Bless You. He started to cry. The young man was probably about 17 or 18 yrs. old and on a bike. I kept thinking while shopping of his eyes when I said no thank you, and felt personally, it was the right thing to do. That was an exception from me.
I've given homeless people food, but I never have any money to give, even if I wanted to.
ReplyDeleteI'll offer food instead as well but will not give cash. I don't want to be part of any drug or alcohol problem if they have one. Plus, I saw a show on one of hte news programs that showed how a lot of younger people are doing the same thing that you described.
ReplyDeleteI figure if you're truly homeless, you'll want to eat and chances are you're hungry. If you have a home and are doing it for a living ... you probably have a full belly.
I stopped giving the 'homeless' money when one of the persons begging started yelling at me because I wouldn't give him anything. I tried giving food to some guy who was behind the place I worked one day, only to come out that night and find it left on the ground (which annoyed me, because I could have had it for a snack that night, lol). I go places to find things on sale or gas stations with lower costs so my feeling is that I am not going through all of that trouble to save just so I can hand it to some person who isn't willing to work the way I have to. I don't mind sharing what I have but I like to choose who I give it to without being given a guilt trip over it.
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