Beggars: To give or not to give?

[Second Summer]

Do you give money to beggars? Sometimes? Depending on their circumstances? Never?

In Europe, as well as other places like India, there is a problem with beggars being used in organised crime. Criminals will traffick poor, vulnerable people, even children, to more affluent areas / countries to attract sympathy and money. (In India they sometimes go several steps further, by kidnapping children for begging purposes, and even cut off their limbs to attract more sympathy.) The criminals will then put the money in their own pockets, and put the beggars back on the street to beg for more. In Europe these vulnerable people are often Romas (a.k.a. gypsies). Often they don't speak the language in the country where they are sent to beg.

Of course, "independent beggars" who have nothing to do with organised crime still exist, but I think the influx of foreign beggars leads to donor fatigue, so their "business" suffers.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi says begging (in India) is a form of slavery, and that people should not give them any money as it just contributes to the problem. The trafficking of people for organised begging in Europe appears to be a kind of slavery as well.

 

[flyingsnail]

I don't give to beggars because I have no idea who they are, what they are going to do with the money, etc. I'd rather just give money to an organization that can do better due diligence. I've never heard of people being used by organized crime to beg....I wonder if that is a problem in the US? Around here the beggars seem to be residents.

 

[Calliegirl]

I have, but it's very rare. I usually buy them food, personal items, and/or a meal.

 

[GingerFoxx]

If I think they are for real, and not just scamming people (which can be very tricky to discern) I will offer them a beverage or a food item, like a piece of fruit. Once, there was a man begging for food near the grocery store on the hottest day of the summer. I bought him an inexpensive box of spaghetti and store-brand pasta sauce. He accepted it extremely graciously, leading me to believe he was in need. I figured, best case scenario, it feeds him him and his family for a meal of two. Worst case scenario, I was duped out of $5 worth of food.

There was another time I was walking home from the local produce stand, when I passed by a beggar, looking for hand-outs and probably hitchhiking. I offered him a banana or apple I just purchased and he declined. That guy may have been an addict of some kind. Though even people struggling with that sort of condition I don't mind giving a little food to. Sometimes a little compassion goes a long way for someone society has shunned.

 

[KLS52]

I see the same man a few times a year at one of the exits off the highway. He holds a sign that says will work for food. I wish knew his story. I've been giving him money for years. I have no regrets.

I am not in an area where I have occasion to come across people who are asking for money. So when I do, I like to oblige.

 

[Blobbenstein]

Some people buy food for beggars, but perhaps it would be a good idea for them to check with the beggar if they have preferences or allergies....no good buying a peanut butter sandwich for someone who is allergic to peanuts, and I would rather not have a bacon sandwich, if I were homeless, or begging....maybe I would give up on avoiding meat, if I were homeless.

 

[GingerFoxx]

Some people buy food for beggars, but perhaps it would be a good idea for them to check with the beggar if they have preferences or allergies....no good buying a peanut butter sandwich for someone who is allergic to peanuts, and I would rather not have a bacon sandwich, if I were homeless, or begging....maybe I would give up on avoiding meat, if I were homeless.

That's why I selected pasta and sauce. Some people have gluten issues, sure, but I figured that was a pretty neutral choice, filling and affordable.

 

[ledboots]

I give to beggars a lot, especially if they are elderly or have children with them. I give food if i have any with me, and i always keep a couple of water bottles in my car in the hot months that i give out.

On my daily commute there are beggars, and I think they are just homeless, down on their luck, possibly with addiction or mental health issues. I don't think they are in an organized gang or anything.

 

[Calliegirl]

I try to get healthy foods that aren't too hard, a lot of them have tooth and gum issues. I also try to make it something easy to carry and store in a backpack since they are most likely sleeping on the street. Usually soft fruits like bananas or oranges, water or fruit juice, healthy granola or energy bars, and if it's a couple I'll get stuff to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (plus plastic knives to spread it with) since I figure they'll get through it before the jelly can go bad.

 

[Mischief]

I almost always give money. I don't really care what they do with it, whether they use it to buy alcohol or drugs. They are adults, and I figure that they should have the option of doing whatever gets them through the day. The exception is if they have children with them, or a sign saying that they have children to feed; then I buy food if there's a store nearby and give them that.

 

[Wolfie]

I do sometimes. I figure even if they are not real and are making more than me, a few dollars won't make a difference to me anyway and if they are for real my money may be the only way they eat that day. If they have a dog with them I always give.

I have only seen men asking for money around here. Never any women and never anyone with kids.

 

[beancounter]

I once saw a man in an electric wheelchair on Commonwealth Ave in Boston. As people approached he would act as if he had some condition that made his limbs stiff and his face droopy. He had a collection cup, and as I came closer, I saw a couple people put money in the cup. I also saw his face and limbs go "back to normal" after they passed, and he gave them a contemptuous look. This guy was obviously a scam artist.

However, if they look legit, I will give beggars money.

I also gave a guy an apple instead of money once, and he sounded genuinely grateful.

 

[Spang]

I rarely have cash or coin to give.

 

[BronwynMendoza]

I give a little every single time I see someone begging.

I know what people think and I don't care, I was homeless for a long time when I was younger and I'd rather give to someone undeserving than to deny someone who needed it.

 

[Joe]

My brain tells me that I should not give money to beggars, but rather to a charity that helps the homeless, etc.

But I often end up give them a few bucks.

I understand Atlanta has a law against panhandling after dark. It does really annoy me when I am approached by someone begging after dark.

 

[Mr Crunchy]

I've done some volunteer work and every person who works with homeless people has told me not to give them money. Their reasoning is that every time they receive a handout, it buys them time to avoid seeking services that are available. So, as much as it feels against my values, I politely decline most of the time.

 

[GingerFoxx]

I've done some volunteer work and every person who works with homeless people has told me not to give them money. Their reasoning is that every time they receive a handout, it buys them time to avoid seeking services that are available. So, as much as it feels against my values, I politely decline most of the time.

I suspect that also affects the charitable group as well, theoretically. If everyone who needs yours services is reaching out for them, it might be easier for the charity to look to potential donators and express their true need, and what that money is supporting. Like if you have 1000 homeless people in need of food, and only 100 of them are going to the soup kitchen for food, and people say "Well what good is the soup kitchen doing, when there are still people going hungry and begging for food on the streets?"

 

[Mikkel]

99% of the times I meet beggars is at work. So I can't give anything. It wouldn't be right to give them some money at one point, and later same night throw them out of places they aren't allowed to be.

When I'm not at work, I've bought some food and warm drinks to some people sometimes. And I always give to the non-agressive beggars (drug addicts who just sit quietly at their spot).

 

[Dedalus]

When I lived in NYC, I gave money to the homeless in my neighborhood - regulars that I often encountered. One year around Christmas I gave one an old coat of mine, and I filled the pockets with warm cookies my girlfriend had just made.

 

[Poppy]

I've been hit up by some fairly aggressive men downtown, and I find that quite scary. And I'm not super comfortable rolling down a window to hand money out if there's no one sitting on my passenger's side. But if it's a female, veteran or someone elderly, then if I have a buck or two I give it.