How to respond to the homeless

[Bill_7154]

I spent three decades in law enforcement dealing with such individuals. They all know where the bona fide charities are - and you notice that they are not there. Oftentimes, it is because those charities will not distribute alcohol and drugs. Certainly, there are some who are truly needy, but the help they need is often spiritual rather than financial.

As a formerly homeless person, and a person who has worked as a counselor for formerly homeless people, I agree with this.

Unless your in a rural area, after a few days or a week they learn where the places to sleep and get food are. When they are at risk is if they are not street wise and it’s their first few days being homeless, then they need law enforcement or someone to direct them to a shelter. Or if they are mentally ill and not on meds they need direction to some sort of services if not familiar with those types of services. Unfortunately there are many severely mentally ill who refuse medications and based on their behavior you can obviously tell there is something metally very, very wrong with them.

God Bless,
Bill

 

[Bill_7154]

I don’t know if it made any difference but I put a clear address label on the back of the “gift card” with a quote from Isaiah 41:10 - “fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand”.

I think this is a great idea. For all you know one or more persons you gave such a card to read it over and over daily and decided to get involved in actively participating in a program to help them get on their feet. I think this is a fantastic idea! It could have given them hope for the first time in years, possibly their entire life!

God Bless,
Bill

 

[Bill_7154]

I know some of the people I’ve given to are scammers, sure. But I can’t know for sure if they all are. And refusing people who need help because SOME scammers fake it is a text-book part-to-whole fallacy. I figure at worst, it means I can’t afford to eat out one week. But I don’t blame someone who has kids or other obligations who can’t afford to give.

One way to try and figure out if they are scammers or not is, if you are on foot…

… when they ask for spare change tell them you don’t have any money on you and then proceed to engage in a convo with them, showing them dignity and respect by your facial expression and tone of voice, asking them maybe how long they have been struggling for, whatever…

…and watch their reaction. Those who are genuine will truely appreciate your speaking to them, showing them the love of Jesus. Those scamming will divert their gaze, thinking about their next target to get money from.

I used to do this, I could tell as people immediately looked away from me when scamming… and pretty much anyone who is in desperate circumstances is always looking for compassion and a kind word…if they immediately reject this… they are solely focused on getting drug money.

God Bless,
Bill

 

[Bill_7154]

I’m not impressed with claims - even if true - that many are scammers or they will use the money for drugs etc…For the act of charity - the giving - is in no way diminished if the person who receives then misuses the gift. After all, who among us can say that we have properly used every gift that God has given to us.
So - withholding charity from a street beggar based on an assumption that the person is a scammer or, in some other way, not worthy I do not find legitimately Christian.

James

I"m curious, how to you feel about the concept of enabling (you know what that means, yes?), assuming you knew the person were a drug addict or alcoholic. Would you still give them money?

God Bless,
Bill

 

[atheistgirl]

in Mt it states:
So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
So maybe the question is…How would we wish to be treated if we were homeless?
Tied to that might be - If I were homeless, what would I be trying to do about it?
Then we might take that examination of ourselves and how we would wish to be treated and apply that to how we deal with those who beg from us.

You ask really good pointed questions there.

I used to struggle with the idea of why there were so many homeless people, hungry people, poor people, in predominantly Christian areas, or in fact, areas where belief in a personal God was in the majority. I could never understand it. And I was quite critical of it.

But I became aware over time of the amount of work that religious organizations and people of faith actually do in this area.

Sarah x

 

[traillius]

Once I happened to be in a big city on a bus ride, and stopped at a station. A woman started talking to me about how she and her kids, 3 kids with her, was trying to get home. I didn’t have much money, and I did not give her cash,but I did buy her and the kids a meal, and sat with them as they ate. She thanked me, hugged me, and then asked for my home address to send me a check when she got home. I told her not to worry about it.
My father-in-law once gave a man holding a homeless sign his business card, and said that if he showed up at the address the next morning, he would give him a job with pay. The man never did show up.
While I agree with helping, I don’t believe in idiot compassion. One example of idiot compassion is giving clean needles to addicted illegal drug users so they won’t use dirty ones, rather than strongly encouraging them to go to a place to get help breaking the addiction.

 

[Bill_Martin]

Helping the poor does not always mean giving them cash. As others have said, giving the money to a charity organization is probably more beneficial.

I used to work in Detroit. I routinely saw a guy begging for money so he could buy food. Problem is, he was only 40 yards or so from a very good charity run by a Baptist church. He could have had free food, as well as help finding a job because the charity worked with some local businesses to help provide jobs to the poor. I pointed this out to him and he basically said no thanks, he really wanted cash.

If someone wants food, I’ll hep them get some. If someone wants shelter, I’ll help them find some. If someone wants a job, I’ll help them find one.

If someone refuses these things and instead wants money to buy them, then I’m going to be very leery of giving them any.

 

[JRKH]

Helping the poor does not always mean giving them cash. As others have said, giving the money to a charity organization is probably more beneficial.

I used to work in Detroit. I routinely saw a guy begging for money so he could buy food. Problem is, he was only 40 yards or so from a very good charity run by a Baptist church. He could have had free food, as well as help finding a job because the charity worked with some local businesses to help provide jobs to the poor. I pointed this out to him and he basically said no thanks, he really wanted cash.

**If someone wants food, I’ll hep them get some. If someone wants shelter, I’ll help them find some. If someone wants a job, I’ll help them find one.

If someone refuses these things and instead wants money to buy them, then I’m going to be very leery of giving them any**.

As I read this above, I recalled the old saying…

“beggars can’t be choosers”.

So I suppose one could legitimately ask…If one is a “Chooser” do they qualify as a “beggar”…??

Peace
James

 

[Chris_Etzel]

Where I live there are people of different ages that hold signs such as “Homeless…anything helps” near the highway exits. What is a Catholic response to these individuals? I feel guilty not giving them money, it feels awkward to give them anything else, if I do give them money I feel foolish because I’m not sure if I should be doing that. I guess I don’t really know these people and what they really need. What is the right way to act?

The right way to act is to treat them with dignity. The simplest way to do this is to look them in the eyes. How easy is it to look away and walk quickly past saying “sorry, i don’t have anything…” , but how hard is it to stop and look them in the eyes? And how rewarding (you get to add a name to a face and a prayer to your list sometimes) They’re used to rejection, so telling them ‘no’ is not new to them. But do it with dignity and charity if you don’t have anything to give them.

Two good reads that really address helping others in need:
“Where love is” by Tolstoy (you can read it online for free)
holytrinitynewrochelle.org/tolstoychristmas.html

I also recommend the book “Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America”. amazon.com/Under-Overpass-Journey-Streets-America/dp/1590524020 I recommend it to anybody that wonders how to interact with the homeless or if they’re discerning whether they should get involved in homeless ministries.

Whatever you do, be very careful. Homeless people are normally either truly normal just homeless, mentally ill, on drugs, or possibly felons avoiding capture. So use good judgement for your own safety.

 

[Bill_7154]

While I agree with helping, I don't believe in idiot compassion. One example of idiot compassion is giving clean needles to addicted illegal drug users so they won't use dirty ones, rather than strongly encouraging them to go to a place to get help breaking the addiction.

I disagree with this. I personally don’t hand out needles to drug addicts but recognize that this saves people’s lives. Immagine how you would feel if a relative of yours that you loved died from AIDS from sharing a dirty needle after making such a statement. One could both give out needles and also information directed towards assisting the person in getting off drugs. I don’t believe in an either/or approach. I do believe in harm reduction. I have worked with ex heroin addicts who have outright told me they would use a needle they knew was dirty if they were sick from being off the drug and someone they knew to have aids offered to share their dope in their infected needle with them. They say the pain in the moment “dope sick” they call it will far outweigh any sickness they will experience 10 years down the road from AIDS.

I also believe in methodone maintenance. It stops heroin addicts from committing all sorts of crimes, engaging in prostitution, etc to support their habit. It’s another harm reduction approach.

There is a % of people who just won’t stop no matter what. I don’t want to be part of the population through action or belief condems them to death.

God Bless,
Bill