People begging at the traffic light (Page 3)

Once I was buying gas and a young lady approached me about not  having any money and being stranded and needed gas to get home. I made the mistake of giving her a $20 bill instead of actually putting gas in her car. She took my $20 bill and walked inside the store, walked back to the back, around the aisles and then back out the front door and jumped in a car and took off. I learned my lesson on that one.

A friend of mine in the construction industry told a fellow standing at an intersection with a sign, that he had some work that needed to be done on a job site. Clean up mostly, picking up debris and loading into a trailer etc. The guy told him he didn't have time????

I know that I'm a blessed person for that I am very thankful.  Everytime I'm approached I give what I have in my pocket.  I am certainly better off than the guy asking and I can spare some to help out.

If the money goes to help them feel a little better in their dismal position then I'm okay with that too.  Who am I to judge.  I guess it was my upbringing to try and be helpful.

I NEVER EVER give on the street and I KNOW I'm doing the right thing.

Here is why, most homeless people have problems, serious problems.  Giving them handouts, food, water, money is only prolonging their suffering.  This is because so long as they can eak out a miserable existence they will not seek services that would actually help them.  Places that give away stuff without actually having a relationship and trying to get to the root of the homelessness are just as bad; they also merely extend the problem and don't help the people into a truly better life.

What I do is I give to organizations that are truly trying to enact systemic changes and get these people real help.  Organizations that I would help are ones that help the clients who are in crisis get housing, mental services, and medical services.  An organization committed to more than the next meal, but instead willing to put in the effort to get the people moved from the streets into permanent housing, finding stable work, and services for their needs.  There may be a very small few for whom begging on the streets leads to a good healthy lifestyle, but for the vast majority it is a miserable existence and giving to them is only postponing their search for services that can help.