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Do you give money to street beggers?
When you are driving/walking around and you come upon a homeless/hungry person asking for change, do you give them money?
I live in a really fast growing city and I see them on the streets more and more every day. If I have extra cash or even extra food left over from my lunch, I'll often give it to them. I know a lot of them are fake but it just breaks my heart and I'd like to think I was actually helping them rather than being scammed. With that being said, this morning I was at a stop light, and a guy came limping down the road with a sign saying "Hungry and homeless, please help." He didn't make it down to my car by the time the light changed and I'm glad he didn't because as soon as the cars started to go, his limp was suddenly all better and he walked perfectly fine up to his starting point. I couldn't believe it! I hate so much that people fake this because then those people who really do need the help wont get it because people will think everyone out there begging is just a scammer. It makes me so sad and mad all at the same time.
Re: Do you give money to street beggers?
I am a terrible person and never do. Mostly because I don't know who is legit and who is faking...just like you said. I have, however, bought dog food for a person whose sign said "need money and dog food."
Besides that, I don't ever carry cash, so I truly don't have anything to give.
Megan & Chris
No.
I'm bad. I don't even give to the Salvation Army bell ringers during the holidays. But in all fairness, I work in a location that they station people at and use those doors like eight times a day. It would break me to give every time I walked by.
I usually have very little cash on me anyway.
The local homless shelter actually has little business cards you can get, that have information on the shelter and on how they can get a free cab ride there if they need it. I'm very tempted to get some of those.
After watching Intervention for all these years, there's NO WAY in hell I'd give someone money. I'd hate to think that my $5 was what it took for them to get that last shot of whatever that killed them.
I have seen someone bring one man a sack of wonder bread, some bologna, and a small bag of dog food for his dog. I thought that was nice, and looked to be appreciated, by this particular person.
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In my hometown, begging isn't prevalent, but there are a few locations off the interstate you're likely to see them. A few years back the news did a story on one and how much money he makes in a year. Granted he doesn't have health insurance, but he made within 10K of what DH makes.
And around here, especially at work near Sears Tower, they're all over. There are a few that I think are legit, but I honestly don't give anything unless it's leftovers. Last summer there was a couple with a dog. I tried to have a granola bar with me at least once a week to give.
The ones with dogs "get" me; although not enough to give money.
The only time I think I ever gave, the person wasn't even there! I was walking to meet DH for lunch and saw a "home" with a crate, misc items set up in an alley way. On top of the crate was a Whitey's Ice Cream cup with some pennies in it. Whitey's Ice Cream is local to my hometown (only; not national!) and the closest location is about 180 miles away. I put $10 in the cup and I never met the person. Hopefully he/she got it.
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If I have it, I usually give something. Especially to the older people. There was one man a few years ago in the winter that had a sign. He used to give the traffic report if you were stuck at the light. We gave him a few dollars. He didn't have a coat and He told us that he got one at the shelter but it was all ripped and a dog had pee'd on it while he was sleeping. He then said "I may be homeless but I'm not a bum). DH and I brought all of the families old jackets the next week but he was gone. I was heart broken.
I know a lot of them are not legit but I would rather give my spare change to 10 fakes in the hope of getting 1 real person then not give at all. But I totally understand why people don't give! It is super frustrating to see a homeless person with new Jordans
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See? You're more optimistic than I am. I would rather not give to the 1 real person, in hopes that the other 9 won't OD on something they bought with my money.
Missing our little turkey.
Estimated Due Date 11/13/12 | Natural Miscarriage 4/17/12
Rose-colored glasses make everything look better! (that's what they say, anyway)
I once saw my brother hustle five bucks into $300. That's what's scary. He was into drugs (ultimately went to prison for it) and it cost him everything: his friends, his home, his truck, almost his family...
It got so bad that no one in the family was giving him money. I would buy him dinner or groceries. I can't stand cigarettes, but I would even buy him a pack because that was the lesser of all the evils he was into.
This is going to sound terrible but at my work (most of you know what I do) we refer to the homeless as "stray cats" if you feed them once, they will keep coming back. I do donate to a local place that gives out clothes and blankets to the homeless and I always take my stuff to goodwill and the Salvation army. I will put money in the kettles but I do not directly give any one money. I feel that you are homeless because you did something to end up that way, I know that isn't always the case but more than not it is.
I alway think of one time in NYC when there was a guy laying on a piece of cardboard looking like he was dying with a sign that said "dying from AIDS please help me buy medicine" then when it started raining he got up and ran down the street. I know that most of them are fakes.
I agree
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