The homeless......

[Michele]

If you walked by a homeless person who asks you for money what would you do or say to them?

[Mabel]

I'm a sucker for this - people tell me NOT to give money, but I do. Not a lot, but enough for a sandwich, or a cup of coffee.

[Epicurus]

It totally depends on the situation and my sense of it. Sometimes I give them a little money and sometimes I don't. Mostly I don't. I prefer to give food and clothes and things they can use. I know that a lot of homeless people are drug abusers and I hate the thought of my food money going to drugs. I donate clothing on a regular basis and food occasionally.

Collette

[Beck]

Put me in the sucker group also, at least to an extent. Perfect example, the other day a young (teen?) girl, obviously poor (homeless?), pregnant. Stopped me and told me she was very hungry. I only had a couple bucks (should have given her my salad from Wendy's) but I gave her the 2 or 3 dollars instead.

I don't do it often, but I will give them money or other things if I have it handy.

[RogueAngel]

I give them food out of my grocery bag. If I see someone when I'm going into a store/grocery store, sometimes I will buy one of the stores deli sandwiches, depending on my finances at the time. I don't give them money.

[Spaz]

I walk by at least one everyday on my way into work. It depends on the day and the person whether I will give them money or not. I usually always acknowledge them though.

[Lucid]

It happens to me maybe 3 times a year here if that . I usually give money.

[Minnie_Beebe]

I stopped giving after spotting a homeless man at the exit to the freeway, buying him a value meal from MickyD's and having it literally thrown back at me because all he wanted was money.

[mom2burgess]

I stopped giving after spotting a homeless man at the exit to the freeway, buying him a value meal from MickyD's and having it literally thrown back at me because all he wanted was money.
That has been my expereince too. I have a sandwhich from subway once and got chewed out, because he wanted money. I don't give money, I only give food and/or clothing items. I really havent' seen that many around here asking for money or any begging at all though. Only downtown

[SallyzSoul]

I also would rather give clothes or food.

[Mabel]

Put me in the sucker group also, at least to an extent. Perfect example, the other day a young (teen?) girl, obviously poor (homeless?), pregnant. Stopped me and told me she was very hungry. I only had a couple bucks (should have given her my salad from Wendy's) but I gave her the 2 or 3 dollars instead.

I don't do it often, but I will give them money or other things if I have it handy.

*sob*

That hurts my heart so much - all I can think about is some poor pregnant girl who's stomach hurts because they are hungry :( :( :(


Hunger is such a sad, pitiful thing to me. It resorts us all to the same basic creatures we are, and whether you are good or bad, rich or poor, hunger is hunger, and it is miserable :( :( Nothing affects me more than seeing people hungry :(

[MooMur]

I have given some my spare change, but only if I have. I rarely have much extra to give out.

I gave a desperate women my bus ticket the other day, it still had an hour left on it. I only gave it to her because you never know if it can make a difference. Who knows, maybe she was on her way somewhere and getting there might have made some kind of difference. That is what I try to think when I give people these things.

[Desperado]

I don't give out money. I will howver buy them something, or give them food I have etc.
When I lived in the homeless capital of the world, you really got to know who was appreciative and not.
We would hand out food that we had just bought etc and some would grab it up, others would be cautious adn wonder wtf we were offering food, others would say no we only want money. Still, a select few were honest..The turned down the food and said the only thing they wanted were drugs and alcohol.
I actually had one man look at me and turn down my food. I insisted he should take it and save it for later or give it to someone else. He wouldn't. He said all he needed were some clean, new socks. The ones he had were all wet, dirty, and had holes. That one touched me more than anything...