Ask Lemmy

I been on the bottom rung. So I know that kind of living. And because of that I help when I'm able to.

As someone who's been homeless, I deride the term beggar. Still, It depends, If I have something on me I can part with. A joint, a cigarette sure. Got a fairly annoying allergy that means I often wind up with some food stuff I can't eat. If I have bills they can have cash. Change is kinda worthless here. If someone looks hungry, I'll give them something. But there's so many now in the area, you can't help everyone.

I won't help every time, but if someone asks and I'm feeling generous, I usually stop and talk for a few mins and hand them $10-20, no strings attached. I'm not the ethics police and if they buy insulin or liquor doesn't matter to me as much as them getting the impression that they aren't invisible and people want to see them prosper. It's too easy to see myself in their situation for me to be an asshole about it. Most of us are only an accident or bad decision away from homelessness and poverty.

If I had infinite money I would give it all away but my real opinion is a lot more closed-hearted.

I grew up in a drug town in the US and over time my will to help just died.

I knew some people in active addiction and every time we were out they would notice someone begging and say “hey, I know them! I have used with them. They are NOT homeless” or something to that effect.

I have seen people use their kids as props. I have seen people leave the corner and hop in their expensive af vehicle. I have seen people rob whoever stopped to help them. The list goes on and on.

It’s genuinely unsafe to get involved. Sure, most people aren’t like that but I can’t tell the difference and it only takes one. Besides that, if I gave a dollar to everyone who asked, I would have nothing left. I have to worry about me and mine.

Maybe if I grew up in a safer neighborhood I would feel differently but you don’t un-learn survival and I stopped carrying cash all together because of this.

If they ask and I have it, sure. People will say "I don't want my money going towards drugs and alcohol" to which I say "who cares?" once you hand it over it's not yours anymore, let them do with it what they want. Their lives are already shit as is so what do I care if my $2 coin is going to go buy them a beer...oh no a single beer, they'll get wasted!

Others will say "but you're just encouraging it" my guy I live in a city of millions not everyone is handing out twonies to homeless people, it's not going to cause a massive increase in drug use or alcoholism.

I prefer donating to food banks etc. That's a good tradeoff between helping people eat and not feeding addiction or encouraging begging. I want a world where anybody struggling just goes to the next food bank and shelter and won't freeze, won't go hungry and find assistance to improve his situation. The cost for these things is so little and it helps so much.

I've been couch surfing homeless before and that was rough enough. People begging for money have it way tougher. Just because there might possibly be someone who has a house and a car behind for money doesn't mean it's a scam, they might also be desperate for money despite having those things.

Begging for money isn't very lucrative.

If you have the cash and want to help, go ahead and toss that starfish, but if you don't want to don't pretend you're taking the high road.

Policy wise, this has always been my hill to die on. Giving the homeless money directly is my exclusive form of charity. Because I don't want some capitalist on some bragging rights philanthropy board getting part of my donation as part of their six figure board salary. They've done enough.

A large homeless population is a symbol of a failed society's crimes against itself.

If a society doesn't exist to take care of its people from the worst off upward at all times, it is without a benevolent point and it's existence is without worth.

The homeless in the US are the US's greatest domestic victims, left to die horribly of exposure and ~~police~~ capital defense force brutality for the crime of failing to become model exploitation vessels for our robber Barron's insatiable greed disease.

Most of them should have conditionless basic housing, the worst off should be inpatient mental health wards of our society, as they are us whether we hate them or not. But we aren't willing to pay for that. Even though mass homelessness is not inevitable with good policy and funding.

Worse still, many non wealthy Americans hate them for lowering their... 🤮... Property values. This all goes back go us being a society in name only. We're more a bunch of exploited, deluded peasants at each other's throats for robber Baron scraps as they use their media and their captured government for blaming their greatest victims, those people under your local freeways and tent cities, for their avarice fueled malice.

Communism may starve human nature, but capitalism indulges and gluts humanity's worst, most vile impulses exclusively. It breeds sociopathy as a desirable choice.

And considering the depths our homeless have been brought to by the society that betrayed them, I genuinely do not care if they spend it on food or shelter or alcohol or drugs or whatever will give them even a moment of solace/escape/peace from what we have done to them.

You do you, but I can't imagine it would improve their situation. I also don't trust people. It sounds horrible but I've been taken advantage of before and I won't let it happen again.

Anyone willing to do that probably needs the cash more than I do. Who am I to say? If I can spare it, I share it. If I can't, I still try to give a little of my time to recognize them as a fellow human being, because I know begging or just being destitute in general feels dehumanizing.

A lot of them have drug or alcohol problems. I don't want to fund their self destructive behaviour. I'm more than happy to give money to homeless shelters, food banks and other related charities.

My thinking is that as long as I'm given the choice, I'd rather be scammed out of $20 than fail to help someone who legitimately needs it.

Occasionally I will say "how much more to get some product" followed immediately by "how much ya got". If they show change in their palm or otherwise engage honestly, I'll usually top them up. Have your beer dude, if your life is so crummy this is what you need to feel OK go ahead. Never ever ever ever ever ever ever give to somebody that claims they are hungry because that is a bald-faced lie.

But generally the way I give is to check on the addicts in the bus shelter during extreme winter nights, bring them hot/cold water, supplies to plug wind holes and otherwise keep it warmer, plus whatever I salvage in my travels. In summer I maintain the community "ice water" zone which is just at the stump of a tree, but now that all the people in the hood know it's there, it's raided continually. I honestly can't keep up as I just have a tiny freezer but it's replenished as often as reasonable for me. The community chips in now as well... they've started to bring lidded takeout cups and plastic bottles and leave them there so I don't have to constantly scout containers.

As a short woman who can't run fast, it depends on how safe the situation feels. In general, I keep moving if there's someone coming out and approaching people, because some of those folks can switch from a scam to a purse-snatch/assault in a flash. But I've occasionally tucked a 20 into the cart of a woman sleeping on the sidewalk, and I don't care what they spend it on. I donate monthly to my local food bank as well of course.

Where I live, there are a lot of people who hold signs on the side of the road and the end of off ramps. I'm a funeral director, and I've had to cremate homeless people who got hit doing that. It makes me very anxious to see someone running across traffic to grab a dollar from someone three lanes over.

So that in particular bothers me pretty bad

I don't like giving money to the homeless, that's why every month I make some grab bags, usually five or six because we have a few spots where people panhandle in my city. I based the grab bags off the weather, sometimes a cheap hat or shirt or sandals in the summer, and in the winter things like beanies scarves or gloves. Then throw some plant-based protein bars in there maybe a little candy, You will definitely want things that won't spoil in the heat of the car. Then a couple self-care items like some travel toothpaste and toothbrushes, chapstick gum that sort of thing.

When I can, I do. Life is difficult enough without having to beg to survive. Don't give a damn what they spend it on. Just want them to have what little comfort it can afford

What someone buys with the money I give them is none of my business. These people are suffering, of course buying drugs and alcohol is a possibility. People get drunk at the bar for less.

Some people talk like giving these folks money keeps them in their situation. As if the threat of death and nobody caring if they disappear will magically spring them up with motivation to find a job. Nope. But I agree that our current system of leaving it to the generosity of strangers isn’t effective. We need more housing-first programs, with access to therapy.

I should more than I do. It's a good thing to give when you're able.

If someone is trying to do the most good with their money, it seems logical to give via an organization that distributes the funds according to a plan. To instead hand out money to people closest at hand seems it could be motivated more by trying to make me feel good than to actually make a difference.

Furthermore, there are larger scale systemic issues. Begging takes up a lot of time. It becomes a problem if it pays someone enough to outcompete more productive use of time that could, in some cases, pay, and in other cases, at least be more useful: childcare/teaching kids, home maintenance, cooking, cleaning, etc. In contrast, state welfare programs and aid organizations usually do not condition help on that the receiver has to sit idle for long times to receive help. Add to this that begging really only works in crowded areas, which may limit the possibility to relocate somewhere where living might be more sustainable. Hence, in the worst case, handing out money to those who begs for it could actually add to the difficulty for people stuck in a very difficult situation to get out of it.

This "analysis" of course skips over the many, many individual circumstances that get people into a situation where begging seems the right choice. What we should be doing is investing public funds even heavier in social programs and other aids to (1) avoid as much as possible that people end up in these situations; and (2) get people out of these situations as effectively as possible.

i am poor myself and am fully aware of the assistance options available in my area. sitting on the corner with a sign is not a good solution to poverty. i will happily pay 10$ for a rose or cup of mango slices, but sitting around and guilt tripping money out of people that are just trying to get to work or focus on the road is not an ethical use of peoples time imo, no matter how poor you are.

I give money if I can afford to and it's for charity, or a person asking for themselves. I don't give if I can't afford it, or if it's the police. They really should be getting funded through taxes.

I never give cash. I've personally had to provide emergency service for ODs that came directly from someone's "last fix".

My GF donates to the food bank at the end of our street when she finds a great deal on an item.

I don't agree with it for two specific reasons, non is a judgement of character or moral failings:

1. If you are willing to give a beggar any amount, those dollars would be far more useful in the hands of a good organization whose aim is helping people. Want to feed them? Give them food or donate to the food back. Want to clothe them? Give to a shelter.
2. The reality is that these people are likely not capable adults due to a variety of reasons (no judgement). They are not capable making good decisions for their own well-being and giving them money is fueling an unhealthy choice, like short term happiness for long term pain and potentially death.

My belief is that we should mitigate suffering, help them live good lives, and set them up to be contributing members of society, and that isn't accomplished by randomly giving people money.

I give food or consumables only.

• canned food
• dry food
• fast food
• Gatorade mix
• multi-vitamins
• socks
• clothes
• coats
• water bottles
• life straws
• soap
• sanitary wipes
• dry shampoo

I will not give to anyone who panhandles in dangerous locations. I will not give to people who stop me.

the only time I will give cash is if they have kids with them and I have seen them interact positively with the kids.

there's one woman in my area that has her three kids with her. she's everywhere in town. she does not have positive interactions with the kids. one day I saw her and the kids sneaking back to a parked escalade in a park across from where they were at. very nice, new, and clean. clearly she is using her kids for sympathy. this is why I have that rule.

I'm getting the very minimum basic income aid, I'm struggling too so I dont give 🤷

Depends on how they behave. If they get right up in my face and immediately tell me their whole life story how they're sick and hungry and have twenty children to feed, I'm usually skeptical. On the other hand, if someone is polite and especially if they ask for food instead of money, I'm more inclined to help.

Overall, I'm happy to help those who really need it but I've had too many bad experiences with people who were in it out of greed more than necessity. Prime example, some time last year I was on my way home from a vacation and had to wait at the train station for a couple of minutes when a guy came up to me and asked me for money because he was hungry. I told him I had no cash with me but I could get him a sandwich from a nearby vending machine where I can pay with my credit card. On the way to the vending machine, he asked me if something from the bakery at the other end of the station would also be okay. That was already a bit weird but okay. I left my partner and my luggage at the platform and took him to the bakery. On the way there, he pointed out that there was an ATM where I could get cash for him which I refused, then at the bakery he asked me for two of the most expensive snack they had plus something to drink, a total of over 20€. Quite the difference between that and the 4€ sandwich I had initially agreed to. The whole situation was so uncomfortable, I can't even remember what I got him in the end. And from the way he acted, I wouldn't be surprised if he just threw away the food once I was out of sight and asked the next person for money.

It's sad. There are so many people who ask for what they need and are genuinely happy when they get help and then there are greedy assholes like that guy. And because I usually can't tell the difference at a glance, I'm often overly careful and don't help even though I feel I should.

There are a lot of homeless people that stand on the side of roads with signs asking for charity where I live. There is almost an equal amount of people who do it as a "job" and take turns being on shift with their buddies before they walk to a nearby parking lot and drive back home at the end of the day. They usually do not accept food if offered. Actual needy people will gladly take food. If I were to give cash to someone, I'd offer food first.

Here they are always on street corners. I never give money because I don't want to encourage unsafe behavior, as our streets are pretty high-speed. I would much rather provide to the shelters.

Donate money to your local food banks, homeless shelters, or any other non-profit that has a good reputation for assisting those in need.

If someone approaches you asking for money, absolutely under no circumstances should you give it to them. Be sure to say that you do not carry cash to give them. Then if you are feeling that you need to give to them, then offer a meal or buy groceries using a credit card. You'll find that most of them will decline.

They are using YOUR GUILT to get their next drug fix most of the time. That guilt is artificial and the result of manipulation techniques they are employing against you. It is rather contemptible to be perfectly frank.

I don't give. I donate to organizations that give, but I don't give direct. I'm not particularly trusting that it's going to the right place. I'm not interested in buying you a beer, and I don't believe the train ticket story, because I've heard it a million times.

My wife works with the homeless. She gets them housed. My wife found a dude who shed gotten housed out busking telling people he was homeless. It's happened more than once.

If you're going to give to a person, give to an organization.

I say, it's your money, make the choice yourself. I'd rather donate time and money to an org like Food Not Bombs where they can use the same amount of money to help more people. But, let's face it, I'm too busy these days to find the time to volunteer. So for me, if I have money--and I usually don't--I'll give them what I feel like I can.