Don't Give Homeless People Money. Here's An Alternative.

[Alpende]

I don't give them money for the simple reason I don't carry cash. And if I do, I don't give it either because I have the feeling they're gonna spend it on drugs anyway.

Reading this thread it seems like there is no right answer. Some say give them food, others say give them money.

Posts like this are disgusting tbh, the condescending way some of y'all look down on your fellow human beings is heartbreaking at times.

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Isn't it condescending of the homeless man / woman for cursing somebody out that's offering aid in the form of food and water? It goes both ways.

 

[Foffy]

If giving them money truly is the best way to do things, then why is it usually, if not always, becomes something that charities, social workers, government institution, etc, do not recommend anyone actually doing?

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Because it encroaches on what they do. The same reason some of the biggest opposers to concepts like UBI are actual labor unions and welfare administrators. That and the myth that the homeless use it for vice anywhere and everywhere.

Think of the homeless like flood victims. Sure, you may have specific resources they can use, and that is indeed helpful, but sometimes the needs of people go beyond specific material resources that we might assume they need. Who are we to figure out the resources they need on a day-to-day life? We're not homeless, we're not them. Much better to give them a resource that allows better access to resources then.

 

[astro]

Isn't it condescending of the homeless man / woman for cursing somebody out that's offering aid in the form of food and water? It goes both ways.

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That's not what condescending means, no.

 

[Maurice Hamblin]

Why do so many of you care so much about the choices of a person you'll never see or think about again? It's very strange.

I mean... I get it to a certain degree but I doubt many of you are volunteering in soup kitchens, or donating to charities (regularly) that will benefit them. But in this one instance you're saying "no I won't give you money because I don't want you to hurt yourself".

I don't get it.

Or are you less concerned about their welfare and instead just mad that would would just use it on drugs? Help me understand.

 

[honest_ry]

Im giving them money.

I give at least £20 a month to a guy on the street i work on.

 

[Deleted member 17402]

I don't give them money for the simple reason I don't carry cash. And if I do, I don't give it either because I have the feeling they're gonna spend it on drugs anyway.

Reading this thread it seems like there is no right answer. Some say give them food, others say give them money.



Isn't it condescending of the homeless man / woman for cursing somebody out that's offering aid in the form of food and water? It goes both ways.

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...they're homeless and feel worthless and helpless. Condescending is not how I would describe someone in such a situation who's at his or her wits' end. No one appreciates being cursed out but surely you can understand why a homeless person might get to that point.

 

[large_gourd]

Why do so many of you care so much about the choices of a person you'll never see or think about again? It's very strange.

I mean... I get it to a certain degree but I doubt many of you are volunteering in soup kitchens, or donating to charities (regularly) that will benefit them. But in this one instance you're saying "no I won't give you money because I don't want you to hurt yourself".

I don't get it.

Or are you less concerned about their welfare and instead just mad that would would just use it on drugs? Help me understand.

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It's a dilemma that looms large in the public imagination, partly because it's so obviously unjust that people have to live this way, and that feeling is fed by the visibility of the problem. I don't think it is really about the homeless people, it's about how it makes us feel about ourselves. It's a simple abstract concept - 'this person has nothing! what will YOU do?' - for people to wrap their heads around and the person in the scenario is completely generic. Depending on your inclination, whether temperamental or political, you'll have some sort of kneejerk reaction - ie, 1) just give them money their lives must be so hard, 2) they'll spend it on drugs my money is too good for that 3) this problem is deeply complex i can't decide blah blah blah.

People just talk about it because it's a simple topic and everyone has some kind of familiarity with it. Everyone has seen a homeless person on the street and at some point they must have had a passing thought about whether they should be doing something. Just something for us to express, to others and to ourselves, how right or how kind we see ourselves as being. Very few people will actually be seriously interested in the problem, and will forget about it entirely until the next thread or the next time they see a homeless person and aren't preoccupied thinking about someone else. If you are seriously interested in it, then you can go and find out what the most helpful things you can do locally are without discussing it with strangers from all over the world online. I don't think that's really the motivation for these kinds of threads.

 

[StreetDisciple]

I've worked in the downtown Houston area on and off for over a decade. I pretty much can tell who actually needs food and who is asking for money for drugs. Some of them I even know by name. This synthetic weed "K2 or Kush" is an epidemic around downtown with many ppl falling out being rushed to the hospital every week. I have never seen it on this scale since being downtown. With that said, I hardly give out money any more because I know there are high chances they are just going to turn around and buy this synthetic crap on the streets. The ones I still give money too, I pretty much have known for years that have mental issues or just need support.

 

[Grim]

It's kinda backwards that people are being told they shouldn't care what someone does with the money they've given them, lol.

As if that person didn't work for that money, as if someone should feel comfortable possibly enabling someone to make their situation worse by indulging in drink or drugs.

Most of the homeless people I've come across (who have approached me) have asked for food which I have given. I walk pass the rest.

 

[Threadkular]

I'm just going to chime in and say I still have no f'ing clue of what to do in these situations. I also can relate to the OP's issue about not wanting to give money due to potentially fueling an addiction (once you've experienced addiction in your life it totally changes/dominates your worldview), yet I know giving money is probably the best hope.

I always had this idea that I would become educated on the community centers or whatever in my area and then would offer though as options to the homeless. Then eventually I looked at it from the flip side (and probably with some healthy/realistic cynicism) and then realized I would've deserved a "fuck you" from the homeless person had I ever done this.

 

[Biggersmaller]

Regarding food: don't bother. The homeless are not starving. There are many places to find free meals. What they need is a bed, socks, shoes, and jackets.

The vast majority of chronically homeless people are either:

1. Mentally ill
2. Drug addicted
3. Both

The working poor single mom or dude simply down on his luck does exist - but it's not what's driving the problem. The minimum wage could be $50 but it would not matter much as most homeless are unemployable. They will inevitably behave inappropriately at work due to illness, will steal for drugs, or will not reliable show. This is the reality.

What the vast majority of homeless need is long-term or (sadly) permanent 24/7 treatment. But of course our broken system would never bother to pay for that. Republicans would rather they end up in a prison or dead.

 

[Keasar]

Find a local food bank and donate money to them. Not food. Money. They use that money to buy food in bigger and cheaper batches, therefore feeding a whole lot of more people. Homeless and poor people will find their help from them then.

 

[astro]

It's kinda backwards that people are being told they shouldn't care what someone does with the money they've given them, lol.

As if that person didn't work for that money, as if someone should feel comfortable possibly enabling someone to make their situation worse by indulging in drink or drugs.

Most of the homeless people I've come across (who have approached me) have asked for food which I have given. I walk pass the rest.

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So let's ignore the fact these people need money to get shit done? And let's just assume they're all going to spend it on drugs instead?

How are they supposed to work themselves out of their position without money?

 

[Horp]

Take that money and give it to an organization that helps in the bigger picture.

 

[Relix]

No money. I don't have cash on me anymore so even if I wanted I couldn't. Very few exceptions. I won't support someone's addiction. If they want food they'll get it though.

 

[Ensorcell]

This thread does being up an interesting trend though. As more and more people start to skip carrying cash on them, I wonder how it will impact homeless people going forward? They must be taking in less and less and it's going to get worse. I know I rarely keep cash on me anymore.

 

[Deleted member 11413]

It's kinda backwards that people are being told they shouldn't care what someone does with the money they've given them, lol.

As if that person didn't work for that money, as if someone should feel comfortable possibly enabling someone to make their situation worse by indulging in drink or drugs.

Most of the homeless people I've come across (who have approached me) have asked for food which I have given. I walk pass the rest.

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The reason is that once you give something, you have no control over what is done with it. If you aren't willing to give and thus have a little bit of faith in the person you are giving to, then you should just not do it. Give to a shelter instead.

Any money you give to anyone could be used to feed their addiction that you don't know about, assuming that about the homeless person is displaying prejudice.

 

[Zulith]

You can make the most impact by donating your time or money to organizations/charities that help the homeless and under served. For years I volunteered at a food bank and it was very rewarding.

Giving money to street beggars is a bad idea, this is particularly true if you are in an urban center where there are lots of organizations and food kitchens around that exist directly to help those people. They have easy access to food and basic essentials like toiletries, clothing and such.

Virtually all of the street folk know about these programs because homeless people talk to one-another, not to mention homeless outreach teams, social workers, government workers etc. that they interact with. When they go to sign up for General Assistance (which almost all of them are on, or some other form of assistance) they are given a wealth of information about all the programs they can use and benefit from. Lists of places to eat for free, places to get clothing, all that. And all of that is before you take into account the EBT cards. They can literally walk into almost any grocery store or fast food joint and buy food with the card, however sadly many of them trade the food money for real money (at a loss.)

The people who are really struggling to get out of homeless are using the system to get a leg up. They are staying in shelters, getting involved in programs that can help them get out of their situation. They aren't sitting on the street corner begging.

Most of the homeless are invisible to you. They are struggling with housing but they blend in with most people. They aren't begging on the street. Those are the chronic street people, and most have serious drug and alcohol problems which is why they aren't in shelters or public housing

I can't stand with people who say things like, "I don't care if they spend the money I give them on drugs/alcohol and the reason is X." -- you're not helping. If anything you are just enabling their situation further.

Lastly, there is a huge, huge issue with mental illness as a contributing factor to people being on the street. We as a society definitely need to be doing more. If you are in California take a look at the measures on the ballot for this upcoming election -- it's at least a start in that direction.

 

[AgonyRon]

Regarding food: don't bother. The homeless are not starving. There are many places to find free meals. What they need is a bed, socks, shoes, and jackets.

The vast majority of chronically homeless people are either:

1. Mentally ill
2. Drug addicted
3. Both

The working poor single mom or dude simply down on his luck does exist - but it's not what's driving the problem. The minimum wage could be $50 but it would not matter much as most homeless are unemployable. They will inevitably behave inappropriately at work due to illness, will steal for drugs, or will not reliable show. This is the reality.

What the vast majority of homeless need is long-term or (sadly) permanent 24/7 treatment. But of course our broken system would never bother to pay for that. Republicans would rather they end up in a prison or dead.

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Where i stay, there are only a few people having addiction problems or mental ilness. The majority had no house or financial problems because of
- Losing jobs
- Devorce
- Spending time in jail
- Having a long time sick partner while running a family

 

[AgonyRon]

UK has similar things however it depends why you're homeless to get into places like that.

If you intentionally made yourself homeless you don't get a look in, even if you have legitimate reasons (one woman I spoke to said she left home because her man was abusive and received no help due to intentionally making herself homeless)

Saying that though, I know of people that did get a council house and went back on the streets on purpose as they missed their Street mates.. So it goes both ways really

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Well if somebody gets abused and therefor losses his or her home, its kunda harsh to say it is their own fault. In the Netherlands those people get the quickest treatment. Staying in a house while youve been violently abused is wrong and leaving the house should not be punished.

Dispite the good system, there arestill people sleeping into the open air. Those people usually never come back to society and will miss the streets. But here in Rotterdam there a only a few of them. The other people are really happy with getting a house. That some of them fall back, whatever the reason, shouldnt stop helping people with houses.

Im homeless for 7 months and i never asked any one for money.

 

[Boze Man]

I stopped giving them money in my small Montana town. The local paper did a series of articles about 10 years ago on the area's homeless. In one of them, a homeless woman was complaining about Bozeman because she could "only" get $100/day here. That, along with them panhandling outside Walmart who are DESPERATE for workers here, one regular who'd set up by Costco being outed as on the sex offender registry for raping a minor, plus a woman who'd been panhandling for years being seen leaving her spot and heading to her house, makes me believe that our homeless "problem" here is mostly a scam. Sucks for those who really need the help but if you really need the help here then take advantage of one of the opportunities to grab a shower and clean up and then walk into Walmart and walk out with a job. I've been low enough in my life to apply at Wally World so if you're still turning your nose up at working there when you have nothing else, then you haven't really hit rock bottom.

 

[Chris.]

Well if somebody gets abused and therefor losses his or her home, its kunda harsh to say it is their own fault. In the Netherlands those people get the quickest treatment. Staying in a house while youve been violently abused is wrong and leaving the house should not be punished.

Dispite the good system, there arestill people sleeping into the open air. Those people usually never come back to society and will miss the streets. But here in Rotterdam there a only a few of them. The other people are really happy with getting a house. That some of them fall back, whatever the reason, shouldnt stop helping people with houses.

Im homeless for 7 months and i never asked any one for money.

Click to shrink...

To be fair she could have been lying but she seemed genuine at least. She's one of the ones that said she spends some of her money on valium too, don't think she would admit to that then lie about why she's homeless. Hell she even gave my nephew a pound, and refused to take it back despite needing it more than him so I think she was one of the genuinely homeless people that's put in a shitty situation, seemed nice at least and it's not often I say that about homeless people.

If true, I agree it's not her fault but she said that's why she couldn't get into a homeless hostel because they classified it as "intentionally making herself homeless" which I think is beyond stupid if accurate.

It's good that you haven't needed to beg for money though and I'm glad you managed to get some sort of housing. Hopefully once you become an officer you can move into a proper house and get your life back on track. Sorry to hear about your situation though must be tough .

 

[Deleted member 2226]

I mean, it doesn't take Sherlock to realize that the people asking for money literally outside the liquor store are probably, you know, interested in buying alcohol with the money they're asking for.

There's no real good answer for whether it's "right" or "wrong" to give them money because it's at the intersection of public policy and personal ethics. It's also difficult because the root causes of chronic versus transient homelessness are very different, and dealing with one doesn't really deal with the former.

 

[Alpende]

No one appreciates being cursed out but surely you can understand why a homeless person might get to that point.

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I can also understand why someone would ignore homeless people if he has been cursed out by them

 

[idlewild_]

I just volunteer at a local food bank and donate, the food bank for example turns one dollar into 2 meals. The economies of scale these charities can work at is well beyond anything I can replicate as an individual.

 

[Deleted member 17402]

I can also understand why someone would ignore homeless people if he has been cursed out by them

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Who said no one would be annoyed or want to ignore the person if they're being cursed out? That's a reasonable thing to do if anyone is responding to you that way. I was taking issue with calling the behavior condescending which isn't the appropriate way to describe a homeless person's situation if they're that agitated.

 

[Cocaloch]

Why are we shitting on others if they don't like giving homeless people money?

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Surely you can see it's the rationale people are taking issue with...

I stopped giving them money in my small Montana town. The local paper did a series of articles about 10 years ago on the area's homeless. In one of them, a homeless woman was complaining about Bozeman because she could "only" get $100/day here. That, along with them panhandling outside Walmart who are DESPERATE for workers here, one regular who'd set up by Costco being outed as on the sex offender registry for raping a minor, plus a woman who'd been panhandling for years being seen leaving her spot and heading to her house, makes me believe that our homeless "problem" here is mostly a scam. Sucks for those who really need the help but if you really need the help here then take advantage of one of the opportunities to grab a shower and clean up and then walk into Walmart and walk out with a job. I've been low enough in my life to apply at Wally World so if you're still turning your nose up at working there when you have nothing else, then you haven't really hit rock bottom.

Click to shrink...

Bootstraps.

 

[PontyfaxJr]

I have a direct debit set up with my city's homeless charity and give change when I have it.
I've never bought anyone food, I would feel like too much of a wanker. If they spend what I give them on drugs or booze then fine, whatever gets them through the night, it's their call.

 

[Snack12367]

I am afraid to ask how one can look at a homeless person and determine money would just be used for drugs.

YOUR moral dilemma is to decide if you want to help someone out. THEIR moral dilemma is what to do with the money.

Click to shrink...

You're right. I should give that person a gun.

 

[-Inertia]

Don't give homeless people money. Donate to a local shelter or food bank.

 

[IsThatHP]

Don't give homeless people money! Buy some amiibo instead!

 

[Cocaloch]

You're right. I should give that person a gun.

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Guns and money famously being the same thing.

Sometimes I wonder if people are just being disingenuous when they make these ridiculous comments or if they just fart out the first thing that comes to mind.

 

[btags]

This is the best answer

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I agree. If the person wants to improve their situation and their are opportunities to do so (not saying that those opportunities are numerous or well funded atm, just in a theoretical sense of saying if they are), I feel much better donating to some nonprofit or whatever that is dedicated to helping people than an individual that may or may not decide to seek help. This is the same reason I support stuff like higher taxes for wealthy individuals. I'd love to think that people would privately help/donate to charitable causes with their accumulated wealth, but realistically I know that not everyone will so I'd rather have some sort of mandated social security net rather than depending on the kindness of individuals.

 

[Stone Dudeman]

So, here's the thing. I've been homeless. Spent a few years bouncing between shelters because I had no job. And homeless folks need money for shit other than food. Hell, the shelters I stayed at prohibited bringing in outside food, so giving the people their food was a waste.

And the things you'd need money for? (Besides crack and wine, cause everyone knows all homeless people are addicts, right?) Well, laundry is one. Ever try to find a job with dirty clothes? Or even just a single outfit you can go to interviews in. Bus money. Phone service. Most folks I knew in the shelter had a cheap prepaid phone so they could get calls, usually around $25 a month.

 

[Snack12367]

Guns and money famously being the same thing.

Sometimes I wonder if people are just being disingenuous when they make these ridiculous comments or if they just fart out the first thing that comes to mind.

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Sorry, but you broke this down to be as simple as one person asking for help, you should do it. Like this issue exists in a void, without greater context. The Gun works, because you simplified it to that point.

Decisions don't exist in a void. Using what you presented, if I knew a person would buy bad crack and die, I should give them the money to buy that crack, because the greater context doesn't matter and the only moral dilemma I have to consider is whether I want to help a person. It's never that simple. That's why I mocked you.

 

[Cocaloch]

Sorry, but you broke this down to be as simple as one person asking for help, you should do it. Like this issue existence in a void, without greater context. The Gun works, because you simplified it to that point.

Decisions don't exist in a void. Using what you presented, if I knew a person would buy bad crack and die, I should give them the crack, because the greater context doesn't matter. It's never that simple. That's why I mocked you.

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No the comparison to a gun doesn't work for the exact same reason people arguing for the second amendment comparing guns to cars doesn't work.

Also when did you mock me?

 

[BladeoftheImmortal]

Actually best way is to give no money to them, don't donate to charities, but vote and pay higher taxes to take care of the homeless. It's been proven that government programs reach more people than any charity or your dollar will get them.

Spoiler

but yes, I'm from America so we'll just let them die. Yay!

 

[sersteven]

My rule of thumb:

Have money and they ask for money? Give them a $5/$10 bill if I have it on me. Pretty much every time. I rarely carry money, but all I can do is hope they don't use it poorly. I'm sure some have, but I've also seen some immediately leave and use it on a bus/in a shop/etc.

I've also had a few people ask me for food directly, which is the only time I'll get food.

If they want money, and I don't have any on me, and I'm outside a gas station or store or whatever, I'll just ask them if they want something inside, or offer to grab them a coffee/ask what they need. I have gotten the ATM comment a few times before, but I usually just tell people that I won't do that. I don't have much money to myself either, sure its more than most, but I live paycheck to paycheck every month most of the time. So I just ask again after saying no. And I don't think anyone is a bad person for saying no to a request to take out money. Just ask again if there's anything else they do want, and then go on your way.

I do think homeless people are just humans like the rest of us and just want to be respected and not assumed to be addicts/vagrants/wastes of space.

 

[Gentlemen]

Isn't it condescending of the homeless man / woman for cursing somebody out that's offering aid in the form of food and water? It goes both ways.

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I don't think you know what the word 'condescending' means. It doesn't just mean 'rude.'

 

[ChrisD]

When they smell of smoke, I can't bring myself to give any cash even on the rare occasion that I do have some on me. Three smoking-induced lung cancer deaths have been enough for my lifetime. Call it presumptuous, but I don't think you just get "that smell" on you if you're not puffing, and I'm not going to supply any point of that chain.

Unfortunately, when I've got cash on-hand, life seems to only send said heavy smoke-scented folk my way.

 

[Deleted member 23381]

I've never given money to the homeless, but I've never offered food either. I've given food when they've asked for it thought,

 

[Temascos]

In London it seems to have gotten worse over the last couple of years, no surprise as to why but it's sad to see. Sometimes I give money, othertimes it's food.

A curious reoccuring factor for me have tended to be women, often quite young which is worrying. They seem to be Spanish or Latin American based on their accent but I could be wrong, and they often try to grab my attention in exactly the same way, a gentle brushing of my hand with theirs, saying they are from university and have no money, with tears in their eyes while saying they are hungry. They don't ask for money directly but want me to go into a store with them to buy them food. One time I bought a sandwich from a particular chain and this lady asked me to go in with her to another store from the same brand, and buy her something, I reached into my bag and got the spare sandwich out and offered it to her and she looked me like I just slapped her.

It's hard knowing what to do, the best thing is to fund the local programmes as mentioned before, or get government to fund more social operations. Not happening here anytime soon sadly.

 

[scitek]

I had a homeless guy come sit at my table in Taco Bell in the middle of Seattle. He was drunk (reeked of alcohol) and asking me for money. I told him no and he just went to another table.

 

[Deleted member 13364]

I had a homeless guy come sit at my table in Taco Bell in the middle of Seattle. He was drunk (reeked of alcohol) and asking me for money. I told him no and he just went to another table.

Click to shrink...

Oh no. Are you okay now?

 

[Biggersmaller]

Where i stay, there are only a few people having addiction problems or mental ilness. The majority had no house or financial problems because of
- Losing jobs
- Devorce
- Spending time in jail
- Having a long time sick partner while running a family

Click to shrink...

My understanding is only based off what I've seen in the Minneapolis shelter my mother has worked at for years. You have provided a great perspective and given me a lot to think about. Thank you.

 

[Lima]

I live in Germany so I just ignore homeless people. We have a great social safety net. Nobody needs to be homeless here. If you can't be arsed to go and make a few appointments at your local unemployment office or are too proud to accept the money that is given to you, well that still kinda sucks but it's your choice at that point.

 

[Ryan.]

Give them a gift card to Walmart or Walgreens then. Or actually ask them specifically for what they need and give it to them.

 

[ScandiNavy]

Like I understand your point as you think of it, but if your answer was the more literal one of "I just buy the alcoholic a beer to help them" or "I just give the drug abuser some free drugs" I hope people can maybe see the problem in your stance.

Click to shrink...

I use beer, and sometimes hash, to cope.
I imagine that would be how other human beings thought, as well; walls or no walls.

But like siteseer , I don't give them anything. So I feel I should tread carefully.
Also, we don't have homeless people in my small city.

 

[Snack12367]

No the comparison to a gun doesn't work for the exact same reason people arguing for the second amendment comparing guns to cars doesn't work.

Also when did you mock me?

Click to shrink...

I am afraid to ask how one can look at a homeless person and determine that weapons would just be used for crime.

YOUR moral dilemma is to decide if you want to help someone out. THEIR moral dilemma is what to do with the gun.

Click to shrink...

I just changed two words.

How does the comparison not work? Don't get me wrong, it's dumb, buts that's because it's been simplified to such an extent that gun could be equal to money in this. There is always a greater context.

A homeless person approaches you and asks for money. Should you do it? The way your presented this presents this as clear cut, of course you should. You'd be bad person not to.

Now add context. For example, your city has a crack epidemic. Recently contaminated drugs have been going around killing people who use them. A homeless person approaches you and asks for money. Should you do it?

It's the exact same dilemma. This could be a person just looking change so they can get a phone for a month or it could be someone trying to crack. If you gave the person money, are you partly responsible for their death if they do use it on drugs and die?

 

[Cap G]

Because it encroaches on what they do. The same reason some of the biggest opposers to concepts like UBI are actual labor unions and welfare administrators. That and the myth that the homeless use it for vice anywhere and everywhere.

Think of the homeless like flood victims. Sure, you may have specific resources they can use, and that is indeed helpful, but sometimes the needs of people go beyond specific material resources that we might assume they need. Who are we to figure out the resources they need on a day-to-day life? We're not homeless, we're not them. Much better to give them a resource that allows better access to resources then.

Click to shrink...

Are you seriously claiming that "Big Charity" is trying to keep themselves in business when they tell you not to give money to homeless people