A crisis of conscience

No. With giving money to institutions (soup kitchens, overnight shelters, outreach ministries, what have you), the money has a lot better chance to do what you want it to -- and this includes work programs to get them off the streets as well as immediate needs. For the most part, homeless people have the opportunity to go to those shelters or programs and elect to stay on the streets begging, and while apparently some people can actually make some coin doing so, from my observations people don't get much.

Put another way: giving money to a person on the street is like dropping a gold nugget in a tapped riverbed so a prospector will keep mining in vain. Maybe that's not the intent, but it's likely the outcome. They're not going to solve their problems by street begging, and giving them money only encourages them to stay out there. Unless you plan on giving someone enough money to get out of trouble.

 

You're probably right, but giving them the money makes me feel better (Like someone else said). Is there anything wrong with that?

 

No, but if you feel guilty because you don't think you're giving street beggars enough, that's probably overboard.

 

Street Begger have no life why give them a hand out and not a hand up.

 

You know, sometimes I walk away and wonder if the guy was an angel just testing me.

Then I think about how, whenever newspapers show pictures of homeless people, they're standing there with a cigarette in one hand, a beer in the other, and a dog on a leash, and I think, "Sheesh."

Then I wonder if it is up to me to even judge them in the first place.

Same thing with the lady walking tiredly home with a small sack of groceries in her hand, or the kids walking to school in the rain.

If I stop and offer them a lift, I become a pedophile and a description of my car is on the 6 o'clock news. Then I remember the woman and son who stopped and offered my sister and I a ride to school when we were in the middle of a 3-mile walk in a torrential downpour (lazy mom -- long story). But that was 1982, when fear wasn't as much a factor.

 

it's your kindness you're considering doling out. yes, it is fair to judge who you help and who you don't help (in your own mind).

 

What is this, bad poetry slam night?

 

I don't think there's a point in judging the homeless. Clearly, something happened in their lives to force them onto the street. Why judge them? To feel some sense of superiority?

 

obviously you already judged all homeless people in order to come up with that sentiment.