Do you ever give money to a homeless person holding a sign

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No. I am someone that does not have a lot of spare-money. I do donate my time volunteering packing lunches/dinners for Kid’s Food Basket, an amazing local organization that is trying to end childhood hunger.
 
My idea is to have small.bag of blessed coins and give whenever they ask. If they need it good, if they do not need it then they get blessed coin and maybe by the Grace they will change a bit…
 
One of the local parishes collects food and health care products four times/year in the Sunday Masses. I make sure I have a heavy bag to carry. After seeing “street beggar workers” being picked up by people driving BMWs and other fancy cars, then I prefer to donate to that parish as I know the items end up with someone needy. Or when there is someone in need in my parish.
 
I pretty much do what my dad did,… if a person asks for money I counter by offering to buy them a meal at a deli or restaurant, or like what happened not too long ago when I was asked by a homeless guy in a parking lot of smart n final,… told the guy let me put my stuff in my car and we’ll walk back inside and buy some food

basically don’t give money to people on the street because I don’t want it to be used to purchase alcohol or drugs,… and figure this solution lives up to the spirit of,…
“Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?

http://www.foodforthepoor.org/prayer/matthew/
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Yes. There is a big shopping ecumeni near us, with multiple ingress criss-crossing one another, and there are islands at the intersections. In the good weather, we see people there begging in the same places again and again. And they are all between maybe 20 and 28 years of age, all clean and decent looking, with decent shoes. Sometimes there is a dog along. No babies, no toddlers, no middle aged, no elderly—just young adults who look to be healthy and not indigent. Very uniform demographics. So I now think this is some kind of cult, dropping these people off to beg.
 
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I do and as often as I see an opportunity. Last winter I was walking in New York city when I came upon
a homeless man sitting on the sidewalk with a dog asleep in his coat.
I gave him $20 and was so upset I had to go home…hard to drive with tears in your eyes.
The homeless cannot go into the shelters with pets…I could not sleep that night wondering where
that man and his companion spent the night
I found a organization called The Guardians of Rescue who specialize in helping the homeless who have pets and have helped them from time to time.
“to those to whom much much is given…much is required” …forgive me if I don’t have the quote accurate .
Dante
 
Over the years, I have traveled to Central America. There, I saw actual poverty. Sometimes gut-wrenching poverty. When an elderly woman whose hands are crippled from decades of hard labor, and whose eyes are dimmed by cataracts asks for money, I know I am giving where it is needed.
 
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Yes I like giving out dollars. It makes me feel good. It helps me Think I am kind . and not a cheap scape:relieved:😰😜
 
Alchopwn said:
To forgive one sin is to promote the commission of many. A truly morally upright person would sooner do almost anything rather than beg.
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I’ll have to respectfully disagree on these points. We are called to forgive others, and who are we to judge another’s morality, especially if they need help.
Personally, I give to food banks, prepare meals and donate funds for a shelter occasionally. I do at times give to people asking for money. We can’t control what people do with the money we give, and if they do use it for other than what is intended, I pray that my charity gives the Holy Spirit a chance to work on them.
 
I will give money or, more often, a gift card to a fast food restaurant. I used to buy a coffee and muffin for a homeless man every morning on my way to work.

Is It possible I’ve been scammed? Yup. Do I care? No. I don’t need the $2-3, which means I’ve lost nothing by giving it to that person. Conversely, what do I lose if I turn my back on someone who is genuinely in need?
 
Sometimes. It depends on if I feel moved to do so and if I happen to be carrying cash which is not often.

I do keep a couple “blessing bags” in my car filled with hygiene essentials and calorie dense snacks. I am more likely to hand one of those out than I am to give out cash.
 
Sometimes but stories like this makes me hesitate.

metro.co.uk

Beggar 'who pretends to be homeless and disabled is making $1,000 every weekend'

The beggar, called RJ, has denied allegations by police that he is a scammer
metro.co.uk metro.co.uk

Plus many of them are drug addicts and I don’t want to support that. Plus I heard of one panhandler who gets over $1000 a month in disability payments and spends it all on lottery tickets instead of using it for necessities.
 
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I usually don’t because many of the ones with a sign standing out someplace day after day are basically choosing to earn their living in that manner rather than work. As someone else said, drugs are often also involved.

Once in a while I will make an exception for one reason or another, but I generally prefer to give to the charity organizations that help people in need in the area, such as homeless shelters, food banks, and soup kitchens.
 
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The best thing to do is offer water. If they agree buy them a bottle and wish them a good day. If they are not genuine or wanting to score drugs, they will tend to refuse and ask for money just in my own experience. I’m not getting my purse out in the street. Shelter, the main UK charity agrees with me.
Offer water, cuppa, a smile and maybe a chat. Money, no.
Once I was at the priest’s house during RCIA (it had been cancelled due to icy roads and I hadn’t got the message ). Father was chatting with me and a homeless couple came to the door. They asked for money . He invited them in but offered them a sandwich which they agreed to . The woman in particular seemed ok with this but the man was agitated saying no no we need money. I repeated that they could have a sandwich and a cup of tea which the priest was off making. I am glad I was there or Father would have been on his own. He said homeless people knock all the time even when it is dark out and obviously he lives alone. You have to be careful as well as compassionate.
 
Unfortunately there are priests and religious who have been murdered when they tried to help someone who came to them allegedly in need.

Many of the needy people have some kind of mental disorder such as schizophrenia which can cause them to be violent, so it’s not always all about robbery.
 
Sometimes I give to beggars who knock on car doors. Usually not money, but food etc. I do not give as much as I should have.

The other day I saw an old man holding up his rx for medicine, so he must be asking for money. I did not do anything, and the people I saw passing by were not either. As I passed, I wondered if I should have done something. I jist offered Memorare and Hail Marys for him.

Early this year I had an injury and was using a cane. I was waiting for a ride. A woman came to me and asked if I needed help, I said no. She then asked if I had some money to give to her for transpo. I was like, no. She said thanks and left. She looked like a normal and welldressed person. So you pretend to be concerned but turns out ypu scam people. That was my impression.
 
Nope not anymore. I’ll give to charities like SVDP or the Daily Food Bank, but I will no longer give to the homeless on the street no matter how bad their situation is.
 
I used to sometimes drive through a notorious area that is a big heroin and other illegal drug market and at every traffic light there were males with signs. Rarely females because they can get drug money prostituting themselves, especially in this area. I never gave money in this area because I knew it was going straight to buy drugs. There are plenty of food banks and organizations that bring food, clothing, hygiene products, blankets. So their necessities are provided for.
 
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