Helping homeless people

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Holland

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As of late, we have had some homeless people standing at the entrance and exit of various grocery stores, asking for money. I haven’t given them any and I am wondering if it is sinful not to give them money. If I give them money they might use it for alcohol or drugs which would make me feel even worse. I have given out food coupons for variouse resturants but sometimes I am out when I see them. If I am out of coupons should I just give them the money and be done with it?
 
Holland said:
As of late, we have had some homeless people standing at the entrance and exit of various grocery stores, asking for money. I haven’t given them any and I am wondering if it is sinful not to give them money. If I give them money they might use it for alcohol or drugs which would make me feel even worse. I have given out food coupons for variouse resturants but sometimes I am out when I see them. If I am out of coupons should I just give them the money and be done with it?
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wow it’s funny that you asked that. i have been in a ccd class trying to help out with the kids.
the teacher said that. she wasn’t wanting to give out money to this homeless lady with a cane, but she thought about it more. God was telling her to give that person with money.
if you feel in it your heart that you want to give the money. then give it. i don’t think it’s a sin.
 
*“Come, enter the Kingdom. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was sick and you visited me.”

“Whatever you neglected to do unto one of these least of these, you neglected to do unto Me!”*

I have a friend who gives food. I just give money as I don’t tend to carry food in my bag. My friend worries they might spend it on drugs or alcohol and rather they get food. I don’t mind giving money, and I don’t worry what they will spend it on. It is not a sin to help someone. And I don’t want to fall into the trap of judging them and thinking they are all drug addicts and alcoholics, because there are many reasons people are homeless, and it isn’t all related to drugs and drink.
 
Holland said:
As of late, we have had some homeless people standing at the entrance and exit of various grocery stores, asking for money. I haven’t given them any and I am wondering if it is sinful not to give them money. If I give them money they might use it for alcohol or drugs which would make me feel even worse. I have given out food coupons for variouse resturants but sometimes I am out when I see them. If I am out of coupons should I just give them the money and be done with it?
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We are all commanded to help the poor and needy in any and every way we can and whenever they ask it of us. Indeed, God said that Sodom’s sin was that it had an abundance of food and goods but neglected the poor and needy (Ezekiel 16:49). Our charge is to see Christ in them and help them. That said, I don’t believe that we would be committing a sin if we decided not to give money to a needy person because we know that he/she would use it to engage in a destructive or morally wrong behavior but that doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t help them at all. Use the money to buy them a meal or whatever it is that they need. It is better to help them directly than simply give them money then shoo them away.
 
I think it depends on the individual and the local circumstances. At the cathedral in my city, the rector and other priests have made it very clear that the faithful are NOT under any circumstances to give so much as a penny to the many homeless to wander through the neighbourhood…especially the ones who stomp into the church during holy mass pestering the faithful. The police are doing their best to discourage such donations…and the Church isn’t going to interfere. All the homeless of my city are basically “kept” within a small area downtown where there is an abundance of shelters and soup kitchens. They are not going to starve…and there is a very high probability that any moneny give will be used for drugs (which is a rampant problem in the neighbourhood). If you wish to fulfill the Lord’s command, I would recommend volunteering at a soup kitchen, or donating directly to a local charity. I’ve also been told by local charities that giving money or food on an individual basis can encourage an “addiction to homelessness”, and can interfere with the efforts of those groups that seek to rehabilitate the homeless and get them back into society…

That being said…I do sometimes give food, if I feel moved to do so. It’s on a case by case basis and involves a bit of character judgment. When I first moved here from a small town, my heart went out to every person I saw on the streets, and I while sincere, I was really taken advantage of…there are a lot of con artists who have a different “story” each time, and who will refuse food demanding only cash…other times I offer to buy them some food, but they complain until they get the most expensive and largest items on the menu…have to separate the sheep from the goats :P.
 
kyria said:
*“Come, enter the Kingdom. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was sick and you visited me.”

“Whatever you neglected to do unto one of these least of these, you neglected to do unto Me!”*

I have a friend who gives food. I just give money as I don’t tend to carry food in my bag. My friend worries they might spend it on drugs or alcohol and rather they get food. I don’t mind giving money, and I don’t worry what they will spend it on. It is not a sin to help someone. And I don’t want to fall into the trap of judging them and thinking they are all drug addicts and alcoholics, because there are many reasons people are homeless, and it isn’t all related to drugs and drink.
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You are right, I have no idea what their circumstancea are. I will try not to worry about it so much and just give them money when I don’t have the food coupons.
 
Holland said:
As of late, we have had some homeless people standing at the entrance and exit of various grocery stores, asking for money. I haven’t given them any and I am wondering if it is sinful not to give them money. If I give them money they might use it for alcohol or drugs which would make me feel even worse. I have given out food coupons for variouse resturants but sometimes I am out when I see them. If I am out of coupons should I just give them the money and be done with it?
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The food coupons are good! …or gift cards for use at a grocery store or similar… though they can still get alcohol that way then depending…

It’s best the way you have been doing things… restricting the money… giving alternatives… 🙂

It is not sinful to not give them money. You -can- give it to them, but generally it is wisest and most prudent to give something else…

Be careful… homeless people are more dangerous than average folks… be prudent about how and when you approach them and deal with them generally… and pray. 🙂
 
Holland said:
You are right, I have no idea what their circumstancea are. I will try not to worry about it so much and just give them money when I don’t have the food coupons.
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I would caution that you need to weigh the validity of the request as well. In portland, an investigative report uncovered that the average “street person” took in $30,000 a year… tax free. They found that gangs of “street people” had organized to control the most profitable areas, and they would actually schedule begging shifts to those areas (for their members only, of course, everyone else was told to leave or face violence). My policy, then, took on a threefold measure:
  1. the profitable areas were all fairly well known in portland, so if I saw someone legitimately looked in need and was not in an area known for profit for panhandlers, I would be more likely to give them money. An example would be once when my dad came to visit me in portland. We were in a McDonald’s and noticed an old man come through the door. He stood and looked at the menu for a bit, smelled pretty unbathed, and whatnot. He let other people continually go in front of him. After a few minutes, he just walked over and sat down at one of the tables. Dad walked over and asked the man if he could buy him dinner, and when thanked simply said “it was God’s work, not mine”
  2. the “street people” know the downtown and their areas better than even cab drivers. If I was lost and needed directions or, for example, dropped something and one brought it to my attention, I would generally proffer them a donation. The theory here was service rendered, service paid.
  3. for the others of able body who would sit guard on the profitable areas and didn’t provide assistance to anyone, I would generally refer them to the location of my church and tell them that I gave money there, where they could find food, shelter, and possibly a work program. Generally under this means i learned that charity through the church isn’t viewed favorably by most of the “street people” who fit this category… if you ever want to get cussed out, tell someone your church will feed and shelter them.
 
The real homeless don’t bother asking for money. They have problems with accepting someone else’s money for no work. I still give the ones I know personally that are truly homeless and don’t have alcohol or drug dependency.

The one’s with the signs that say “God bless” or “Help”, I do believe take away from the real homeless.
 
I never give money. In my personal experiance they rarely need help. They just want a fix of somekind. I usually offer to buy them something and in all cases save 2 or 3 I was never taken up on it.
 
Holland said:
As of late, we have had some homeless people standing at the entrance and exit of various grocery stores, asking for money. I haven’t given them any and I am wondering if it is sinful not to give them money. If I give them money they might use it for alcohol or drugs which would make me feel even worse. I have given out food coupons for variouse resturants but sometimes I am out when I see them. If I am out of coupons should I just give them the money and be done with it?
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Just give as your heart prompts you to. If your heart moves you to give, great.
 
ready said:
Just give as your heart prompts you to. If your heart moves you to give, great.
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Agreed. While in certain areas one has to be discerning in what they give and to whom, at the same time if we feel genuinely moved to charity we should act on it.
 
Holland said:
As of late, we have had some homeless people standing at the entrance and exit of various grocery stores, asking for money. I haven’t given them any and I am wondering if it is sinful not to give them money. If I give them money they might use it for alcohol or drugs which would make me feel even worse. I have given out food coupons for variouse resturants but sometimes I am out when I see them. If I am out of coupons should I just give them the money and be done with it?
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I give money to whoever asks (no I’m not rich). They usually look like they could use a good meal. If he is misleading me about what the money will be used for, that’s between him and God.

Besides, I’ve never had anyone to ask me for “drug money”.
 
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