I am asking because I know people from both sides:

  • People who discourage it: usually talk about how the beggars might spend their money on, how they might be lying, How donating to them will encourage them to keep begging and how they should be looking for a job instead (My commentary: finding a job is impossible for them this days, matter of fact there is literally hundreds, if not thousands of articles online talking about how hard and impossible it had become).
  • People who encourage it: to be honest here, they usually talk only about religious reasons.

(Note: I know that the overview about both sides are highly unbalanced, but I preferred to keep it limited to my personal experiences rather than expanding it from myself, as I intentionally not looking for theories and objective logic, rather I am looking at people reasons and opinions as this is highly subjective matter.)

Anyone got any thoughts about this?

  • Allonzee@lemmy.world
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    7 hours ago

    Policy wise, this has always been my hill to die on. Giving the homeless money is my exclusive form of charity. Because I don’t want some capitalist on some bragging rights philanthropy board getting part of my donation as part of their six figure board salary. They’ve done enough.

    A large homeless population is a symbol of a failed society’s crimes against itself.

    If a society doesn’t exist to take care of its people from the worst off upward at all times, it is without a benevolent point and it’s existence is without worth.

    The homeless in the US are the US’s greatest domestic victims, left to die horribly of exposure and police capital defense force brutality for the crime of failing to become model exploitation vessels for our robber Barron’s insatiable greed disease.

    Most of them should have conditionless basic housing, the worst off should be inpatient mental health wards of our society, as they are us whether we hate them or not. But we aren’t willing to pay for that. Even though mass homelessness is not inevitable with good policy and funding.

    Worse still, many non wealthy Americans hate them for lowering their… 🤮… Property values. This all goes back go us being a society in name only. We’re more a bunch of exploited, deluded peasants at each other’s throats for robber Baron scraps as they use their media and their captured government for blaming their greatest victims, those people under your local freeways and tent cities, for their avarice fueled malice.

    Communism may starve human nature, but capitalism indulges and gluts humanity’s worst, most vile impulses exclusively. It breeds sociopathy as a desirable choice.

  • agent_nycto@lemmy.world
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    9 hours ago

    I’ve been couch surfing homeless before and that was rough enough. People begging for money have it way tougher. Just because there might possibly be someone who has a house and a car behind for money doesn’t mean it’s a scam, they might also be desperate for money despite having those things.

    Begging for money isn’t very lucrative.

    If you have the cash and want to help, go ahead and toss that starfish, but if you don’t want to don’t pretend you’re taking the high road.

  • DrSteveBrule@mander.xyz
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    10 hours ago

    There are a lot of homeless people that stand on the side of roads with signs asking for charity where I live. There is almost an equal amount of people who do it as a “job” and take turns being on shift with their buddies before they walk to a nearby parking lot and drive back home at the end of the day. They usually do not accept food if offered. Actual needy people will gladly take food. If I were to give cash to someone, I’d offer food first.

    • agent_nycto@lemmy.world
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      9 hours ago

      Sometimes they are allergic. Sometimes they aren’t hungry and have no way to store the food you give them. Sometimes they are sick of the same food because there’s a taco bell nearby and that’ll all everyone gives them. Sometimes people give them stuff that you need to cook and they have no way of cooking it. There’s legit reasons why someone might turn down food if you try to give it to them.

      • DrSteveBrule@mander.xyz
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        7 hours ago

        You’re not wrong. There may be legitimate reasons to turn down food. There are definitely other indicators which could be a tell as to whether they are truly needy or not. Their response to food is usually a big one, but shouldn’t necessarily be the only thing to make judgements on.

    • MehBlah@lemmy.world
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      10 hours ago

      Can confirm this. I was in downtown Kansas City Missouri on a daily basis for a time in the late 90’s. There was always someone with a sign at a big intersection close to the river. One day I spotted the person that was there that morning at gas station in the afternoon. They got in a BMW at the gas pump and left. It was at that moment that I mistrusted every pan handler I ever saw afterword. Turns out it was a whole family that sent someone down there daily. They dressed down but they were living big in a town right outside the city.

      • agent_nycto@lemmy.world
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        9 hours ago

        People can be in desperate financial situations and still have a car. Hell for some people that’s their only shelter. Begging doesn’t really get you a lot of money, so that family might’ve been desperate for a different reason than being homeless.

        • MehBlah@lemmy.world
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          9 hours ago

          Nope that wasn’t the case. When I asked around I found out they were not poor or desperate. Few people dare I say no one with a late model BMW is living in their car.

  • rozodru@lemmy.world
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    11 hours ago

    If they ask and I have it, sure. People will say “I don’t want my money going towards drugs and alcohol” to which I say “who cares?” once you hand it over it’s not yours anymore, let them do with it what they want. Their lives are already shit as is so what do I care if my $2 coin is going to go buy them a beer…oh no a single beer, they’ll get wasted!

    Others will say “but you’re just encouraging it” my guy I live in a city of millions not everyone is handing out twonies to homeless people, it’s not going to cause a massive increase in drug use or alcoholism.

  • nomad@infosec.pub
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    11 hours ago

    I prefer donating to food banks etc. That’s a good tradeoff between helping people eat and not feeding addiction or encouraging begging. I want a world where anybody struggling just goes to the next food bank and shelter and won’t freeze, won’t go hungry and find assistance to improve his situation. The cost for these things is so little and it helps so much.

  • fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.com
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    11 hours ago

    Here they are always on street corners. I never give money because I don’t want to encourage unsafe behavior, as our streets are pretty high-speed. I would much rather provide to the shelters.

  • Krudler@lemmy.world
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    24 hours ago

    Occasionally I will say “how much more to get some product” followed immediately by “how much ya got”. If they show change in their palm or otherwise engage honestly, I’ll usually top them up. Have your beer dude, if your life is so crummy this is what you need to feel OK go ahead. Never ever ever ever ever ever ever give to somebody that claims they are hungry because that is a bald-faced lie.

    But generally the way I give is to check on the addicts in the bus shelter during extreme winter nights, bring them hot/cold water, supplies to plug wind holes and otherwise keep it warmer, plus whatever I salvage in my travels. In summer I maintain the community “ice water” zone which is just at the stump of a tree, but now that all the people in the hood know it’s there, it’s raided continually. I honestly can’t keep up as I just have a tiny freezer but it’s replenished as often as reasonable for me. The community chips in now as well… they’ve started to bring lidded takeout cups and plastic bottles and leave them there so I don’t have to constantly scout containers.

  • Brotha_Jaufrey@lemmy.world
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    24 hours ago

    What someone buys with the money I give them is none of my business. These people are suffering, of course buying drugs and alcohol is a possibility. People get drunk at the bar for less.

    Some people talk like giving these folks money keeps them in their situation. As if the threat of death and nobody caring if they disappear will magically spring them up with motivation to find a job. Nope. But I agree that our current system of leaving it to the generosity of strangers isn’t effective. We need more housing-first programs, with access to therapy.

  • Bristlecone@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    I don’t like giving money to the homeless, that’s why every month I make some grab bags, usually five or six because we have a few spots where people panhandle in my city. I based the grab bags off the weather, sometimes a cheap hat or shirt or sandals in the summer, and in the winter things like beanies scarves or gloves. Then throw some plant-based protein bars in there maybe a little candy, You will definitely want things that won’t spoil in the heat of the car. Then a couple self-care items like some travel toothpaste and toothbrushes, chapstick gum that sort of thing.

  • Canopyflyer@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    Donate money to your local food banks, homeless shelters, or any other non-profit that has a good reputation for assisting those in need.

    If someone approaches you asking for money, absolutely under no circumstances should you give it to them. Be sure to say that you do not carry cash to give them. Then if you are feeling that you need to give to them, then offer a meal or buy groceries using a credit card. You’ll find that most of them will decline.

    They are using YOUR GUILT to get their next drug fix most of the time. That guilt is artificial and the result of manipulation techniques they are employing against you. It is rather contemptible to be perfectly frank.

  • GreenKnight23@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    I give food or consumables only.

    • canned food
    • dry food
    • fast food
    • Gatorade mix
    • multi-vitamins
    • socks
    • clothes
    • coats
    • water bottles
    • life straws
    • soap
    • sanitary wipes
    • dry shampoo

    I will not give to anyone who panhandles in dangerous locations. I will not give to people who stop me.

    the only time I will give cash is if they have kids with them and I have seen them interact positively with the kids.

    there’s one woman in my area that has her three kids with her. she’s everywhere in town. she does not have positive interactions with the kids. one day I saw her and the kids sneaking back to a parked escalade in a park across from where they were at. very nice, new, and clean. clearly she is using her kids for sympathy. this is why I have that rule.

  • swelter_spark@reddthat.com
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    1 day ago

    I give money if I can afford to and it’s for charity, or a person asking for themselves. I don’t give if I can’t afford it, or if it’s the police. They really should be getting funded through taxes.

  • Flax@feddit.uk
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    1 day ago

    A lot of them have drug or alcohol problems. I don’t want to fund their self destructive behaviour. I’m more than happy to give money to homeless shelters, food banks and other related charities.

  • Rebecca_Corndogs@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    Where I live, there are a lot of people who hold signs on the side of the road and the end of off ramps. I’m a funeral director, and I’ve had to cremate homeless people who got hit doing that. It makes me very anxious to see someone running across traffic to grab a dollar from someone three lanes over.

    So that in particular bothers me pretty bad