Street begging - do you give money to street people who ask?

[mamadadawahwah]

I always do because I was taught, there but for the grace of God go I. If someone needs money that bad they have to beg for it, I will give them something. Many people dont take this view and i suppose it is to do with their upbringing and their political and social views.

Be interested to know what you all think though. Bearing in mind, many people, particularly the young "suits" are only a paycheque away from the street, despite earning huge salaries. Maybe that is why I often see young suits haranguing street people - cause they know that could be their lot too.

If DH is approached by a homeless person or if he walks past one and they ask him out loud for money, he asks them why they are not working. They always say that nobody will employ them. He then hands over his business card and tells them to call him and that he will give them a job. Over the past 20 years that he has been doing this he has never and I mean never received a call!!

I often feel like giving them details for one of the companies I work for for a job. But as that company employs anybody I would be worried that they would apply and I would end up supervising them .

ChicPea, will try that one!

we knew a girl at school who had some problems later on in life. my friend actually knew her much better than i did and this girl admitted to her that she would change into dirty clothes and go begging!! she had a rough time yes but she wasnt homeless by any means...im sad to say it made me very suspicious. im quite ashamed of feeling like that really.

Should those receiving benefits who take drugs be refused their money, then? I don't care if 3 out of 4 beggars spend my money on drink or drugs or cigarettes; let's face it if I lost everything I reckon I might succumb to the odd bottle of vodka. Sadly, not giving them money doesn't make them decide to clean themselves up. I absolutely believe in supporting organisations like Shelter and in fact I used to help at a soup kitchen in Wnadsworth but as mamdadwahwahwah said, there but for the grace of god.

No i dont and it makes my heart sink to just walk past

I do support crisis and buy the big issue though and tend to get drawn into loooong conversations with very nioce homeless people

It depends.

I can't remember when I last saw someone begging where I live. All big issue sellers. Always buy at least one when im shopping.

Why do people beg when they could be selling the big issue? Always makes me suspicious anyway.

anchovies, im sure there are far more homeless people than there are available Big Issue selling positions.

i give dd monthly to shelter and take the view that the people sleep on the street and if a drink gets them through the night, who am i to judge. i not sure if i believe that every homeless person is on drugs, just down on their luck and to be helped by a small drop of money perhaps keeps them feeling human, not something to be kicked in the street or ignored. just my opinion though.

There must just be a lot of positions where I am then as the vendors I speak to all say that anyone can become one they just have to provide proof that they are homeless. Perhaps explains the lack of beggars where I am too then.

No. If I asked, I do make a point of looking at them and saying "sorry, no" I always try never to simply ignore them. I prefer to give to chosen charities, I can't help everyone.

I used to in Oxford, because we got to know which were scabbers and who were genuine cases of need. I actually got to the point of greeting some of them, which used to freak my mother out when she visited!

No beggers in Switzerland of course, would be too untidy!

in birmingham there are money box's in most shops in the city centre which you donate to the homeless of birmingham rather than giving them direct cash. It is a good idea as its to try to help them with necessities that they need as opposed to alcohol and drugs.

i go to a sandwich shop every morning on my way into work, and outside it sits a homeless man, I share my toast with him every morning. I dont hang around as i dont want to embarress him, so i just pass it him, we say "good morning" to one another an off i go.
being homeless must be awful, i cant begin to imagine what it must be like to be so lonely and hungry.

I wish there was more i could do, really i do.

IMHO anyone who sleeps in a door way when it's below zero outside and raining/snowing has nowhere else to go. And if it was me, I would drink meths or take drugs to get me through the night too. My Mum always comes out with the line about benefits and how they all have a mobile phone and good trainers, and it's simply NOT TRUE. Yes, a few are just lazy scabbers of course, but not ALL.

and they cant claim benefits without an address.....

Agree footprint. I am very suspicious of the idea that anyone would do this if they didn't absolutely have to.

Having said that, I don't give money to people on the street (well, except when I've had a few drinks and am full of the milk of human kindness, maybe) but I do give to homeless charities and have given/bought food to people before. There but for the grace of God etc etc, and I am aware of how much I have when others have so little (although, in a Daily Mail way, I do get pissed off with being accosted at cashpoints...)

I too think I might succumb to a chosen substance to get me through life on the streets. And I don't think chosing not to give because of the drugs/alcohol argument is judgemental. For me, it's the idea that your money might buy them the hit that pushes them over the edge. It doesn't make me have a blanket rule, and I do sometimes give - especially to girls as they seem to be the most vulnerable. It's a really difficult q. (and, as an aside, this thread, whilst expressing a range of opinions has conducted itself very amicably).

No. I don't have any spare money to give. I donate my time to charity, however, and clothes and unwanted items.

Having grown up in the third world I don't give to children because they don't keep the money and that keeps them away from the school (and giving toys/sweets is worse beacuse the older children beat the younger off to take them. I don't give to young people as I believe that if they tocuh bottom they may find out the way out besides they earn a lot by begging and my money may end up suporting a bad habit. The only people I would happily give money to are the aged, most of the times they do really need it.

I don't give any money in the street in first world countries, they do seem to me fit enough to work and almost middle class, and if they can get enough money to have a mobile and relations to call to, I believe they are perfectly capable to do some kind of job.

depends on whether I like the person, on my mood, whether I am in a hurry

had to make clear that I believe that if they touch bottom (see my previous post), the UK has enough social mechanisms and charities to get them on their feet again. and probably next time in a more productive way.

and if I have any cash

I don't give money to beggars, especially not the girl with the homeless and pregnant sign who has been pregnant for about 2 years. I don't think there is any reason to beg on the street, even homeless people can get benefits.

tiredemma, you sharing your toast has brought me out in goosbumps