Do you give money to the homeless?

[Guy Fawkes]

To clarify: do you give money to people begging on the street? This does not include charity foundations or buskers who play music.

[Left Is Write]

1. No.

I bought a guy lunch and hot coffee once.

[politicat]

2. Food certificates.

Recommended by the Local VA Hospital. There are several healthy fast food franchises on the strip where the homeless congregate in my two cities, and they sell certificates or cards. I buy 20 or so in cards or certificates and give those out, about enough for a meal.

Most of the homeless in Denver-Boulder have serious mental health issues, and if they are on meds, then booze and drugs aren't going to react well with their meds; if they're not on meds, then that sort of self-medication is not going to help.

[ForrestGump]

3. I give homes to the

moneyless.

I wish.

[ScreamingMeemie]

4. Somehow I know you would do that if you could.

:hug:

[ForrestGump]

7. It'd be nice, wouldn't it?

Unfortunately, that's a part of Elvis I'm not able to impersonate right now. :-)

[AlienGirl]

5. Yes

It is a gift; it is not my place to determine how it is spent. If I accidentally give money to a faker, it is his shame and not mine that he scammed me.

Food coupons and lunches are well and good, but they can't buy a motel room for the night or a mail drop-box to use as an address on a job application. And if I were homeless, I'd probably want a beer too...

Tucker

[politicat]

19. We go on VA recommendations on this one because of the numbers...

in the area. Denver has one of the largest VA hospitals in the US, and thus tends to attract vets who may or may not be able to maintain their stability. Since a lot are still under care, I do not want to undermine that care; my dad's a vet who has mental issues arising from his service and I know how easily it is for something as simple as a bottle to undermine that care. The YMCA still has a residence hall in the area, so we have, from time to time, purchased a week's shelter there and gifted it to someone.

In Boulder, the shelter has overflow space on very cold nights as well as their regular space. We give a lot to that shelter, and buy heavy sleeping bags in the spring when they go on clearance and give them to the shelter.

The problem in my area is that we have a decent number of trustafarians - relatively rich young'uns who choose to panhandle, then hop in mom's SUV and go off to soccer practice. It has become fashionable to be poor and homeless among the rich and well-housed, and it is often difficult to tell the difference for a layperson. (Not a problem with older folks, who get the majority of our gifts.)

[Ptah]

20. Thank you.

:hug:

[China_cat]

6. No, but I do give money

to the group that provides homeless families with apartments...more than just a shelter setup. That way I know it's going where it's really needed.

[Broken_Hero]

8. always/whenever I can...

I'm a sucker for it...I just can't walk/drive by without dropping off a few bucks...

[REP]

9. I Give Other Stuff

Packs of cigarettes, clothes, food, pet food (to folks with animals), a handsfree headset to a guy who has a cell phone, help with their SSD paperwork, coffee ... I've been mugged/attacked too many times to feel comfortable displaying money in public to strangers, but I'm glad to pass on anything else that I have that might help the local guys (they're all guys in my area) that I see all the time.

[pitohui]

10. no i just can't

when i was homeless i was incapable of just walking up to people and begging and in any case because of my size, gender, youth it would have been an invitation to rape, so there's a basic feeling of unfairness there i guess

i get no hand-outs in life, so why should they?

plus because i'm still female and small even if i'm no longer young, i just don't think it's wise to be fumbling with my purse on the street or to be known as someone with cash

so i just don't do it

i guess if more help had been extended to me, as opposed to creeps trying to take advantage of the situation to get sex, then i might have a different attitude

i know, i'm mean and all that, but i'm assuming you wanted the real answer, not some made-up answer

i think a lot of women don't give because they don't feel safe when confronted by homeless guys, it's just the way the world is

[AlienGirl]

11. Crabs in a bucket

Not mean, just human nature. Very, very human.

[pitohui]

12. yes i'm afraid so

it's a metaphor that often springs to mind

[JI7]

13. sometimes, and always when it's a kid

but i don't always do. if someone begs me personally i am more likely to give than if it's someone holding up a sign or asking in general to anyone.

[Ptah]

14. Most of the time because it was only three years ago that I was homeless

Welcome home

[CaliforniaPeggy]

17. ......

:hug:

[Ptah]

18. .

:hug:

[MnFats]

15. I do unless i really really smell a scam...

...sometimes even if I think maybe it's a scam...i figure 'what the hell? its' only a couple of bux."

anyway, if you have a "Loaves & Fishes" program in your community, recommend it to them. Here they serve a great hot meal, no questions asked...just come on in...they deserve your support...

[Redstone]

16. When we see someone with a "will work for food" sign, we always

go to the store, buy a sandwich, and give it to him.

Redstone

[u4ic]

21. If someone asks me,

(which is typically what happens here) the vast majority of the time I will give them something. The only time I don't is if I only have bills of $10 or more...no change or loonies/toonies...I don't have much myself and can't afford to give away that much.

[HEyHEY]

22. Yeah - especially the regulars

Around work the usual guys I'm familiar with. They don't always ask for money. sometimes we just chat.

[LiberalHeart]

23. I never give money if someone asks.

I feel threatened when approached. But when I spot a need and I'm the one who can approach, I give money, food, blankets. Many times I've been walking home from a pizza restaurant after picking up a carry-out pizza and didn't make it home with it. I hand the pizzas to someone who looks down on his/her luck. I've never been turned down when offering such things -- except once by a homeless man for whom I had arrange some housing. He was puzzled, asked me why in the world he'd want to sleep indoors; told me sleeping outdoors in the middle of winter is pleasant if you're dressed for it. So I gave him blankets, long underwear, thermal socks, a knit hat, gloves.

[Heidi]

24. I've never seen any homeless here,

but I do give money, occasionally, to the Roma in the parking lot of our shopping center. :shrug:

[Wetzelbill]

25. I know some homeless guys

they come over sometimes. I give them some food, loan them a buck or two.

[sakabatou]

26. I do bag lunches at my shul every month

If I'm on the street, if I have anything, I'll sometimes give leftovers from a meal.