Do you support street beggers?

United States
January 13, 2010 8:59am CST
After responding to another post this question came to mind. Here locally we have several people that claim to be homeless veterans. I do not know if they are truely veterans or if they are homeless; but they sit in the medians and with their signs that say "Homeless Vet. Hungary. Will work for food." My question is do you support these people? I often feel bad that I don't but you read so many stories that say these people are not homeless and that this is their way of making an easy living. I have given them some food before when I have something like a prepackage/sealed sandwich because if they are truely hungry then that would help but I never give them money.
1 person likes this
8 responses
@YamiKiba (937)
• United States
13 Jan 10
I tend to ignore them, unless they look old and don't look like they'd be hired anytime soon because of their age. Some beggars I see today look around my age, and they have nice clothing that aren't in tatters. If they look like they are in good health and have a good pair of arms and legs, and they are begging, I think they are just looking for an easy way to make money without trying. I think its become some sort of a fad amongst young teenage males in some places. (they actually had a King of the Hill episode addressing this fad lol)
• United States
13 Jan 10
Seems like alot of the beggers are getting younger and younger or I am just getting older. I think that it says mountains that King of the Hill has made a comedy cartoon about this very topic as it relates to younger people begging. Or maybe this has something to due with the current economic times, that younger people can not stay at home with mom and dad becuase the parents can not afford to take care of their kids but the kid can't find a job either so they are out on the streets.
• United States
13 Jan 10
I don't and I think you're doing the right thing to share food but not money. I have been homeless, have worked for a women's shelter and now volunteer at a women's center that includes many homeless and poor women. I have always found that there are always some programs where a homeless person can make spending money while they wait for a job or social security. There are people who make a good living by putting up a sign. I've heard homeless women call those folks "professional homeless". When a street beggar asks me for money, I usually refuse. If they say they're hungry, I tell them when the nearest food site is serving the next meal. They're usually not interested or even tell me they already know about it. I have made exceptions. I once gave a woman money after talking to her and hearing how she was traveling. I've also bought a couple hot dogs, chips and a drink from a nearby outdoor hot dog stand. However, normally I don't like to encourage people to beg. I feel that when a person is down, one of their biggest assets is their pride and they need to keep it.
• United States
13 Jan 10
A persons pride is their biggest asset and it disheartens me to hear of these men and women who chose to be homeless. I have previously volunteered with an agency that hires people from the homeless shelter and asked a gentleman what his circumstances were to leave him in his current situation. He stated to me that he choose to be homeless as he gets free food and lodging through the shelter. I then asked him had he been homeless all of his life and he responded "No, I used to be a police office." I guess you are right some people do make a life be professional homeless.
@urbandekay (18278)
29 Mar 10
In UK I have sometimes offered them work or a place to stay, some have accepted. Abroad I have invited them to partake of food with me in a cafe all the best urban
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
2 Apr 10
Since I live in the suburbs I don't see a lot of beggars here. In fact I have only been approached once in my own area. The man asked if he could have enough money to buy a Wendy's hamburger, I was in a parking lot near the restaurant at the time. I gave him a handful of change. I was just really surprised to see a beggar where I was and it was Christmas time,and he was an older man, I felt bad for him. There also was another man who sat outside of our Aldi's he didn't beg though. He would sit there all day and wait for someone to not bring their cart back then he would go and grab the cart and bring it back and get the quarter. When ever he was there I would leave my cart in the parking lot, then as soon I pulled away he would happily go and grab it. I had planned to buy him a bag of food the next time I saw him but suddenly he was not there anymore, they must have told him he couldn't stand out there any more. I still see him riding his bike down the road once in a while as I am driving by.
• India
13 Jan 10
in my point of view the beggars are also human beings,they also feel the pain like our self,but most of them are not true beggars.they are searching for the reason,i don't like that type of beggars,i would help the beggars if they are honest to the god,anyone we can't identify them that they are true or not,everything the almighty god knows,my heart has broken by an incident that an Indian lady having his son seated upon her and begging in the high temperature.what wrong has the baby made. i don't allow him anyway that the mistake was done by the parents,because they are not literate.
• United States
13 Jan 10
Oh to see a woman begging with her child would break my heart. I would probably be the first to help her so she could care for the child. But here most of the people that are doing the actions I described are middle age males.
@syedayub (252)
• India
14 Jan 10
My dear friends, People who usually claim that they are homeless veterns, are not really homeless, they claim this beause they are habited to easy living. you will find many beggers at Railways stations, bus stations, footpaths, begging saying that they hungry and homeless, this is beause of some people using this children as a means of there earning. yes i find some people at the of 70's and 80's might be homeless,as there children made them homeless. Last but not least point, don't encourage children who are begging, by giving money. finaly i don't support this type of pratices.
@janale6 (51)
14 Jan 10
support them by helping them take the right path. maybe send them to the right places. orphanages social welfare and development. places like these. i dont really give money to them even if i pity them. coz once i have seen a beggar, i gave him money and he just used it to gamble. they say, you can give food to beggars. maybe do charity works like food feeding or education like teaching them, giving them your unused books. stuffs like that. the things that you do for them will return to you maybe doubled. ^_~
• United States
14 Jan 10
I have giving beggars food, blankets AND money. I am sure that some of them were just begging for booze money. But if I lived on the street I might want a drink too. If it makes you feel better to help someone you should do it. Just don't let them talk you into giving them more. I have been approached by a man that wouldn't except that I gave him the 2 ones instead of the 20 in my pocket. Then I pulled out the old saying "Beggars can't be choosers" He left me alone after that.