I’m not asking if you do it all the time but are you a person that’s inclined to or you personally don’t, no judgment I’m just curious
Kind of?
I used to work nights and overnights at a convenience store. I was the only one there. If someone started panhandling out front of the store I would tell them to leave,(because I had to) but I would offer them a sandwich and a drink from the cooler before I sent them on their way. I just rang it in as part of my employee meal, because I usually brought my lunch from home and only really employee meal'd a fountain drink and sometimes a donut.
Boss didn't care as long as I stayed under 10 bucks.
just this simple act is dope, good job man. If more people did stuff like this more often we'd be in a better place, kudos
I used work at one that had coffee machines and soda machines as well as bakery we were supposed to throw out at night. The homeless folks got free drinks and bakery every close I worked.
Where I worked had donuts and cookies that were baked fresh every night, and had to be thrown out 24h later.
I was not allowed to give them out and I had to take them out the back door to the dumpster after I counted them and shrunk them out.
I wrapped them up in plastic bags and set the on top of the dumpster so I could 'come back with the store garbage a few hours later and only have to open the dumpster once.' If those bags vanished, 'well the raccoon must have got them.'
i used to do this too when i worked at a gas station, a small act of kindness can mean the word to someone.
I did this at a pizza place I worked at as a teen. I would throw it in the system as a small cheese under my employee discount and I would pay for it. We ended up with a regular every Friday and I really didn’t mind at all. It was nice knowing he was getting a hot meal and sometimes he would bring a friend with him and share.
Edit for clarity.
I love this. Thank you for helping people out!
Then they tell their friends and so on and so on.
I did it for about 8 months before I had to leave due to family illness. Never became a big problem, on my shifts, though I can see how that's possible.
For about a month one of the regular guys around did just come in once or twice a week and just ask me if I could spare a meal, that's about as 'taking advantage of it' as it got.
this is cool as most convenience stores in my area are against this kind of thing and often even ask customers not to give money/items to the panhandlers. I think it's kind of a "don't feed the wildlife or they'll come back with friends" logic around here
I'm not really sure how to help them. I hate that they are in that situation.
You can't help them until they want real help. And there are already shelters around that provide resources and get people off the streets and into apartments they can pay for with jobs the shelters find them. I've seen it happen. You can go from a completely destitute homeless person to an apartment renter in about a year. But they have to follow the rules, which means no fighting, no stealing, and no drug use in the shelter. And that's too much for the ones who don't actually want help.
I think "don't want" is maybe a bit of a big word here. If people are terribly traumatised and ill and addicted... I think it's often rather they can't.
From my experience working with the homeless, it's a case-by-case. For instance, a teen will tell you her mother changed the locks on the apartment door, but she won't say her mother did that because the daughter kept going in her purse and taking every cent in there and Mom got fed up with it. But sometimes the teen can't go home because a stepdad is trying to sleep with her - some people are truly despicable. I've heard it all.
About 1 of the 5 general reasons is "lifestyle." That's the most agency-enabled homelessness.
Then comes drugs.
Then psychological/mental illnesses.
Then circumstantial - escaped abusive households, or disabled and can't work/untrained.
Then it's simple financial - missed paycheck, missed rent, and the house of cards comes crumbling down.
Some of it can have further underlying things, like became a felon and is unemployed, forcing them into financial unemployment. That can be a combination of other factors as well, i.e. drug use or mental illness got them incarcerated in the first place.
Around here, there are definitely not enough beds in shelters and not enough low cost housing to get homeless people off the streets. And that’s pretty typical nationwide.
Ask them what they need, that's the best way to do it. It's more impactful than just giving money in my experience.
I ask if they’re hungry and what they would like. I never give cash. I’m not supplying your drug habit.
You do you, but not all homeless people are drug addicts
Not all, but many are, and almost all who are will lie about anything to get their next fix. Myself I am also like OP only buying food or goods and never directly money.
This is understood and appreciated.
Homeless people have to eat, too.
And someone else will give them money.
It sucks when you're homeless and have to buy food AND drugs. You do have to eat, after all.
I rarely carry change anymore, but when I did I would give some as I passed. Now I occasionally buy an extra drink when I shop at a convenience store to give to people sitting outside
Just fyi, the manager of that store hates that. It encourages people to hang out even more.
Well f the managers bc they lease the building but can’t lease outside
People who make comments like this have no concept of what it’s like to be a business owner in a city with a bad homeless problem. Just imagine that. You poured everything you had into a small business. It will make or break you. And now people are sitting out front, begging and leaving trash. Your honest customers are afraid to come in because they’ll get harassed for money, or worse. And someone enables them by buying them food or drink, reinforcing that this is a cool place to hangout. I think once it was your livelihood, your family, your opinion would change.
There was a pizza place here that tried to be good Samaritans and put up a sign saying if you were hungry, they would give you a slice and a soda no questions asked. It very nearly put them out of business because word got out quick and it became a de facto homeless shelter, with people hanging out there all day and driving away paying customers. They left trash everywhere and consistently wrecked the bathroom. They started sleeping in front of it at night, leaving human waste and needles as well as going into the dumpster and just leaving the alley looking like a tornado of garbage.
You might feel differently if you owned a business and felt your actual customers are discouraged from coming in. Especially when the peaceful panhandlers have a random day where they’re not so peaceful.
As someone who has people routinely smoke crack and poop on the sidewalk outside of my place of business, hard agree.
People who disagree are privileged to never have to have dealt with this first hand.
People that tend to be on the lower earnings side of the scale seem to think that just because you own a business you are rich. They don’t realize that perhaps you worked your ass off in overtime to save up to start you business or went up to your neck in debt with a small business loan from the government. They automatically say oh that person owns their own business so they must be rolling in cash. They don’t understand that you may be operating in negative to get your business going or just breaking even as you try to pay the expenses of keeping your business going so you don’t have to work for someone else like most of us do. They are the ones who think stealing from you is justified as well as thinking you are a jerk because you aren’t just giving free shit to the homeless. I work for a larger employer and have been researching for a way to try and start a business myself because at over 50 I am tired of having to be told what to do by some prick of a boss. Big companies love to hire the biggest pricks to be supervisors. They pick the laziest employee, promote them, and turn them into the biggest prick you ever meet. It’s like some sort of HR talent. Find a bastard to piss off the employees. Anyway I got sidetracked. Having taken the time to look into starting a business myself I learned that it is no get rich quick scheme. Even though I am from the same background as those uneducated on business ownership, I understand where you’re coming from and don’t blame you one bit. Those people that are homeless usually are drug addicted and don’t want the help offered by the local authorities because that means they can’t use drugs to be in those programs and shelters. It’s a lifestyle choice to take and use drugs. If you abuse pain killers also a choice. I want a new boat and a new truck to pull it and nobody wants to support my lifestyle choice so I’m not supporting anyone else’s. If it’s not St Jude’s I ain’t donating.
seem to think that just because you own a business you are rich
I used to think like this until I was around 19 because I knew it costs a lot to start and run a business and everyone I knew that owned a business that was more than a simple self-employment were pretty successful.
Around 19 I met someone that helped do taxes for people and he told me about how some people would make more flipping burgers than running their business, but they like the independence more than money or something.
I was introduced to the idea that many small business owners are still working full time like anyone else, with the potential benefit of working for yourself, but still only earning the same as an average wage paying job in the industry.
My wife has a friendly acquaintance in her early 30s that still thinks like this though. She assumes we're raking in the dough with our small business that my wife runs, but it's really only producing like $40,000/year and it's her full-time job.
I find on Reddit the people with the most soft hearted opinions on the homeless live somewhere where it's not really a problem and don't understand. And I'm not without empathy, but I also know what it's like to clean up a bathroom that someone homeless has utterly destroyed and clean up human waste and needles from outside a business.
I agree with this. My old job there was a lot of homeless. Most would come to the store and steal and we couldn’t really do much about it. They’d be in and out With about $100+ of merchandise. We used to call the cops because our district manager wanted to build a case but we stopped because what were the cops going to do? It was non emergency, the person was long gone, Ave they didn’t still enough for it to be larceny I think It’s the word. And they would be in the bathroom for about an hour walking if in the sink, I found needles a few times. And it wasn’t the doors you could lock. But having to clean that up all the time was one reason I left the job. It was disgusting, we had to use certain pre approved products which didn’t include bleach ABC’s didn’t seem like it cleaned well enough, and I didn’t get paid enough to pick up poop street grown adults. (In fairness, regular shoppers were just as nasty as the homeless ones. Idk how people are so comfortable to poop in a public bathroom, make a mess, and just leave without flushing or anything)
But there were few homeless people who actually came in and bought socks and clothes or a drink with the money they received though. So not all of them were there to steal and make a mess.
Makes me want to smoke crack and poop in front of your place of business. Where is this?🤔
Definitely, it's intimidating to go to a 7-11 at 1 in the morning when you're driving and need a coffee for the road and crackie is sitting or standing outside the business. And you know anyone panhandling at 1 AM isn't doing it for a hot dog.
And that’s not actually true. They typically are leasing the whole property, including the parking lot
Well next time don’t pave paradise and put in a parking lot ehh
Fuck you, man, you have no idea what it’s like living in an area that deals with a significant homeless population.
I do not give them cash, but I do volunteer with the food bank and also help provide food and clothing through other charities.
yea, if i feel safe and have the resourses. i kinda follow the 'treat people as you would like to be treated' thing best i can.
I keep gift cards for local restaurants, grocery stores, clothing stores and hotels in my car that I try to give out to homeless people I see whenever I get the chance
I dont go downtown for work anymore so I dont see a lot of the homeless that I used to.
My area has an absolute epidemic of drug use. I'm not judging people struggling with addiction. But I don't want to enable.
There are tons of ways to help the homeless without handing a random person cash. The bigger picture is we need a legislative and cultural change. We need to stop treating them as less than human. If we can find money for bombs, why can we fund more social programs?? Why is it so hard to get affordable housing built? Why won't they raise minimum wage?
Canada isn’t spending money on bombs and most towns here in BC are overwhelmed with people who are homeless and addicted. About $55,000 per year is spent on each individual and the problem is getting worse not better.
I used to work with kids in group homes and juvenile detention centers, many of our issue are the result of our families being so broken. Those kids then bring kids into the world that will too, become broken.
No age or time was perfect, or “great”, but moms and dads (absent of mental illness of course) tend to raise kids that are better adjusted and resistant to falling into drugs and detrimental social deviant lifestyles. In a nutshell, we need more love in this world. Kids specially- need love, structure and family.
Theres like 200k of homeless in San Francisco alone. Imagine all of them in an addict center. We should train more psychology people and the government would need to fund these programs
They aren't all addicts.
Homelessness occurs because of zoning laws and NIMBYism. We’ve outlawed boarding houses and make affordable housing and homeless shelters as difficult as possible to build. Too many people are just shut out of the housing market because the rest of us want to maintain property values.
Well, the U.S. already spends $5 trillion on social programs; that's more money than the Department of defense gets. Affordable housing can be built, but who is going to pay for it? Can a homeless person afford utilities and upkeep on the house? Or will the taxpayers be on the hook for that too?
Not on housing. HUD spent $52 billion last year. That was .8% of the federal budget.
OK, but housing is only one of issues affecting homelessness. Give a homeless person a house, without any extra support, and see how long it takes before it's trashed.
True. People experiencing homelessness need better access to resources including healthcare, addiction treatment, school/education, veteran’s benefits, etc.
Haven’t there been test cases of this already? And they mostly found that the people who moved in took care of their homes? There will be exceptions, but there are plenty of families who are homeless and living out of their cars who would take care of a place if given the opportunity.
Yes. NYC (I think) in specific has small housing for homeless people and most are very well kept. They have their own little community, I forgot what it's called.
I haven't heard of such cases, but unless they are gainfully employed enough to not only keep it up, but also to pay utilities and taxes, still just a waste of time and money to give them houses. In my city, we have a few homeless, but mostly low-income residents who get Section 8 housing vouchers. Many landlords refuse to rent to them because of the extensive repair that has to be done to the homes after they leave. The city runs a housing complex, and has to completely remodel the units every few years because the low/no income residents trash the place. There are no easy answers to this.
There are double the amount of houses per homeless in the US but yet they can’t afford to pay the electricity or the water and a lot of them trash the houses because they’re mentally unstable
No.
Not anymore.
Yeah, not since I got to talk to some former homeless people. The things that helped them weren't being given money or random food, it was getting sober.
I do contribute to something my church does, pantry on a post, which is food goods in a box on a post in very economically depressed areas of town. Not only can homeless access it but plenty of housed struggling in this economy too, there are a lot of refugee families nearby as well.
Helping them by giving food or money in the street isn’t sustainable at all; it just buys more time in the situation and I’d say even enables the situation
I typically don't give directly, but I did when there was a guy who'd been out for days in barely in the teens cold. I offered to get him some coffee and snacks from a local coffee place. (He accepted the offer.) I figured he could very well be a scammer, but if he was that dedicated to his craft that he'd be out all day in weather like that, then what the hell, I'll give him something.
Yes. I keep water bottles in my car next to me that I offer when I end up stopped by someone begging. Some take and some don't.
I offered an unopened bottle of water to a homeless person who was standing next to my car at a stoplight, and he acted like he was insulted by that. He only wanted cash. I couldn't believe it! I've never offered anything to the homeless ever again, but I do give to charities when I can.
i have watched a video where a homeless gentleman explained in a nice sense why he didnt accepted any food or drinks unless it was bought/prepped infront of his eyes.
Homeless people are very easy to prey upon, and there are ton of shit people who would do something to the food/drink that they give out, maybe not you or me but someone did in past and will unfortunately.
After these remarks i changed my opinion and now more comfortable giving away cash or at least buying them meal where they can see its not tempered with.
Yeah that’s a great point I haven’t thought of. They don’t want to be drugged and taken advantage of right? That makes a lot of sense.
Or straight up poisoned for sport.
Most homeless people I've helped are appreciative. The others are just not all there. Closing state mental hospitals was a travesty.
My wife used to give canned goods, specifically spam, where a can opener isn’t needed. After a week went by, she saw the 3 cans of spam she gave the guy just sitting there on the curb wall unopened. She now just ignores said dude. (He sits at same corner).
I told her giving any canned goods is risky b/c if they get angry at you for not giving money, that heavy can may be used as a projectile to your car or worse your car window/face.
That happens all the time. They throw food back at you and just want money for alcohol or drugs. And the cigarettes they always have money for. Like $10-12 a pack in CA.
a girl i grew up with once gave a homeless man some fruit. he took it, then proceeded to throw it on the ground and stomp on it…that was a weird experience 😂
This reminds me how this old lady brought a cake to this homeless man who sleeps nearby. And he declined saying he doesn't like cakes with jelly.
No.
Yes I do. Because that may be the only money that gets them through. No matter what they do with it, I did my part and helped in the world.
Yes, I keep snacks and water in car for them
I stopped giving people money after watching someone who asked me for gas money but didn't want me to have the gas station attendant put the money on the pump they were parked at and then saw them drive straight to the liquor store. I now also carry beef jerky, water, and granola bars in the car that I offer if someone has a sign asking for help.
Thank you for this great advice <3
I give food sometimes, not money
I tried bringing one in to get him a job and back on his own two feet. He quickly got drugs heroine/meth/ and just got high all day and night for days. I had to kick him out because no drugs allowed in my house. It wasn’t obvious at first but quickly became obvious. Sorry buddy
No longer. I did once, and they ended up demanding more. Which is pretty scummy, since I was a preteen back then and obviously wouldn't have much cash either.
Nowadays im more inclined to just donate to organisation's and letting them handle it.
I got ripped off similarly when I was like 14, was at the bus station and some old guy asked for money for a ticket. Gave him 10 bucks and he just walked away down the street after.
I'm broke most of the time, but I do hand them a few cigarettes when I stop at the light. It's meant to just help in case they have the habit because it's so expensive and I understand how it can be to be down and not have your vice. And also people are kind of judgy about that kind of thing so I like to just remove all that and just hand it to them. If they don't smoke I'm sure they have a buddy who does. I do not condone smoking it's terrible and horrible and awful but if you're already addicted there's nothing quite like it especially when you're on the side of the road in the heat 🤷🏼♀️
Well, I wouldn't say I help homeless people, in that I don't volunteer to help in soup kitchens etc, but I'll often offer them some cash if I'm carrying any, or I'll to a shop and buy them a sandwich. I also donate to homeless charities. I'm even leaving my house to one of those charities when I'm gone. So to cut it short financially yes, personal time no. It should be the governments job though, there's no reason people should be unhoused in such a wealthy society.
Yes I do, when I can.
I was homeless, so I know what it’s like.
I had a job even then, and nobody gave me shit or helped me escape homelessness.
But man I wish someone did. Would have made it a lot easier.
I don’t judge these people. Most are going to use the money for drugs, and have no plan or real desire to rise above their circumstances.
But that’s not going to stop me from being a human being.
I think if you judge them, and don’t give them money based on your suspicion, you are a worse human than they are.
I’d also encourage people to have a conversation with a homeless person if you have the time.
Anyone can give someone a few bucks, but to show someone with no hope that they still matter, and they are still a person, may help them more than any money can.
You literally just said that the majority of them are going to use the money for drugs so why would I give them money? I’d rather give them food.
this is how i feel. i’m a young college student, im not rich, so why would i donate to someone’s drug addiction? why would i possibly contribute to them killing themselves? food is a different story, that’s something they need whether they’re homeless because of addiction or smth else
I hear you. Drug addicts usually don’t want food. I know, it’s wild.
I don’t care what they spend it on, it’s none of my business imo.
How did you overcome homelessness?
I give to homeless shelters and volunteer at soup kitchens. I don't give money to people on the street because many are insane or not homeless and part of panhandling rings.
I donate to organizations that help homeless people, but do not generally help individuals on the street. I'm not going to give money in case they have a drug habit and I have had people threaten violence when trying to give them food.
In non-cash ways. I try to do food or water if that’s what they are asking for. I have given people a phone number / address of a labor-finder company in my area before, but no idea if that has ever panned out
I keep a small stash of $1s to give away.
yes, but I was homeless for 2 years in the 90's and people helped me.
I do at times, depends on the approach
This. If the person is aggressive, no. A po!ite request, okay.
No, I've had too many instances where I help one and it becomes an expectation that I help them again. And they can become violent if you refuse
if i have the spare money yes
No. Not after I saw a guy faking a missing arm.
I think I would give that dude extra money, lol. That’s some Arrested Development style drama.
Yes, constantly. I wear a cool hat that has bunny ears that move, and I make sure every homeless person I come across sees the ears flap. It always creates a smile, once they smile I ask if they want food and water which I always keep spare of.
If I feel it in my heart to give yes. What they do with the money is between them and God
I help in how I vote. I don't give them money directly.
Never
Handing them $$$ is like feeding pigeons
IF you feel inclined to help them, send your donation to a shelter, give clothes and food, make it actually count
I used to frequently and still do in other countries. I haven’t given money here in the US in quite a while because the homeless I do see are usually meth or fentanyl addicts.
Occasionally.
Most of the time but not always, just depends how I’m feeling I guess
Yeah, but I never give them money; I give them food or other necessities directly. I'm not giving you money to go buy food if I can just give you food, and avoid the 5-10% chance you'll spend that money irresponsibly on drugs and/or alcohol.
I assume the chances they do that is higher than 5-10%. Being that drug use is a leading cause of homelessness. I mean I get it, they need what comfort they can get. But I don't want to fund it.
If there's a specific situation, I'll give money, but not usually randomly on a street corner.
I used to more than I do now. A few years ago I'd only see them every so often so I'd help them when I could (plus I carried more cash). Nowadays there are so many in my city that I've grown numb.
I do what I can. If I have a couple dollars in my wallet I’ll give it. If I have extra food or drink I’ll offer it.
Do I give money to people on the streets? No. Do I give money to organizations that provide help to the homeless? Food, clothing, shelter, advocating on their behalf… Yes. I also knit hats and scarves year long that I deliver to a local org each fall that are then distributed to those on the streets and to shelters as well.
Yes, I rarely have cash but I’ll buy them food and if I have some extra ones I’ll give em some cash instead. What they do with it is their business, they’re obviously in a bad situation whether they’re drug users or not.
I am part of a group that hands out free meals, sanitary supplies, narcan etc. twice a week. to anyone who comes by, housed or not.
that's my outlet for helping because its all I can do and the problem is ever-present. but when I'm there I'm able to channel my efforts in a way that are amplified beyond what I could ever do alone.
I used to offer to buy them food or coffee but they want cash for their next fix, so no.
As a kid we were homeless a lot. Many Christmas’s we got nothing. Most of the best ones were years that we were in a shelter and people donated toys and clothes. Since I got a job I have donated every year to local shelters toys and clothes. Usually at least a couple thousand dollars each time. If someone out in the wild looks like they are just struggling I’ll give them food or I’ll get a bunch of blankets in the winter to hand out at stop signs or lights. Having been around lots of homeless people I would say more than 60% were that way from many bad decisions. Especially the ones who are homeless constantly. There are a lot of programs to help people get out of it if they really want to even as an adult I have lived in my car but not for long. Takes hard work and the determination to not want to live that way to get out of it. Only ones I feel sorry for are the kids or people with special needs. Able adults who are lazy or prefer drugs I don’t really care about. They make their own choices just like the rest of us.
Not homless but I met a girl from Ghana years ago, we became friends, her parents passed and I help her when I can.
I’ll give cash to one if I genuinely feel that I can trust the person to not spend it on drugs
Also if a homeless person stops me to ask for directions or info (such as what time the bus comes), I’ll gladly give it
That’s about it
I help homeless people with dogs. I carry a supply of canned dog food and a stack of new, clean dog bowls in my car. Whenever I see a homeless person with a dog, I stop and ask if they would like a meal for their canine companion. I have never had anyone turn me down.
I do so on a daily basis.
If I hadn't gotten super lucky with a windfall and good advice from a mentor as a teenager the odds are pretty strong I'd probably be homeless myself.
It was my job for 8 years. I used to work at a homeless shelter in Upper Manhattan for mentally ill and substance using men. There were around 250 men living in the shelter at any time.
Our main job was to help them move out of the shelter into permanent housing but we had to help them with other things in the meanwhile; access to medical, mental health services, documentation, education (if requested) and more.
I loved the job but it was such a high stress environment working with men that aren’t only homeless but have handicaps that makes it harder for them to function in society. I’m glad to said I helped 28 guys in those 8 years move out and all but one are still doing well from the last time I checked.
I don't give to people on the street, but I do make a contribution to a local homeless shelter each year.
If someone asks me for money/change, I offer to order them food instead.
Never money and if I do it's very small denominations, but I'll give them food and water if they want when seeing them outside of Gas stations and the like
I use to. Deliver meals for kids at risk at schools so they would go home on the weekend with food. The amount of food i had to deliver was insane. When asked for help (this was volunteer)I was told to find a janitor at the schools. No one was available. Then when there was a school holiday the food would double to triple. - again asked for help, no one would (at the place where i applied to volunteer). Also use to help make meals for adults at risk. Got threatened one night, decided not worth it. (Just a random homeless drug addict didnt like what was being served). Parked in a parking lot by a homeless shelter and saw it over come with homeless encampments-fights, sex, swearing, belittling, assaults etc. NO I DONT HELP.
I will contribute to organizations that offer assistance, but I will not give cash directly to individuals. Most have issues with alcohol and drugs. IMO giving cash is not doing them a favor. On point, one of the most common intersections for panhandling was nearby a soup kitchen which fed 3 meals a day.
Rarely because I can barely take care of myself. I also never carry cash so I normally will buy them a drink and a bag of chips at the gas station.
No. Giving perfectly able-bodied people on the streets money is hurting them more than helping them. In fact, giving them money could literally kill them.
theres some local homeless i know that i help, but im usually on the fence on others
Ill toss them money if I have some. I dont care what they spend it on. Im not thr morality police. I'd probably spend it on some sinful thing myself anyhow.
I also will "hire" them in sketchy down town areas to mind my car and monitor the meter. They always do a good job with that for me. And if they are actually looking for work I can always find some little job for them to do.
I also pick up hitch hikers.
I went through a period in an abusive relationship with no money where I ended up marginally homed and homeless at times. And it wss the kindness of strangers that got me through. And the strangers were almost to a person other people who were struggling too. I never forgot that human kindness and the lack of judgement when I wss in my worst place.
No. They’ve ruined every town I’ve lived in for the past decade.
No, I feel like giving them money when they ask for it incentives them sitting out gas stations asking for money. And I know many/most homeless people don’t beg so if I gave one money it would be someone who didnt ask me for it.
I’ve never seen a homeless person hold up a sign looking for a job but I HAVE seen them pull out a couple packs of cigarettes or leave their sign for the day and drive their car home
I volunteer at the neighbourhood house making meals for the homeless.
Every time i’ve offered to buy them food or something to drink, they decline and say they just want money 😔
I donate to food banks or shelters. I was part of a motorcyle group that would hand out toiletries and socks once or twice a year, but I am not with them anymore. I also used to hand food to homeless people, but too many of them rejected it or were nasty.
I NEVER give them money directly.
I don't carry cash. I've offered food before and been assaulted with the food or cussed out. I do give to food banks, halfway houses and shelters, because I figure the actual homeless people who are doing their best to get out of homelessness are more likely to use these services than the addicts that just want to stay on the street. Being homeless is a misfortune. Being without a home because you spend every waking moment chasing drugs and alcohol is a different story.
i give them food, never money. sometimes i go to skid row xmas time and hand out food and water. thats about it
yes, whenever i can. i'd rather be taken for a $5 ride every now and then than feel the weight of not helping someone who needs it when i know i can. what if my $5 would be the difference between them eating and not eating, or dying from alcohol withdrawals on the street and living to see tomorrow? i cannot help but put myself or my loved ones in their shoes and think of how painful it must be and how i'd hope people would act. i cannot block out those thoughts. i bought supplies for a guy once and gave them to him with a hug, and i still think of him years later. i'm a total bleeding heart and always have been. everything i do reflects it. i don't blame other people for being different than me - hyperempathy can be a curse, and it really does take all kinds for society to function - but this is my personal way of going about things. i buy cold bottled water and give out wads of tissues as well as small amounts of cash. i've been thinking of keeping blankets, toothbrushes, and sturdy plastic bags in my car. i... should do that.
If I see someone out there on the pavement, I will go into a store and purchase something to give them.
I have many times.
There's a woman near us that is clearly mentally unstable, tho she has never seemed aggressive in any way. I see her on the bench talking, sometimes "fishing" or doing something else, or simply responding to internal stimuli. She's usually in the same clothes, is visibly dirty and ragged looking.
My heart breaks for her. I cannot imagine her life.
I've taken food out there to her, and she takes it without a word and without even looking at me. I really want to engage and talk with her, but I think she's just unable.
I think she may be one of the "real" needy homeless that desperately needs mental health services and medical care, but like a feral cat in some ways, just can't see her way to the help that's here. I never see her with a bottle, and she often sleeps on the bench 100 yds from my apartment. Maybe she self medicates with drugs, idk, but she desperately needs help.
I would take her to the hospital myself. I would taken her to a facility if I thought she would accept help. I've been watching and monitoring her for 2 yrs now, and I just don't know what else to do but give her something nutritious now and then.
I always have and will always help when I'm able. I'm currently not able to help much aside from donating clothing but it's still something.
I hand out water and food when I have it. But that’s all.
If I am going into a store and they are outside I ask what I can buy them. No one has ever asked for booze or cigarettes. The most luxury someone has asked for is a bottle of cola, fruit, or a hot meal. Which all seems fair to me.
Sometimes. Never cash. Food and/or water though, when I can.
if i have cash on me i try to give $5-$10, i dont judge what they will spend it on because its none of my business when i have never been in that situation. It doesnt happen as often as i would expect though
Yes. If I have it to share I always do.
I used to. I've been burned and now I just avoid.
Yes, if I have cash I'll give some. I'll buy people food if they ask and I have the money
I do. And people will likely hate on me, but I often hand them money. Yes, there are lots of services, but I like to treat people like humans and give them money with no judgment or expectations of what they might do with it. Imagine having nothing and a stranger blesses you with a $20 or $100. Nine times out of ten they are stunned and ten times out of ten they are so grateful. I'm powerless to pull someone out of poverty, but I can bless someone for a moment.
I try when I can. But I don't have much either, so.
I've seen people outside restaurants I offer to buy them something they are very happy we are all om this planet together we need to help one another
I work with people living with mental illness for my day job. Large percentage of the ppl I work with are unhoused or unstably housed.
Yes. I keep a few dollars on me and I give them a couple dollars if they're asking for money. I don't care if they use it for drinks. I'd need a drink if I spent all day begging for help from people who won't even look you in the eye and wish you luck. Yes, I help when asked.
Sometimes ill give them the food from my work that wouldve been thrown away after closing and when they ask ill give them a cigarette but besides that im usually too poor to have any change to hand out to them
There’s a guy in LA near a studio that I used to visit every time we were at the studio. I’d give him breakfast and lunch and bought him a winter jacket and socks on year. We used to shoot the shit on my breaks.
I have his family’s contact information and always ask him if this year’s the year to send a holiday card. He’s declined for the past few years.
He’s held that corner down for a few decades and is the only person I actively help in that manner.
I was homeless once. I usually talk to them for a bit and buy them some food if I don't sense a scam
Yes, I do. I had a befriended a homeless person who lives by the river a few years ago. On occasions, I would bring him a whole roast chicken for dinner. I would spend extensive time talking to him on occasions.
Mostly not.
I have given money to buskers. Doing something to earn money.
But 99.999% of the people begging for money for food have cigarettes. If they have money for cigarettes, they have money for food.
Ive been homeless so I don't give them money I give them prerolled joints. Thatll get them thru a night better than a fiver will
Yes, I give crackers with cheese and other random small snacks. I do buy a huge bag of dog food and break it into zip lock bags and give that to them if they own a dog.
Yea
Yes. I went through a long period when I basically didn't carry money because cards are convenient. That left me without money in my pocket I could give. Have started carrying some money again.
Yes.
I always give them a dollar or a tiny bag of coke.
If they seem nice.
Yeah ill buy them food if/when I can. Had no money to give once for to this guy, and he was freezing. So I told him I had no money, but here is my pair of gloves. I would have given him my hat too, but I lost it the same day :/
I’m inches away from living in a tent at any given moment, so no. I can’t help.
I do most of the time. I don't even care if they're spending it on booze and drugs... if i was in a position where I had to beg for money I'd do anything to escape that reality too... give them some money to take the edge off, they'll get food when they need it
I don't as often anymore because I can't afford it, but I still never turn someone down for food if they ask. A few times I've gotten out cash, but those were special circumstances.
I occasionally give them money but I’m quite certain that doesn’t actually help.
Yes, my mom was homeless for a few years and I’ve always hoped people would treat my mom how I have treated other homeless people. Water on hot days, a Gatorade or an ice cream or food. A kind word.
I keep a small bag of one dollar bills and some change. When I see homeless people pan handling I give out a 1$. I try to give the bills instead of change but Ive pan handled myself and anything works.
I am well aware that many of them are going to use that money for a bottle or bag. When I did it, that money went directly into my heroin habit. Now I’m recovered and haven’t used heroin since 2020. What the homeless use money I give them for is none of my business. Once I had them money it is theirs, not mine.
Not often. I’ll sometimes give food.
The one I’ll always remember is when I went into the post office in my town at like 2am. There’s a self service machine so they always keep the doors open. There was a guy who was sleeping on his suitcase, but he didn’t really look homeless? More so that he didn’t have a home. Not sure what the difference is but I felt it.
I asked him if he ate and he said yes, so I then asked if there’s anything else he wanted.
“Yeah, do you have an alarm clock?”
“An alarm clock?”
“I don’t have a phone or a watch or anything. I never know what time it is. If I don’t get to the temp agency right when they open all of the jobs will be gone and so I’m scared to sleep.”
That was the most reasonable thing I’d ever heard, so I went and bought him one, plugged it into the outlet in the post office, and set it up to go off at 5am. Dude was so tired he passed out immediately.
I still wonder what happened to him. It just made me think about the stupidest things we take for granted and how that could be the difference between having a roof over our heads or not, even when we’re doing the best with what we have.
If I can. I used to live in an apartment complex that sat above a public parking garage and sometimes unhoused would hang out in there to get out of the sun or the weather. I used to leave bottles of water and bags of chips down there for them.
Instead of donating no longer used items to thrift type stores, I collect a crate full of items and put them into a shopping cart in a part of town where there is need. I've been doing it for years and when I started, I would go back to make sure it was gone, but after it was always gone, I quit going back.
I donate to a food bank, and very occasionally donate to a panhandler. I have purchased meals in the past for someone who really looks truly homeless and addicted and in need of a meal. Generally, I know that homeless people are homeless for various reasons. 1. They are addicted to something and cannot get past it. 2. They are mentally ill, and unable to make good choices. 3. Any comabination of these AND they have annoyed their family members enough that hands have been washed of them. I tend to decide on a case by case basis whether I want to hand over my hard earned and taxed dollars to someone on teh street. I am also well aware that some panhandlers are NOT homeless, can make good money, pay no taxes, and choose their own hours to work.
I used to give $ but stopped after observing how regularly local pan handlers seemed to organize their efforts. It’s frustrating because I desire to help people in genuine need, and I know they exist. In general, solutions for these people already exist and giving out handouts doesn’t help them as much as them seeking these solutions. So I’ve been told.
I used to, before Meth made them dangerous.
Sometimes I help with a bit of cash or if I can grab them some food
If I'm feeling charitable ill throw em a buck or two when asked but I can barely take care of myself right now, I can't afford to take care of anyone else, it's sort of a put your own oxygen mask on before you help your child kind of thing (I take home roughly 500 a week on my current paycheck, even having savings is impressive for me)
Helping in the street, no lessons learned. Only at safe locations like food banks and soup kitchens with police present. Even then there ALWAYS someone causing problems. One tries to fight because I would scoop just the meat out of the lasagna...
If I have a food item or water bottle, I’ll offer it. But I think twice if they’re smoking or drinking alcohol as they are panhandling.
I don’t give to people who are on the regular routes I drive since I don’t want them to think I’m obligated to help again, but if I’m off somewhere else I’ll occasionally give
I used to give out change and stuff, but I've had far too many people try to get more out of me or straight up try and steal from me. Now I keep water bottles and maybe I'll buy them a hotdog but if they dont want food/water they're not getting anything from me.
No. As harsh as it sounds, giving money to them is like putting food out for wild animals. All you do is signal that's a good spot to get what you want, and you wind up with more homeless.
If they want help, they can go to one of the many shelters, follow the rules, and get the help that will really help them.
I volunteer at a food bank, but nothing beyond that.
That’s more than most
As someone who works in a food pantry, we need peoples time, not food. Volunteers in the pantry are a god send. Especially in 2025.
That’s better than most. Food banks directly help people who genuinely need food.
That’s huge, quiet kindness like that feeds more than just stomachs.
One of the things that always struck me about working at food banks was the VAST majority of people are not homeless. They just need some help with groceries (which is still a good reason to do it).
I was in high school before discovering food banks. My mom made sure we had dinner, but sometimes we missed other meals and snacks were rare. We weren’t dying of hunger, but that food bank helped keep us from being uncomfortably hungry at times.
It wasn’t advertised or anything. I think my brother stumbled upon it in our neighborhood. I wonder how many others don’t know they exist.
I just realized that the homeless would not be so attracted to the food bank since they probably don't have the means to prepare the food.
Right. A food kitchen or shelter is going to do more to feed homeless than a food bank. Now...a shelter may get food from a food bank in some cases.
I volunteered (briefly) at a food kitchen that was attached to a food bank, so that is likely true. There was always a lot of baked goods that they couldn’t give away fast enough. Not great nutrition, but a useful portable source of calories
They often do.
There are ready to eat shelf stable items too. Ours here is always packing up bags of like apple sauce cups and breakfast bars for the schools.
The one I volunteer with has lunch bags with whole lunches like sandwiches and salad cups and fruit and stuff like that and we buy those little tubs of pre-made food that's shelf-stable. It can be heated if you have access but if you're hungry they're safe to eat unheated. Also one really cool thing Panera does is they send these big huge bins of day old breads and sweets. The whole place smells wonderful on Panera day. My job was (I haven't done it in a while) was individually bagging them to hand out. Some people came to the pantry but we had guys doing outreach too that would take them out to the people on the streets. I'd say about 70% of our clients are homeless or don't have secure housing.
There are a load of American YouTubers who have SUVs and nice big homes and they BOAST in their food bank hauls. "I'm so blessed I got all this for free" kind of thing. They're also monetised and it's just WRONG on so many levels. Food banks are for the poor and needy not for YouTube coin when you're already well off
I thought food banks would have an ID system but I guess not
My college staple
Same here. Donate when I can as well. On the street, nope. Dont care and don't wanna, vrcahse I don't want them associating the area as a "donation area".