Ds wants to give some of his pocket money to homeless people

[Wupity]

He has asked to go in to town to do this before Christmas. I am not sure if we should do this or if there is a better way of him to donate? Any ideas? He is 11

Do so knowing you're helping people trafficking, you're helping people stay on the streets, your keeping the person in the sex trad etc

It isn't helping them. It's making you feel good.

The remaining £4 would do far more good than the £5 in the hands of the person.

But you know...just as long as you have a warm fuzzy feeling...

Give a man a fish, he eats for one day. Teach the man to fish. He eats everyday.

All the people giving a sandwich giving a hot chocolate giving £5. You are just giving a man a fish

Imagine if it was your child, would you rather people give him a sandwich every day. And him not know where to turn for help, not be somewhere safe. Or would you rather an outreach worker approach him on the street, signpost him to services. Give him a bed for the night and sought out some sort of family liaison helped get into a job and/or permanent accommodation.

We have let Gdcs of 7 and 8 give a pound to homeless people on the street, because it upsets them to walk on by, but I wouldn’t let them give any more of their own money - not when they’re with me, anyway.

When they’re a bit older I’ll explain how money is so often wanted for alcohol or drugs, and how the money is better donated to e.g. Crisis, the Sally Army, or St Mungo’s.

Not fully the point of the thread, but I have primary aged DC and it has really struck me how children still notice and see homelessness in a way I’m ashamed to admit I don’t always anymore. Both my DC and their friends will comment on seeing someone homeless, as if they can still really feel the full
awfulness of not having a home. It always makes me reflect myself.

I agree reepycheepy they can see and understand the awfulness of it. And some homeless young people are so young they aren’t even much older than our children. It’s very sad.

Could he spend some of his money on food in the supermarket then donate it to a food bank?

I imagine people who use nonsense terms like ‘signposting to services’ feel good about their work. Whether it achieves clear measurable outcomes or not.

Has she gone yet?

Crisis does crisis at Christmas, that’s their big thing, look it up.

shelter is legal advice - not providing shelters (despite the name !)

Salvation Army is very hands on and worth a look too

I help with night stops. Allowing young adults room for a night in emergencies through the scheme. Preventing young people sleeping in the streets and the scheme provides mediation for them. They have outreach workers actually intervening and helping young people this way.
I support local shelters. I know the teams that help run the shared houses offering shelter, support and services to actually help the real homeless population get into permanent accommodation, back to families, into jobs, rehabilitation programmes etc.

They are helping people get off the streets and stay off the streets. They advise people not to give directly, however well intentioned as it prevents the person accessing services, or gives them more money to get drugs or keeps a person being trafficked etc

But you carry on giving a pasty and a coffee... but It's not helping anyone or anything but your ego.

A highway with no signpost is a directionless road strewn with undesirable obstacles...a good support officer is worth their weight in good.

I suggested vouchers that are for anything other than alcohol or cigarettes, they are easily available here in Australia at any supermarket, not sure about the UK.

Other than that I don't think it's anyone's business what the homeless person wants to use the money for - you give it in good faith and after that it's up to them, I really don't like a lot of the comments here. Just give in good faith and leave the rest up to the poor homeless person to decide!

Is there something like this in your area and would it interest your DS? He could put together a Christmas hamper or choose toys to donate? It's for any families in need rather than specifically homeless people so may not be quite what he is looking for, but being able to choose items makes it quite personal! https://cambridgecity.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/hampers/

Shelter is an advice line (that doesn’t answer).

Don’t waste your money.

Fine. Give what you want to the person.

But you are only massaging your ego if you do this. You're not actually helping them.

How about www.lendwithcare.org. Not UK based but very worthwhile. And if/when the money is repaid it can be lent out again. My children have all done it and repayments are all on schedule.

@00100001 you do realise that provisions for the homeless vary throughout the country. Where I am there is a night shelter but it is only open half the week. There's also a soup kitchen, open part time only and it uses a referral system.

So yes I will continue to buy hot food and drink for the homeless because some days there's no help from elsewhere and no it doesn't give me an ego boost.

@00100001 What would your advice be for someone who is choosing not to engage with help offered and is struggling with addiction or hunger? How best to help them? I may not agree with their choices but I wouldn't want them to die because people are being discouraged from giving them a fiver or buying them a sandwich.

It's not "creaming off" money to pay the charity's staff to deliver the service. I'm a volunteer and trustee for a charity. Our charity could not help any of the desperate people who need our service, if it wasn't for our paid staff.

If you got rid of paid staff, 99.99% of charities would immediately fold. Not only could they not coordinate and manage their services and volunteers, they couldn't operate legally and safely, and meet the terms of charity governance.

It's ridiculous not to give to a charity because some of the money will go to pay their staff.

Where we live there are a couple of community cafes. You can buy a drinks and meals to be given as an act of kindness. These are then offered to those in need or people can go in and claim them.
When people are at the cafe there are volunteers who can offer further support and help in getting touch with varies agencies.
They also collect gifts or money to buy gifts at Christmas for homeless people and others who are in need and collect other items throughout the year to help out people starting off in accommodation.

It's not your problem to solve.

You can support the services that support the people. They can't help everyone, no service can, but they stand a far better chance of helping the refuser in the long run than people giving sandwiches to strangers that they don't even know are homeless.

The £5 people spend on patting themselves on the back each week would help far more people if it was given to the support network for people who need help.

Carry on. But you're not helping anyone, just yourself.

Diverting your funds to the soup kitchen would be more useful. As would everyone who is, with the best intentions, giving food, money, kit to the person they see in the streets.

Then the soup kitchen might open all week, meaning they have contact hopefully every day with people who can help them off the street.

...put yourself in their shoes - not just for 1 night but at least 2 weeks, in my 30s I spent several 'entrenched' years living on the street - and then voice your onion.

Giving charity is to support a cause, giving directly to a rough-sleeper is to support a life.