Give money to panhandlers?

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punisherthunder

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Should I feel bad about not giving money to panhandlers?

The other night I was downtown and I was approached by a homeless woman. Now our city has a law banning panhandling, but she cornered me on a sidewalk and explained to me how she had no money, was cold, no food, etc.

I literally had no money on me, just a debit card. I did offer to point here in the direction of a Catholic Church just a few blocks away. I know she would be able to get a little food and possibly some money. This woman balked at the idea of going to the Church for help, and she just wanted money.

Then yesterday, my father who is a landscaper, went by the homeless shelter downtown and offered to hire out a couple people willing to work for him with some landscaping. They all balked at this as well. He told me they all wanted money, but didn’t want to work for it.

I feel conflicted because the Bible says would should give to charity and help others. I’m reminded of when Jesus said “when I was naked, did you clothe me? when I was hungry did you feed me?” .

Anyone else feel like this?
 
I think you and your father handled these situations beautifully. You both offered help to those in need. In fact, IMO, you offered something worth more than just a few dollars that would probably have been wasted. You offered them a place to go which would feed them spiritually as well as physically. Your father offered them a way to earn some money and perhaps feel some pride at their accomplishment.

The fact that your offering was refused does not negate the generosity and Christian charity you displayed.
 
I share your conflict. When approached by an apparently healthy young man, I usually smile and say, “sorry.” I try to look the person in the eye and not just dismiss them, but I can’t afford to give to everyone who asks me and there are missions in our city,
But sometimes, especially when a child is involved, I give something, $10 or 20.
I try to follow the leading of the spirit, but I’m sure I’m not always right. I’m pretty sure I got scammed the other night – a man came up in the grocery parking lot, said he and his family had just driven in from another city, would not be allowed to stay in a shelter together unless they had $12, and that their children had had no dinner.
I asked him to introduce me to his children, and he took me a few rows over to a car, where a woman said she had just taken the children to the nearby Y, where they would be looked after until the parents could pick them up.
The guy was good, but thinking back I shouldn’t have given them anything. How could his wife have just taken the children somewhere else without his knowing about it? I could have checked into it more, but didn’t want the embarrassment of accusing them of lying.
I’d rather be wrong 9 times out of 10 and right at least once, than refuse someone in genuine need.
But it also depends on my own situation, which is sometimes tight too.
What I plan to do is call local charities and find out what resources are available to direct people to. The problem is that I know there is not enough help for everyone.
That is why when I was a single parent I always belonged to a local church, not only because I believed but as a safety net. I only had to borrow money once from my church, to pay for antibiotics for my child, but having a church family made me feel safer.
I think you are not alone in your conflict, it’s something we all deal with often.
 
I share your conflict too. I have posted about this before here. It is very difficult sometimes.

Usually I have hardly enough for myself, but sometimes I still feel like giving, because I believe God will provide for me somehow.

Other times I feel really really torn.

I prefer to offer somebody food instead of money. Like when I see a young person hit on passers-by for change, I have offered food before. Not much, as I can’t afford to buy expensive food for myself either, just maybe a whole wheat roll or something.

It is evry difficult to know what to do sometimes.

Kathrin
 
Kathrin said:
I prefer to offer somebody food instead of money.
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Yeah, me too. You’d hate to think that you were enabling someone’s drug or alcohol habit.

When I go to a professional conference in a major midwest city, I usually get hit up for some money. Usually, before I go walking downtown, I’ll stop at the local Wendy’s or whatever and pick up some gift certificates. Sure, they could be traded for drugs or whatever, but at least it’s a reasonable effort to offer someone what they’re asking for, and there’s less of a chance to get scammed.
 
It’s a tough call. I mainly give to organizations. But I sometimes give to the panhandlers but not as often as before.

One time, I was in the train station when I was approached. The guy said he was hungry, so I went with him to a food stand and bought him something to eat. As I sat down, I saw him throw the food away, hardly even touching it.

I much rather donate to soup kitchens or other organizations that help the poor.

A lot of the panhandlers are not even homeless or in real need. Some tv station did a study once and found that the average panhandler can make upwards of $14 per hour begging at intersections.

But on the chance that the beggar is really in need, I sometimes make the exception and give a buck anyway. A dollar really doesn’t go very far now a days. The folks in real need don’t ususally pan handle, they are too afraid of people and the public to appraoch anyone. They are the mentally ill (or what’s left of them) that the Regan administration let out of the institutions in the '80s.
 
Many cities let you purchase vouchers to be given to the homeless for necessary items including food. When I worked downtown I had gift certificates for fast food restaurants. Some of the “needy” refused them they only wanted cash for the liqueur store:( .
 
My problem sometimes is, can I really afford to do something like buy a voucher?
I do give food or money for food sometimes, and sometimes that’s more than I spend on food in a day for myself.
This is difficult for me sometimes: When somebody asks me to help them buy a warm meal, and I have to ask myself, should I do this if I don’t eat like that myself?
Difficult difficult. I do think that often I am much more likely to buy something for somebody else than for myself.

Kathrin
 
punisherthunder said:
Then yesterday, my father who is a landscaper, went by the homeless shelter downtown and offered to hire out a couple people willing to work for him with some landscaping. They all balked at this as well. He told me they all wanted money, but didn’t want to work for it.
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Don’t forget that the Bible also says, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10)

Jeremy
 
When my dd was in Rome 2 summers ago w/ her girl’s club, they were approached by gypsies wanting a hand out. Since the girls had bag lunches, they offered the gypsies food. The gypsies didn’t want food, they wanted money.

I always tell myself I want to keep packaged food in the back of the car so I have something for the homeless. I never seem to get around to it. —KCT
 
I did not like to, because I felt that they would go and buy drugs or alcohol.

But my husband always does, and now I do too. His reasoning is that even an alcoholic drug addict has to eat too.

He also says that the panhandler could well be a person, but how do we know that the person was not sent by Jesus to test us?
 
I live near Detroit and work in the heart of the downtown area. Every day to and from work I pass the panhandlers in their usual spots at every corner of every intersection, most with signs, some in wheelchairs. I hate to say it but I am skeptical to their actual needs. I know that there is a real possibility that I could very well be feeding an addiction rather than a true need. And from a sheer practicality stand point I just can’t help everyone.

I prefer to put my money into resources I know can make my dollar go farther such as food pantries and such. They can buy much more through their contacts with one dollar than I can going to the grocery store.

I struggle with it too - it’s very hard to pass someone who appears to be in need and not actually “do” anything.

~Liza
 
I try to give - our priest reminds us that we are to give not to necessarily benefit the recipient, but to benefit ME. By giving I allow the Holy Spirit to encourage a spirit of generosity within me. We should give without regard to what the person will do with it - it is a gift. If I don’t want to give or I’m resentful, it means I should probably be praying more and get to confession.
 
If Christ had no problem giving money to the Roman government that eventually sentenced Him to death and executed Him, then I’m pretty sure He wouldn’t take issue with us putting a few dollars in the hand of a beggar who may or may not spend it on drugs or alcohol.

What beggars do with the money is their responsibility, not ours. Ours is simply to give. If it makes you feel more comfortable to offer food, drink, or clothing rather than money, by all means do so, but please don’t feel any inhibition whatsoever about giving money, at least not based on what the beggar may do with it afterward.

Jeremy
 
But honestly, what do you do if you are poor yourself?

Extreme case: Do you give your last change?

Kathrin
 
One time, I was in the train station when I was approached. The guy said he was hungry, so I went with him to a food stand and bought him something to eat. As I sat down, I saw him throw the food away, hardly even touching it.
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Similar thing… got scammed by “pro’s”. A man & little girl on the street corner with a cardboard sign - “hungry, need food, please help”.

Went to McD’s for my own lunch, and got an extra meal, plus a “Happy Meal” (for the little girl). They were standing on the corner in front of my shop. I parked, and walked over. Gave them the food. “Oh, thank you.”…

As I was walking to the door the man took a pull from the Coke, the girl took the toy out of the bag, and they both shoved all the food into the wastecan.

This ended my “Charitable” contributions to the independently hungry. If you’ve got the energy to shove perfectly good food in the trash… you’ve got the energy to work & earn your own meal.
 
Kathrin said:
But honestly, what do you do if you are poor yourself?

Extreme case: Do you give your last change?

Kathrin
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Though I don’t think it’s morally obligatory to do so, it’s certainly praiseworthy. Look at how Christ praised the widow who offered her last two mites to the temple.

Jeremy
 
Jekled said:
This ended my “Charitable” contributions to the independently hungry. If you’ve got the energy to shove perfectly good food in the trash… you’ve got the energy to work & earn your own meal.
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OK… but that doesn’t mean that EVERYBODY who has a sign saying they’re hungry would do that… sometimes I am thinking… even if in the MAJORITY of cases there isn’t a “real need” for what you give, what about the few people who WOULD need the food?
🤷

Kathrin

(I mean: I like to give people the “benefit of the doubt”)
 
Just the other night, a local reporter on the news dressed like a homeless person and stood out with a sign downtown( no money, hungry, etc.).

In about five hours the reporter had collected $75 dollars. That’s $15 an hour! Of course the reporter donated the change to charity. I’m just having a hard time giving to these people when they don’t care or just want drugs/booze. 😦
 
So you’re saying that if somebody really needed the money for food, they would sure have enough after a short time…

Only, if everybody started thinking that nobody would give anymore either… So we should at least give once in a while… if everybody gives just a little bit it helps a lot…

I am a street musician myself, which is comparable to panhandling, and I know there are hard days and there are good days.

Sometimes if I have time I watch a panhandler for a while and iof nobody gives in a long time, I’ll give something.

Kathrin
 
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