Experience with beggars on the street

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What do you usually do when seeing a beggar on the street or if they approach you? Would you like to share some examples and thought about it? It might be a different experience depending on where you live.
I will go first.
I come from Australia and in the city, I think they are begging because of drugs, alcohol or domestic violence. I always question why there are people with nothing to eat, nowhere to sleep in a developed country.
I kind of avoiding the ones I think are ‘bad guys’.
I am shy to read their writing explaining why they are homeless.
There was one time I gave an old man some money, when I looked back (I forgot something), he was searching the bin for cigarettes.
There was a young man asking me for money because he was hungry. I asked if he would like me to buy him some food and he swore at me. So I guess he didn’t need the money for food right?
And then there was another guy I frequently give him some small change, he is polite and nice.
And my colleague told me how she met a homeless guy, he was homeless so he cannot apply for government benefits, so no money, so he has to beg. The story changes my mind a little bit. What if the people who approach me are not after money? They want to ask for some help because they lack the ability to solve their problems.
So sometimes after I said no to someone, I regret a little bit.
This is nothing too big or serious. I am just curious and interested.
 
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Lost said:
I always question why there are people with nothing to eat, nowhere to sleep in a developed country.
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  1. Mental illness
  2. Their own choice
You are not obligated to give money to someone you know will waste it.

The operative word for that is scandal.
 
Charity helps the need when you want to donate money. If a beggar wants money for food, give them food to eat. Of course it doesn’t speak for all beggars.

One story a long time back, my cousin felt bad for this beggar who asked for money to buy some water, she went to buy some water and approached him with the bottled water and he refused it saying he didn’t want it and was angry.
 
I prefer to donate to charities. Like you said, why are there beggars in developed countries? We have an abundance of social programs and charities to help those in need. I don’t know why somebody would spend all day, every day begging along the highway rather then taking advantage of soup kitchens while they find a way to support themselves. Probably because they can make a decent salary doing so that the government has no way of tracking and taxing. However, if I’m approached I like to give the benefit of the doubt.
 
Some are experienced in asking for change, some make hundreds a day. I don’t want to judge, but I tend to think the same with alot of them, especially in first world countries it shouldnt be a problem to get help with all these charities and other helps unless they dont look for it.
 
Thanks for all the answers.
I am just asking because I came from a developing country, migrated to AUS. Where I came from, there are actually poor people. So I want to make sure my action now is the correct thing to do.
 
Read the writings of the words of Mother Teresa.

Remeber we believe that each one is the person of Jesus, your Lord, in His distressing disguise. “Listen to him” (Lk 9:35) “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5) “Amen I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it to me.” (Mt 25:45) “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty?” (Mt 25:44)
 
Yeah recently I still don’t give beggars money (prefer charity instead) but I have learnt to look at them differently.
Especially today, at the Passion of the Cross, when Simon helped Jesus to carry the Cross the first time, there is something that the priest said at that time reminded me of this topic.
 
I will buy them a coffee or a meal from a fast food restaurant. If a have a spare dollar or two, I’ll give it to them. I always give it to them with a smile and say, “God bless.” I think the brief human interaction means more than the food or money, and they always thank me and return it.

I don’t know how they ended up homeless. I know in my country, social assistance doesn’t provide an amount someone could actually live on. I can see many of these people have mental health issues, and physician health issues. I know that once you fall, it is incredibly hard to get back up. So I don’t need to know why they need my help. I can see they do. And Jesus said, “What you do to the least among you, you do to me.”

I was incredibly poor once, and people helped me. I told God I’d remember that and help others when I could. I could give the money to a charity, but I know how much more of a difference it makes to just give it to the person who is standing in front of me.
 
I admit I was wrong before for thinking ‘if I give them, they will just be spending them all for unhealthy things again’. That is judgemental.
 
2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house,
which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.

3 He saw - in a vision - evidently about the ninth hour of the day
an angel of God - coming in to him,
and saying unto him, Cornelius.

4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord?
And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms
are come up for a memorial before God.
 
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I mean, if you have 100% proof that the money will be abused on drugs or booze… Then you could have good reason for not giving an alm.

But I think most of the time, the right thing to do is to be charitable, put it in God’s hands, and give alms.

You have any idea how hard it is to be homeless? These people live lives of misery which most people can’t even begin to fathom. Homeless people carry a cross daily that most people would fall under the immense weight of instantly.
 
I often wonder what circumstances befell someone that they end up homeless, but I withhold any judgement because I just don’t know. If I have some cash on me, I’ll give. If I’m going into a store, I’ll buy them a cup of coffee and a sandwich and give that to them too on my way out. I’ve never come across anyone who didn’t seem appreciative and most often, they also say “God bless you”.
 
Lost said:
I admit I was wrong before for thinking ‘if I give them, they will just be spending them all for unhealthy things again’. That is judgemental.
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I sometime eat Cadbury cream eggs for breakfast, so not sure I get to judge in the “spending money on unhealthy stuff” department.
 
Haha I don’t even know if it is healthy. Some scientific research says it is good for your health. The next day another group of scientists say it’s not.
 
casslean said:
I sometime eat Cadbury cream eggs for breakfast, so not sure I get to judge in the “spending money on unhealthy stuff” department.
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You’re spending your own money, not money you have begged off somebody else presumably.
 
I do give people money when I can, whether they ask or not. For the simple reason that if I were homeless I would not like my last choice taken from me (being given something I didn’t ask for or necessarily want - those that just assume you always want food or a hot drink.) or being made to justify my choices (say what I want the money for - that’s my business, it’s private). This reasoning comes from a lot of prayerful thought and from having worked with homeless people, mentally ill people and people who let’s say it politely have had their liberty taken away through their own fault and also from my own life experience with poor health and limited funds. Some homeless people recently said to me…‘sometimes I waste money on a meal in a pub cos I just want to feel like a normal person ’ ‘I want to save money to buy xx a birthday present’ ‘I am saving for a deposit on the flat, I can’t sponge of the council all my life’ ’ I want to go visit my family’ etc. my reply ‘fair enough’. So thinking people just want to to buy the next fix or drink is one thing and it may well be true but it’s not always true.
Personally, I think it’s none of my business what they spend the money it’s their business and God’s. So if I get the thought in my head to give them money and I actually have the money then I do and I pray for them. I try to keep £2 in a separate pocket for them if I feel called to give it to someone. I won’t open my wallet/Handbag in public though, nor give anyone anything at night or if approached by many as I am a female alone (99% of the time) but I do realise that’s due to my upbringing in a violent place and current poor health/vulnerability and not their threat and I pray for them and me. In the relative safety of daytime I do exchange a few words and find people quite friendly. In our church shelters we chat all night which is eye opening especially their circumstances which are so like my own. There but for the grace of God indeed.
 
Some people aren’t really poor beggars, they are panhandlers. The latter just makes money tax free off people willing to give them money. Some of them actually take in quite a bit of money a year. And we have a lot of them in my area. They are con-artists in a way, but then again, not really. They don’t lie, they just ask for money and people give it to them assuming they are homeless, poor, etc. My daughter is pretty wise for her age, she always says, “if you look at their shoes, you can tell if they really need money.” Interestingly enough, we had a “family” begging like this outside the church and the priest told us to not give to them, that it was a con. The church had offered them help and they refused. They were just looking for money and using children as props.

In any case, I only give money to charities that help the poor. People who ask me for money specifically are told where the nearest charity that offers food, shelter, and clothing can be found (there are a lot of them in my area and they are within walking distance from where I work and where I live… which is where people ask for money). I usually don’t have much money on me anyway. But if someone asks me for food or water, then I give that person what they ask for. The only time I make an exception is when the local food bank asks for grocery store gift cards to distribute to the poor. That’s kind of like money, but it’s money for groceries for families.
 
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