Comments on: Giving Money To Beggars

By: nice guy

nice guy — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:30:23 +0000

As a professional driver I see the beggars take shifts, I see them fight over the hot spots- I see a lot. If I handed out a dollar to everyone with a sign and a sad face I’d be paying to work in no time. I feel like I can spot the genuine people and I do feel compelled to give a five or ten spot from time to time.

I spotted a guy in an intersection with a sign that said he was broke but hitchhiking to another town in order to land a welding job, and he was hungry. I think I gave that guy a $20 and some encouragement. I figured he could get a decent mean in him and turn a corner. That guy didn’t even wait for the light to turn green- he practically dodged traffic to get back over to the bush his probably stolen mountain bike was in and rode off like a man on a mission…
I still give from time to time but I can’t help but think of that guy everytime. Lord help us.

By: Jelly

Jelly — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 03:23:24 +0000

I give when I can. But this one time I didn’t have any change and this guy comes asks can u give me money so I said nosorry I don’t have anything right now and the guy does not look like he needed it at all he had dyed hair and he just sitting there on a ledge with some friends all probably mid 30s he had his legs crossed n everything. After I said no he cussed at me saying bitch what u think your all that go get a life.

By: Patti C.

Patti C. — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 07:49:05 +0000

Oh heck, if it were me, I’d sure want someone to give me a buck.

I’ve never had to beg, but I may try it since it worked for some posters.

Usually, I don’t give beggars anything because I hate it when they disturb me, run up and get it my face and beg.

They don’t normally want you to buy them a snack.

But I have a policy that if a dollar comes my way accidently, I pay it back to the next needy person I see.

Tonight a donut clerk gave me a free donut, so I might have ninety cents for someone soon.

By: jessica

jessica — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 15:44:07 +0000

years ago, a man used to beg right off the expressway near our home. My young daughter wanted to give him food (he was holding a sign that said he was hungry), just having come from the grocers, that was ready to eat, were bananas. She offered him our bananas and he laughed, said no thanks and went back to scoping out other cars. I never give to panhandlers. I love sending money to local food banks and such.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Apr 2006 04:02:13 +0000

fake beggars may be part of media agenda and note that part of what you give to charitable organisation is paid for admin overhead

By: Cap

Cap — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 05:31:51 +0000

I usually refer to the numbers given at charitynavigator.com, though certain religious organization won't be found there... here's that ninja one that maribeth mentioned. heh, must be a popular sign.

By: Jonathan Radande

Jonathan Radande — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 13:33:42 +0000

I usually give money to beggars on the streets. It all depends on the person. The people who simply ask for money, with no particular reason, don’t get any money from me. I usually give to the disabled, story tellers, and funny beggars because they do more than simply ask for a dollar.

When you donate to your favorite charity, do you know exactly how much of the dollar goes directly to the cause?

By: AllFinancialMatters » Blog Archive » Weekly Roundup

AllFinancialMatters » Blog Archive » Weekly Roundup — Sun, 16 Apr 2006 04:21:30 +0000

[...] Finally, last but not least, Cap over at StopBuyingCrap talks about giving money to beggars. [link] [...]

By: lpkitten

lpkitten — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 22:08:18 +0000

i guess i’m a bit jaded by panhandlers. i went to school in berkeley which could quite possibly be the beggar capital of the world. i once got asked by a man outside of a 7-11 for some change because he “hadn’t had a bite to eat in days”. I said no but when I was in 7-11 I bought him a muffin and gave it to him on my way out. he looked at me and said “i don’t want this. don’t you have any cash?” i said no and he immediately went into the 7-11 to try and get the money back for it.

i guess i don’t learn my lesson because i have tons of stories of falling for their crap. if they really needed assistance there are plenty of churches, soup kitchens and shelters that are available to them to help them get back on their feet.

By: Stock Mama

Stock Mama — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 20:36:59 +0000

I think of my charity as I do my investments: what am I (as a member of a wider society) getting from this? If I give to an individual on the street, I can never be sure. But if I give to an organization, such as the shelters in town, or Heifer International, then I know that the money will be used in a responsible manner to help improve my community or another community.

But if I’m going to give something to the guy on the street, I’d rather give to the guy who does something to earn it, so I’m more likely to toss change into the street musician’s cup or the mime’s hat than give money to stranger who just asks for it. I have given food to street people, though, and it was always well received.

By: DK

DK — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 16:53:58 +0000

I usually give to the disabled (people you can see are blind, amputees, etc.) but stay away from others.

I eat out frequently and often have “doggie bags” from restaurants, especially when I’m eating out in big cities downtown areas where beggars are frequent. I have never met a beggar who wasn’t very grateful to get a nutrigrain bar you have in your coat pocket or a doggie bag…consider that sometime if it’s a kind of dish that wouldn’t be disrespectful to give to someone.

By: Cap

Cap — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 03:50:42 +0000

I guess fake panhandling isn’t as rare as I thought? heh. That’s some extreme examples & actual practice there…

By: George

George — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 22:55:27 +0000

I used to panhandle when I was in college. I would stand on a downtown street corner and say my dog was in the pound and needed money to get her out. Her worked better then him. Even people that knew me and knew I didn’t have a dog would give me money because I was good at it. My nickels, dimes and quarters bought a lot of beer. The bar tennders gave me free ones because they wanted all the change.
Life was good.

By: Reality

Reality — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 20:25:46 +0000

With churches, shelters, day to day job services, DHS, etc. there really isn’t any reason for people to beg on the streets.
–
You can’t be serious. Some shelters are over-crowded while church funds are drained. There’s plenty of reason. Agreed, that some beggars are ‘fake’ or reeling in more money than actually working.. though.

By: SkyeBlue

SkyeBlue — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 18:00:17 +0000

We went on a trip to Louisiana a few years ago and on the way down there, on the other side of the highway, at a rest stop these people had a sign saying they were broke down and needed money to get home.

3 days later, on the way back home we saw the same people on the other side of the highway this time, with the same sign!

With churches, shelters, day to day job services, DHS, etc. there really isn’t any reason for people to beg on the streets.

By: Nick

Nick — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 17:40:51 +0000

I know someone who once tried panhandling as a social experiment. He raked in more money in a day doing that than I do as a software engineer (and I’m paid pretty darn well!). Of course, he donated his take to charity.

But I don’t blame anyone who hesitates to give to panhandlers because you have no way of knowing where the money’s going–maybe to food and shelter, maybe to booze, or maybe to some rich guy who makes more money standing outside with a sign than actually working. The truly needy will take food and drink just as readily, so if you have either on you when you spot one, offer that instead.

By: Chongo

Chongo — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 17:30:55 +0000

You need to stop by berkeley… one out of the many “regulars” I used to see was a middel-aged woman carrying bags and bags of Lord knows what. She used to walk around the streets next to the dorms asking students for bus fare to go back home. To this day, I have never seen her on a bus.

Giving to organizations is a lot smarter…

By: maribeth

maribeth — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 15:47:05 +0000

Actual sign spotted in my city:

“Entire family killed by ninjas — need money for karate lessons.”

By: Drew

Drew — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 15:37:07 +0000

I always give to the guys with stories like “Listen, man…I’m just trying to get a 40oz.” Gotta love the honesty!