The missions here suggest pointing them towards places like Salvation Army, etc. I will give food, but not money. We've learned not to put food in their hands either. Offer food, but don't push it on a person. I have a friend who went and got hot food for a panhandler, who turned and threw it in the trash. I've seen panhandlers with street signs within 100 feet of workers with signs for gold buyers or pizza deals. If they are homeless and hungry, there are places who can help them better than your spare change. MOst of them just want money for alcohol or drugs.
...What do you Do,when People Ask You for Spare Change?...
by OUTLAW 91 Replies latest jw experiences
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gma-tired2
One man told my husband what he really wanted was a beer. Ask and you shall receive.
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FlyingHighNow
Give an alcholic a beer today and he will hit you up every time he sees you.
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OUTLAW
A watcher..
A tract with $5.00?!..The price of a Hamburger with a Napkin!..
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Faithful Witness..
Don`t feel bad,I`ve been conned too..
I gave a guy money for a burger,he said he was hungry..
10 minutes later I see him in a convertable and his buddy is walking into the liquor store...
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Hey Band!..
I don`t think the government provides enough resourses for the Mentally ill..
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Cofty..
A begger with an Apple I phone?!!..
I want his Job!..LOL!!..
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Humbled..
What are "tinker children"?..
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FirstLastName..
I`ve seen documentarys of people begging..When they`re done..
They walk a few blocks and climb into an expensive new truck and drive off..
.....................................OUTLAW
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jgnat
The most satisfying gift I ever gave was volunteer at Homeless Connect for a day. I was a greeter. I shook their hands, delivered coffee, asked how I could help, looked them dead in the eye and smiled, and escorted them to the service they were interested in.
It tears me up just thinking about it.
...but giving money on the street? Never.
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FlyingHighNow
In the Grand Rapids area, we have professional panhandler teams that hit the affluent suburbs and bank on the naiveteof the suburbanites. A local police dept did an investigation and found out the people were neither homeless, nor destitute. They were making hundreds per day.
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OUTLAW
Hey Band!..
There needs to be more resources made available to the agencies that deal with the homeless..
No doubt they are stretched to the limit ,other wise the problem wouldn`t be as big as it is..
Your right,one meal isn`t going to transform a life..But..It could help someone make it through another day..
It`s a tough situation to deal with the needy and those who "play the system"..
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FlyingHighNow..
Yes some people are just feeding their addictions..
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Gma_tired2..
There used to be a guy outside the liquor store..
He had a sign that only asked for beer..
He did pretty good for himself..LOL!!..
............................................................ ...OUTLAW
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CADSkin
When I see the sizing up look that I’m about to be hit up for change I beat them to the punch and ask if they have a dollar I can have. They usually just say sorry no and walk away.
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OUTLAW
Hey Jgnat..
Thats a pretty cool story..
Ya I think a lot of us have been burned handing out money..
.................................... ...OUTLAW
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Band on the Run
Back in the old days before direct deposit, my mom stood in line to deposit her paycheck. The local beggar, who sat outside a McCrory's with a sign, was in front of her. My mom overheard her bank balance. We received additional orders not to give money.
I would purchase gourmet sandwiches. Someone was screaming that he needed money for food, I could only finish half the sandwich. I told him I did not touch the sandwich and offered it to him. He exploded in anger. I was fortunate he did not strike me. Union Square Park was once a drug den. I would hear other normal people being accosted. They offered to arrange a dinner in a local restaurant. No takers.
I don't know what to do sometimes. There was a man unconscious on the heat gratings in the middle of the sidewalk. I figured it was the specialty of the police. Most people just walked over him. I had a feeling that if I do so too I would read how he died from lack of medical care. While I stayed to greet the police officers, a woman came over and touched him. The police knew him immediately and awakened him with a bully club.
Once when I was in severe facial pain, I left the subway on the Upper East Side. A black male teenager was crying so hard on the platform. I did not know whether he was hallucinating so I promised to tell the police. B/c I was so ill, it took a while to climb the stairs. All these white people and no one told the toll booth person. I was thinking maybe he had appendicits or something. It is not normal to see men crying hard on the trains. If I had cried, I expect people would offer to help. Maybe it was con. From one pain professional to another, I thought he was legitimate. I felt I should console him but I wanted to play it safe.
Why do people give large amounts of cash to beggers? There are so many charitable organizations that can be more effective. I swear I think men see giving large cash amount on dates as proof of character.