Beggars are getting bold!

[Westcoastwild]

Aside from the holiday donations mentioned earlier, do you know what portion of your charity donations are actually spent on the charity, vs 'operating costs'? A dollar handed to a beggar guides them a dollar. The same dollar donated to charity might give them 95¢ in services. Might just get them 20¢.

You can research charities, and find out what money goes where. In a nonprofit, that "missing" 5 cents might be going towards a facility they can hang out in when the weather is bad, or something along those lines.

I'd rather give money to an organization that can provide them with resources, than give them 1 dollar they'll spend on cigarettes.

 

[here757]

My favorite...
The digital panhandlers...
Gofund me accounts for their Disney travels..

 

[Poohlove]

I'm not entirrely sure why you felt bad for them- because management chased them away? More than likely, management chased them away because they were scammers. The clipboard scam is prevalent in Europe and elsewhere. They don't have family they're trying to visit- if you signed the clipboard, they demand a random amount of money they claim you "pledged". It's funny (although horrible) to watch tourists fall for it.

As I said the my post (which you quoted and I also say that I didn't sign the clipboard) I felt bad for them for many reasons, primarily that they are being raised in such an environment. They don't have any choice in the matter, once they are old enough to realize it's wrong then what do they do? Will there be consequences at the hands of their parents if they don't participate? The employment situation there is tough, is this there only income or how they supplement their income to buy an $8 gallon of milk as opposed to the $4 gallon of whiskey? What kind of future will they have and how will they support themselves and their families? They are being exploited by someone, most likely their parents, because they are children. I could go on but I think you get it.

Management chasing them away didn't bother me one bit.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

I was thinking about this thread for days as the school year approaches for me, and I do have a little cash on me for emergencies like in case I am stuck at work past lunch time and that is rare, but it does make me feel guilty like I am lying to them do I just make a point to grab a little more cash in case I come across someone that needs it more then I do

 

[osopecoso]

I was thinking about this thread for days as the school year approaches for me and I do have a little cash on me for emergencies like in case I am stuck at work past lunch time and that is rare but it does make me feel guilty like I am lying to them do I just make a point to grab a little more cash in case I come across someone that needs it more then I do

That is one long sentence!!

 

[osopecoso]

My favorite...
The digital panhandlers...
Gofund me accounts for their Disney travels..

Haha. I get a kick out of those and others asking to pay for their wedding/honeymoon.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

That is one long sentence!!

Added a couple of commas doubt it did anything

 

[arminnie]

I am so not a part of the NIMBY crowd. DH and I have a Section 8 apartment complex in our back yard - literally. We have made many good friends there. We socialize with them and have had many good times with them.

But I absolutely unconditionally refuse to ever give money to beggars on the street. 90% of them in my personal experience are just scammers trying to get money for drugs and alcohol. I do not choose to enable addicts or lazy people.

I grew up in abject poverty - so do not try to pull the "you don't understand" card on me. BDTD - I've had my only meals at a homeless shelter. People on the street could never have changed my life.

What really allowed me to become a successful member of society was my commitment to work hard and to accept the results of that effort.

 

[Zrg]

Except in the sense of taking a moment to acknowledge that this person as an actual human being, making eye contact, sharing a smile, a brief greeting, a small moment of generosity, a cup of coffee (or whatever else they want to spend it on).

This is not the same as feeding bread to wild ducks and making them dependent on human handouts and potentially malnourished because they're now eating Wunderbread instead of foraging on the lake bottom. These are actual people. When they were six, they were not proudly announcing to everyone, "When I grow up, I want to sit on a street corner and beg for spare change!" They're where they are because all other options seem untenable at the moment.

Will two dollars, or a couple of bus tickets, or a cup of coffee solve their problems? Of course not. But, it'll make the next five minutes a little bit better.

(For the record, I don't give to scam artists. I like honesty. If you want a couple bucks, just ask. If I have it, great, if I don't, I'll wish you better luck with the next person.)

Give the non money gifts. Ask them if there’s is anything you can do if they need to use your resources so on. Tell them to ask buildings and companies if they can rest in there or make shelter for some time or night. Go into the stores and just hang out in there. Make yourself presentable to not get turned away but also make sure u can get sympathy if u need it so don’t no look fake homeless. Tell them hem to relate to the asking recipient by saying stuff like what religion r u. Catholic. Whag so am I. Tell them about welfare and welfare like (and how to get them) things and shelters and charities and food banks near you. Give them adresses to these and maybe rides so they are not walking on the street. Tell them about helping places that don’t need ID Incase the person doesn’t have any. Tel them to look up at a library solutions to their problems. Tell them about finding heat sources and putting blankets or something over you over the heat source to keep the heat in. Tel them about getting this stuff from charities like Salvation Army (maybe free idk) or clothes drives. Plus tell them about using extra money to invest safely in parts of shares or however much they can get using extra cash. Invest in constant bug getters, don’t risk anything. Tell them to stay away from gambling. Tell them about calling 911 (may be illegal if not emergency) or acquaintances or companies for help. Call forgotten or old family and friends even if broken relationships for help. Look up our family on ancestry com or Facebook or any ways to find family or friends( friends on Facebook). Tell them about creative signs for begging like share fact for dollar or video game hack/cheat code (tell them to look these up at library) or dog will do trick for a dollar or artifact or funny signs tell them to look up ideas at library. One I saw was give me a dollar or I’ll kick you ( it was a homeless man without legs). He money amount can change. Rel them to share
Experiences or mistreatment while homeless or before to get sympathy. Make them a go fund me or tel them how they can make kne at the library. Always try to get sympathy but not disgust or scare people with how you are or dress.

 

[Zrg]

DH just came home from the grocery store. He said a woman approached his car and asked for money to buy food. He handed her a $5 bill and she thanked him. He began to roll his car window up when she abruptly stopped him and said, "Hey wait! I need 35 cents more to pay the tax on my sandwich with the $5 you gave me". DH laughed and said someone else would have to pay her tax and drove away. This floors me that someone would ask for *more* money from a total stranger. Oh well...

U Tell hem to come all the hw the hypothermia hotline and u tell them to ask where shelters are and u tell them where shelters are that are under this hotline or any shelters. This is a real thing

 

[Zrg]

U Tell hem to come all the hw the hypothermia hotline and u tell them to ask where shelters are and u tell them where shelters are that are under this hotline or any shelters. This is a real thing

(Tell them to call the) sorry for the typo here is the correct version. Tell them this is for Use in winter. Tell them about hselters that are year round or places to contact to get this help.

 

[JaxDad]

Thanks @Zrg! Welcome to the DIS!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Do you genuinely think homeless people don't know about available resources? While your intentions are generous, many of these suggestions are inane.

Tell them to ask buildings and companies if they can rest in there or make shelter for some time or night. Go into the stores and just hang out in there.

Businesses are aware of homeless issues.

Make yourself presentable to not get turned away

Difficult living on the street

Tell them about welfare and welfare like (and how to get them) things and shelters and charities and food banks near you.

They know.

Tell them about finding heat sources and putting blankets or something over you over the heat source to keep the heat in.

It's 4° here right now. Blankets over one's head aren't going to help.

Plus tell them about using extra money

There is no such thing when you're homeless.

 

[GreatLakes]

A good friend of mine works in homeless outreach. She has always said to never give directly to a panhandler and give to a reputable local charity instead. That makes it less likely your money will go towards booze or drugs.

I don't treat panhandlers ill but they always get "sorry, I don't have any cash but have a good day" when they ask. Unless they are being aggressive there is no reason to treat them as sub-human. I have also caught people in obvious scams but I don't confront them, they get the same reply.

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

I was at a nearby Home Depot, and we were doing a lot of work so were there on and off for a few weeks and noticed an elderly couple living in their car. That really freaked me out. Now I'm worrying about them bc it's so cold and was going to call the police but didn't know what to do bc if we know they're there I can't see how others don't like the police. Maybe they just leave them alone. I didn't want to startle them and knock on their window and it makes me nervous. They don't seem to be begging for food, just living in their car. The guy you see more but you could make out an elderly woman sitting in the back seat, it's just so sad. We do give to beggars. But one time we were outside of truck stop and a guy came up to us asked for money and we gave him some, and then we saw he went inside and was playing a poker game lol.

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

One of my last memories of my mother, she was dying of cancer at the time, was when we were at the Dollar Store, and a man who obviously looked homeless, dirty, his nose was running (that's what I remembered) was there wandering around and my little tiny frail sick mother walked up to him and very lovingly, put her hands out to him (my initial thought was horror and worry she was so frail) and told him God loved him, and he started to cry. Really cry. Then he told me my mother was an angel. I'll never forget it. We always give.

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

I live in Durham NC. In our county, you have to have a permit to panhandle, and there are rules for where you are allowed to do so. They pay something like $5, fill out a form, and get a reflective vest and they are allowed 'to work'.

People pay to panhandle?? That is so strange to me

 

[runwad]

I'm in Ohio and it's -12 here with the wind chill. Coming out of Walmart there was a guy standing at the light with a jacket, gloves, but no hat. Had his little cardboard sign, can't find a job. Are you kidding me? Lowest unemployment in history. I don't give to those people. I've seen too many of them being picked up after their "shift." It makes me sad that they've jaded my view on helping those who may really need it. I tend to help the people I read about in the paper and where they will list a bank that I can go take a donation to, those are who I give to.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I've worked in a homeless breakfast ministry for 4 years. I tend not to question the legitimacy of a panhandler, although I prefer to give them food or grocery gift cards than actual cash.

 

[goofyernmost]

After living in the San Francisco Bay area for decades nothing surprises me about aggressive panhandlers. I would NEVER EVER EVER give a penny to someone on the street begging.

Now I'm in New Orleans - I can't think of once that I've ever been approached by a panhandler after almost 40 years of visiting this city.

Years ago, I was in San Francisco. I'm talking about the late 60's and was approached every 20 feet by someone asking for money. All I did was say... You know I was about to ask you the same thing... I'm broke.