How do you respond to homeless people?

http://www.bestandworst.com/r/?id=92959
Notice some categorize who gets some money or not ..Why are the bigoted playing charitable wanting a return on their investment?
People are scared to death of sharing,especially wealth because even though they have when they give with no strings they feel like they are LOSING. Winner and loser big man little man Our insecurities and fear of scarcity and being a loser will eat us alive if we do not face the wounds that create such drives to have it all. Time to grow up and share our toys with others for all people deserve some of the fruits of the world because they live here.We must learn to share and let GO,and not expect payback or to pick and choose if we really want to do charity. We must stop sorting and share. Do it before we all die..of the belief that its ok for a few to have the most wealth like parasites while others struggle and die but will never have,enough to feel secure or safe.

I was waiting for a subway in January when he approached me, asked me to help him out. I gave him what I had, just a pocket full of change, told him I wished it could be more. A yuppie came up later and sneered about how he was only gonna buy a bottle. I pointed out it was January, the shelters were closed for the night, and if that's what it took, so be it.

That bum got on my train and whenever anybody would give me any kind of a look, he'd get up in their faces and say, "She's all right, you leave her alone." My knight in shining armor, all the way to the end of the line. I never saw him again. I wish him well.

Yeah, I give money to bums. I've seen untreated DTs. They're scary and they're 50% fatal. That handful of change might be the difference in living another day and who knows when these guys are going to decide to get off the merry go round and into rehab?

I'm not their judge. If they need it and I don't, they get it. It's none of my business how they spend it. They know what they need and I don't.

Fuck it -- if they want to spend the money I give them on booze, who gives a shit?

Jesus...these people are homeless, tired and hungry. Who does it hurt to slip them some cash if you can?

It is just lovely and made me feel so good to read. Just thanks, sometimes it takes one little post like yours to make the bad news take a back seat for a second and makes you feel warm all over for a little while. :hug:

At the gas station recently, man and women asked for money to get enough gas to get home. I had the attendant put a few dollars in their pump. Gas station guy said something like "I hope you aren't wasting your money". I give money when I can if someone asks. Who am I to judge whether their need is "real" or not.

myself. I am on disability and sometimes don't have enough to give.

if I see someone begging for money and he isn't preaching then I am willing to give him some if I have some.

I've been doing that for over a decade, because I've been there...

I always give money when I have it. I don't care if they buy booze with it. Booze makes the being homeless more tolerable.
Lee

So I've given them money and/or food when I've had either or both.

business people, facilitate the opening of a day use center...

and so on.

in return, i walk thru life know that when i'm in need, something will come thru for me. it always has been that way...

return to a beneficial reciprocal relationship that we were all enjoying this before the pigs invaded.

when I can. I always feel saddened when I see homeless, no matter whether they're homeless by choice or by chance.

If I have it, I give it.

but most often I am leaving someplace with a doggy bag or half a pizza and they get it if they want it. I like best to ask if they will be there later and hit the grocery for some staples for them. Damn, so many of them just want you to look them in the eye like they are human. All it takes is thinking what it would be like if you had to do that. I don't care if half of them don't need it and I am getting scammed, the other half do need it far more than I do and for them I will continue. I have someone who slept in my barn last winter. I never saw them, just a few traces. The cig butts were all outside so they thought not to smoke in the barn. Never stole a thing from me or harmed one of my animals. I left a note once that it was OK, I hope they saw it, it was still in it's place the next morning.

You just never know their story, you never know if that could be you someday. Preserve their sense of community, help them not be embarrassed and look them in the eye like they are worth your time. Not hard to do, I wish more did that. I find a lot of people here who do these things and it makes me feel so much better having seen the way most people treat them.

Thank you undergroundpanther for another lovely thread.

the bums who don't look a day over thirty claiming to be Vietnam vets don't get much out of me, the punks with multiple holes punched in their face, a full crayola rainbow in their hair and a brand new ipod and would be otherwise employable were they to bathe, get a haircut and get those stupid inch wide metal rings out of their ears don't get much out of me. I usually have something for street musicians and obvious veterans.

made up story about why he needed the money. He said he was going to pay me back in 1 hour. I knew it was all a lie, but what the hell I gave him the money. It made me feel good..

one time this guy comes up to me and says something like hey man I'm not gonna bullshit you I just need to get a bottle of wine - so I gave him a dollar. I give when I can what someone does with it ain't my concern whatever gets you through another day. Homelessnes can happen to anybody and if it happened to me I'd hope that some people cared enough to see me as a fellow human being and give a little bit of a helping hand.

I hope that is OK with you (I'm pretty certain) and thank you for the truth you tell with that picture. Yell at me if I was wrong to do this, and I'll delete it if the time limit for edits allows me to. (And your comments also deserve a thumbs up.)

Here's the post: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=280x32484

(edit because typing sucks)

if I didn't want to share it I wouldn't have posted it. I shot it on I believe 7th avenue in Manhattan. I never thought to check out that group on DU thanks for cross posting my photo.

whatever was there. Over the years, as people started getting almost sophisticated in their "begging", such as wearing orange traffic worker vests while approaching cars, I became jaded. I still give a bit to the Salvation Army. Thing is, each and every time I tell someone "no", I can't shake the feeling I did wrong. A couple of weeks ago I was vacationing in Chicago, was packing up to leave, and a lady on the way to the "L" train asked for change for the toll and I automatically said "no". My van was full of stuff like cameras, laptops, camcorders, and my pocket happened to be full of change. Immediately after, I decided to revoke my "no" policy. I'd rather "waste" some change on someone who doesn't need it, than deprive someone in need that I could have easily helped. Next time for sure.

Better to do good to a few who deserve less than to do bad to a few who deserve more.

Edit: Grammar and Content.

hate to say it but enabling doesn't help anyone, it cheats them of their chance to rebuild their one and only life

Ok Ms/Mr..."Pick Yourself Up By The Bootstraps" if this is your attitude I do not believe for one second you have EVER been homeless. I have...FOR FUCKING YEARS. ...and do you know the number of mentally ill who are on the streets? The MAJORITY of homeless.

What a nitassed attitude. There is a Republican Party for you to join.

I DO NOT BELIEVE AT ALL EVER...THAT YOU HAVE BEEN HOMELESS.

In fact, you are now going to be my only person on ignore and you will be there for forever.

Lee

and a presumably homeless guy came up and asked me for a cigarette. I told him I don't smoke and he got real hostile. I mean really hostile. He threatened me with physical violence as I kept walking into the restaurant. When I got inside, a couple of the ladies who work there asked if he was harassing me. I said that yes he was. They said that the police had been called twice that day on him and this was the final straw. So they called the police, they took him away, and I've never seen him since. So in answer to your question, if they are not nasty, I may slip them a dollar or two, but if they get nasty with me like this guy did, they get nothing. It's called simple respect and that's what all of us want.

The grocery store where I have my prescriptions filled, gives (with every new prescription) a $10 gift card. They also give the gift card with each refill. I end up with 3 a month...and use them for this purpose.

I am jobless however even when I had a job I gave .

Most often it's a cig or change and a few times a sandwich . I have been offered a quarter for a cig but don't take it .

Years ago some homeless were aggressive but now most are not . I just try to put myself in their situation .

and generally I'll give whatever I can. It starts to get expensive when I'm, for instance, stuck at a convention in downtown SF for a few days. In those situations I try to hand out smokes, just because it's cheaper.

Every once in a while an aggressive crackhead will approach me, they get nothing because I know what can happen if you decide to play their little games. Hint: don't ever agree to give a solid bill for change. It's amazing how fast a simple act of charity can escalate into a strong-arm robbery.

But the vast majority of the homeless are nice, friendly people who are usually worth a good joke or something for the pittance you give them.

In cool weather, we cull out closets and hand out sweaters, coats, blankets..

It really is a litmus test.

i've been really comforted that many posters who I've respected for their views on other subjects,
we're also kind hearted through and through, if you will.
But, some have really disappointed me in that they seemed so hip on other topics
but proved to be so cold and moralistic when it comes to this.
The guy that complained about "rainbow hair" and piercings would be embarrassed
if he knew what the OP looks like. (although I only know how you've described yourself to me)

For myself, it goes back and forth
sometimes I'm ok and can help others
sometimes the roles are reversed

You make me appreciate that I live so close to the divide on this

and that always helps---being able to appreciate my status in life

most of those "rainbow-haired" kids are from abusive homes and have no place to go.

there but for fortune, go i...fortunes being what they are these days, in a couple months it conceivably could be my son and myself.

While visiting and walking in san fran down near the wharf, they were every where. I had just bought a large sour dough bread (stick) and broke it in half and gave half away as I passed. Later I had to go by the same spot and the guy thanked me.

One time, a gal got burnt out of her section 8 home, and I gave her $20 and got a grade school to give to her at Christmas. she had more than I did in the end, because so many people gave her stuff.

Another time as I was driving this guy was pushing his grocery cart with his treasures in it and it was raining, and I actually did turn around and follow where he was and gave him my poncho which I had gotten one of those cheap ones from the grocery store.

this year I carried $10 in gift McDonald's certificate for over 6 months and never ran into anyone to give them to so I was afraid they would expire.

At one time, I thought I was enabling people to not changed their life. Over time, that has changed.

If I see someone and have the urge to give, I stop and ask God, should I be giving to this person, and I wait for a positive energy feeling. I did this one time outside a grocery store when I saw a young woman begging in the rain. I went to may car, got in, and had this urge to go back. I looked in my wallet and had $5, so I got out of the car and went back. She was so grateful and went over to where this young girl was sitting and was so happy. The young girl looked very upset, and embarassed, and about middle school or young high school age. I was very glad I had gone back.

Since my situation is precarious at times, I find myself, looking but cautious. I can not hurt myself financially to help others but I trust my intuition (god energy)

I do charitable works with time.

I think it's insulting to give them food or a meal ticket if they're asking for cash. I don't even think about how they'd spend it - they should get what they need, not what we think they need.

He had two small children sitting quietly in one chair behind a fence. Didn't take the water though. But we all should be charitable. I donate whenever I can and have two children I support through Children's International. I would encourage every DU'er that possibly could to sponsor a child.

As far as homeless people are concerned, if I see one on need and I have some cash in my pocket, they'll get it without mental thought as to why they're homeless.

They do my heart good.

The "homeless" are not all drunks or lazy or incompetents. Many are very capable people just down on their luck.

But whatever I have in my possession I'll share anytime. Did I say my possession.

upon edit :yourock: in my book.

I want to find out what they need to not be homeless anymore. If they sit there and look me in the eye and tell me they don't want to change anything then I respect that and leave them be but I'm not going to spend what few resources I have enabling that. If I meet someone who wants to change their circumstances and just needs someone to care enough to actually help then I'm all over that. Fortunately Atlanta has quite a lot of good resources if you know where to ask and specifically what to ask for.

and this shows the basic difference between the Republicans and the Democrats.

However, I contribute to food pantries as often as I can, and I always pack a sack for the mail carrier to pick up once a year.

A couple years ago I did see a man walking along the road with his backpack. I have no idea if he was homeless, but I could guess. It was really hot outside. I drove to the nearest convenience store and bought the biggest bottle of water they had. The look on his face told me that water was what he needed more than anything.

Like I said, this doesn't happen often, but I do what I can.

bottles of water, the energy bar in my bag, fruit if I see them on the way into the grocery store. I used to travel a lot for my work and I almost always shared my dinner with some one on the street.

You're insinuating all homeless people are male. What about the female homeless? Don't they deserve a knock in the yum-yums?

who move in and out of the park and it's hard to get to know them but there are people in my neighborhood that are longtime neighbors. I take my cues from them.

homeless shelters. It was a wonderful compromise.

I knew it was not going to booze or anything else and s/he was given help.

Edit: Spelling.

I would simply walk over, toss in my change and wish him or her well.

There but for the grace of God go I.

I don't know if the people to whom I've given money use it to buy food, booze, drugs, sex, or something else. It really doesn't matter to me. Hopefully it made their lives a little more tolerable for a while.

I don't know if they were homeless or not, but a man with a small child hit me up outside the grocery store. His story was that he needed money for gas to get home. He was missing a lot of teeth, and dressed shabbily. His little girl was clean, and her clothes were ok.

I gave him a few bucks, then sat in my car and watched them. I don't think there was a car involved, at all. They walked over to a fast food restaurant, and I saw them approach other people. I'm not sure where they went from there.

Did they truly need the money? Hell, I don't know. But, in my heart, I have to think that someone who would ask a stranger for money needs it more than I do.

Am I a sucker? Maybe. Do I care? No.

A couple of months ago, my husband was leaving the grocery store and man asked him if he could "get some cigarettes". He handed him the half pack he had in his pocket, but the man said, "No, no! I have money, I can buy them. But they won't let me in the store." He gave my husband the money and husband went in and bought the cigarettes for him.

of a mature woman I personally know visiting a homeless veteran in a nursing home , and falling in love . He is becoming more "verbal" and re-learning to walk just because this wonderful compassionate person saw him as a human being instead of a burden on society.

homeless guy saw us standing on the street corner with a map and asked if he could help. My husband asked which way to Geary, and the guy gave very good, specific directions. My husband took out a $5.00 bill and handed it to the guy, who then started following us asking what other help we needed!

One of the best examples of a random act of kindness I ever observed was at a gas station. A man and woman pulled up to the pump in an extreme junker and went to the window with a dollar. That's all the guy had or could spare and he clearly wasn't going to get very far. The guy in back of him in line told the clerk to add $20.00 to the man's pump. When he realized he was being helped out by a stranger, the man was so happy and grateful he started crying and repeating "Bless you." The guy who had given the 20 said it was the least he could do to help out a "brother," and he hoped the down-on-their-luck couple would someday "pay it forward." It made my day.

I'd rather be taken advantage of by the few scammers than to miss the opportunity to help someone who really needs it. Generally being treating people with respect and kindness is the most important thing, not how they spend the money.

Someone once came up to me with this story of how he lost his job, just moved into town, etc., but I stopped him and told him I have no idea whether he's telling me the truth - how could I? I gave him what I could because I could.