Do You Ever Give Money To Panhandlers

[CathyBogart]

There is a lady that rides around my local walmart area, in a motorized scooter with a wagon that has a 75-100lb Rottweiler mix dog in it. She has a sign that says "Homeless, Please Help, Dog Is Hungry". I know she is homeless..I camped at the local park and saw her there under a tarp, with about 100 knick knacks set up around there on plastic shelves? Set up in the middle of the woods. First thing, please find a home for the dog, where you know he'll be fed, if you're worried about him going hungry. Second, stop spending your f***ing money on a MOTORIZED SCOOTER, it is not a wheel chair, it is for recreation. I would love one myself! Third, no offense to anyone that is pleasantly plump, but she is a very large lady and I have no idea how she keeps herself that large being 'homeless'. Maybe the dog is hungry because she eats all his dog food? lmao, sorry it may sound mean but I don't understand.

Wow, isn't that sensitive? First, if she really is that obese, she probably needs the scooter to get around. She probably remains so large because she uses the money she can get to buy high-calorie, fattening foods, and frankly, if you don't know where your next meal is going to come from it just makes more sense to go that route.

As for her dog...if it looks underweight or poorly cared-for, call your local animal control or Humane Society and report it. Maybe you can get her companion and guardian taken away from her. If he is cared for...why should she have to re-home him? There are enough low-cost veterinary clinics in most places that someone who truly cares abhout their pet can usually get good vet care for them.

[BOBS DAD]

There is a lady that rides around my local walmart area, in a motorized scooter with a wagon that has a 75-100lb Rottweiler mix dog in it. She has a sign that says "Homeless, Please Help, Dog Is Hungry"... etc., etc...

All I can say to this is "you're young". Wait until life deals you an unpleasant blow!

As far as people not really being homeless, making good money, professional panhandlers - I can understand and appreciate everyone's take on these fronts. Personally, I do not have the time or energy to try and figure out if they are "needy or not". Anyways, they are certainly not "getting rich" on me. As I said, I don't always give money - it is more like occasionally. I try to remember to give a little if I have some smaller notes on me. But that's just me.

And for those who simply have no compassion at all - no tolerance or a complete lack of understanding - I say listen to BOB DILLON'S "ROLLING STONE"... Yeah... how does it feel... to be without a home

[RICHARD]

I stopped giving to politicians.

[lbaker]

By the way Bobs Dad, it's Bob Dylan

[BC_MoM]

No, never. They all have a equal chance of getting a job if they really wanted one, in my opinion. I feel sorry for them, but I'm not going to encourage them being poor and homeless. If they want money to live, they can work for it. There's something out there for everyone.

My teacher used to give them sandwhiches or salads, etc. if she ever found one bothering her for money. She never gave them money.

[K9soul]

No, never. They all have a equal chance of getting a job if they really wanted one, in my opinion. I feel sorry for them, but I'm not going to encourage them being poor and homeless. If they want money to live, they can work for it. There's something out there for everyone.

That is a very broad statement and not always true at all.

Personally I never see them here where I live although there are probably more in the Twin Cities, but if I were to help someone I'd probably buy them food rather than hand them money. It would really depend on the situation and my gut instinct at the time.

[Vela]

Well that's not entirely true, many peole end up homeless through a seris of unfortunate events, many have mental illnesses, and most places won't hire you if you look homeless, which they are, and have no home address. It's not easy for someone who has nothing nice to get to a job interveiw presentable to obtain a job, and honestly, without a home address, chances of getting hired are almost nil. There are some cheaters and not truly homless peopel who panhandle, but there are also some truly needy people out there who need help. I give what I can when I can when I see them in need. Sometimes money, sometimes food, I once gave 50 dollars to a man in a wheelchair who had no legs and two kids with him. If he was not really in need that is not my problem, he appeared to be so I gave what I could. He cried and thanked me, so I will be happy enough with that. I don't need to try to figure out who is truly in need an who isn't, someone else can sort that out, but if by doing what i can when i can, if I can help even one person who really needs it, then that's good enough for me.

[lizbud]

By the way Bobs Dad, it's Bob Dylan

I knew that. Great song

[BOBS DAD]

By the way Bobs Dad, it's Bob Dylan

I knew that!!! LOL! ARE YOU EVER TYPING BETWEEN "what you should be doing at work" - and you have a mental block. I typed it several times and knew it looked wrong!!! LOL! But heah... Once upon a time you dressed so fine... You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?...

Youve gone to the finest school all right, miss lonely
But you know you only used to get juiced in it
And nobody has ever taught you how to live on the street
And now you find out youre gonna have to get used to it
You said you'd never compromise
With the mystery tramp, but now you realize
Hes not selling any alibis...
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And ask him do you want to make a deal?

OKAY... I spelled his name wrong... SO SUE ME!!!

[RICHARD]

Back in 99 I worked with my brother for the summer. I quit my job, payed off all my bills and went bohemian.

During that time money was short. So living paycheck to paycheck was a challenge. We found every place that sold three tacos for a buck, 99 cent cheeseburgers and all the rest.

At the beginning of the summer we were hashing out how to spend the 6 or 7 bucks we had on lunch.....Well that bought us three giant cheeseburgers a giant order of fries -we stockpiled cokes and stuff to drink during the day so we were all set.

As we sat in the truck the last burger was calling my name....so I asked Mike if he was still hungry, He said, "no, but save it....."

Hokay...we headed home and as we drove thru Griffith Park he pulled over to the curb, got out of the car with the burger and a few cans of Coke.

He walked over to a guy with his dog at a picnic table, handed the burger and pop to him, said a few words to him and came back to the truck.

I told him that was really neat, thinking about this guy.


I asked him who he was.

I don't know..

You don't know?

My brother never got his name or what he was all about...but he took the time to buy extra food and stop to give it to the guy. We did that for most of that summer.

I am more apt to give a guy something to eat, than to reach into my pocket for change....

Money or food?


It's all giving.

[lbaker]

"How does it feeeel, to be own your own, with no direction home, like a complete unknown.."

[CathyBogart]

No, never. They all have a equal chance of getting a job if they really wanted one, in my opinion. I feel sorry for them, but I'm not going to encourage them being poor and homeless. If they want money to live, they can work for it. There's something out there for everyone.

Yep, because if you have no home to shower in, you can sure find another way to clean up and look presentable for a job interview. Easy.

If you have nowhere to feel safe at night, you can find another way to get a good night's sleep and be able to focus.

If you have to spend a good chunk of your day scraping together enough to survive another day you can just generate a few extra hours to go job hunting.

If you can't afford nice clothes, you can just what...steal some to wear to an interview?

If you don't have a phone, you can just figure out a way for prospective employers to contact you.

If people turn up their nose at the very sight of you, it's HARD TO GET A JOB. Chat with some homeless folks sometime, talk to them about their job-hunting endeavours. It's like climbing an avalanche, and while some people manage to do it, some are never going to manage it and for some people it will take years of effort.

People always go on abot how "mommyhood" is a full-time job, but most people don't seem to realize that when you have nothing, SURVIVING is a much more challenging full-time job.

[JenBKR]

but most people don't seem to realize that when you have nothing, SURVIVING is a much more challenging full-time job.

YES so true.....I am really surprised at some of the responses here, I have to say

[bckrazy]

In my experience, I have known kids who ran away and were homeless for a short while. This could be completely different in other cities, but in almost any big city in Cali, there are tons of homeless shelters. They feed them, clothe them, set them up for job interviews, etc.. and not in ratty clothing, in nice clothing!

I think it's just as sad to think of homeless people as hopeless as it is to think of them as lazy.

I know from personal experience with really close friends, that there IS a system to fall back on in this country (in most areas). It isn't perfect. But much of the time the fact is, it's easier to sit around and ask for money than it is to get up and get clothing & food, become free of drugs, and add to society. I really feel for people who are briefly in a bad time in their lives, and I understand that. But to actually LIVE for an extended period of time on the street, means something to me. It means this person either needs mental help, or is doing drugs/alcohol, because shelters do not tolerate druggies and won't hand out money.

[carole]

In NZ we have a good enough welfare system IMO to make sure most people are not totally going without, i do however appreciate there are certain circumstances that no matter what, people do end up living on the streets, however having said that we have young ones who just do not like the rules at home, up and leave and become homeless, IMO they are choosing this lifestyle,and my empathy is somewhat not to easy to give in these situations,but again each individual situation is different and we should not always be so quick to judge, one never knows when the shoe might be on the other foot as we say here, in other words when you yourself could face being just that homeless, it can happen to anyone from any walk of life, i think if we keep that in mind one can always find a few cents to spare to help those less well off than ourselves.