Help for the Homeless: Do you give money to sign holders?

News channels have done undercover investigations and shown that a lot of men and women drive their car a couple blocks away from where they plan to appeal for money, and when their day of begging is done they walk a couple blocks back to their vehicle and go home. When investigators have followed the people in question home, they have found people perfectly capable people living in perfectly nice houses, although none more than middle class (gasp, middle class, how horrid). I will not give anyone money, but I will ask them what they want from the local fast food restaurant. If they say never mind, I know they are not hungry, they just want it for deviant purposes. My dad's church was often a source of people wandering in and asking for assistance. Many would ask for gas money. My dad would tell them he would follow them to the gas station and fill up their car with gas personally, but you have no idea how many were irate and left. They didn't want money for gas - it was to feed a habit. Use wisdom, above all things to decide. A person never wants to miss an oppurtunity to help, but they also don't want to became an oppurtunity to hinder.

I will give money to someone selling papers or flowers or something like that. At least they are doing SOMETHING to earn money, they aren't just sitting there. They at least have to put some thought into what they are doing.

I don't give them money becoude if there are able to bet for money they can go get a job some way

In Savannah I have never seen anyone begging or holding signs. I have only seen people with signs on the Interstate wanting a ride and I don't stop. The only poeple asking for money is the Salvation Army and I always give to them.

No, I do not give them money. Nor do I get angry with them. There have been a lot of studies that show these sign holders can make as much as $800 per day! Most of them are not homeless .. they just don't want to work, and they can make more money holding the sign than getting a job. But, I'm not going to get angry with them. I just refuse to play the game, and I won't accept whatever anyone labels me over my perspective, because I have to live according to my own values. I believe in helping those who are truly poor, but I do so with hand-ups, not hand-outs.

a few yrs back we actually had a homeless guy come up to me and my friends and ask for a cigg. lol! we thought it was pretty funny. and i would give any extra money to someone who is homeless if i had any, after paying bills, the rest goes to my son for clothes, wipes, diapers, ect...

the homeless actually get paid 50,000 dollars each year if you didnt know. the government pays them small bits at a time for food and clothing, which gives them the energy to work if they want to make more money (to buy luxury items or even a house/car). i never give them money because i know this for a fact, so it'd just be wasting my money. why cant they use the food to energize themselves in a job like the rest of us which will give them enough money to live more comfortably

I used to work downtown so I would see these peopl eevery day. I never gave them money, but I would give them food or offer to buy them food. If they refused food then they would get nothing out of me. I don't want to see people have fun at my expense. I would rather that they survive and hopefully find the strength to pull themselves out of whatever hole they are in. I myself have been in their situation and I know it is a very difficult road to overcome and that you they do need the help of anyone that is willing to lend a hand. I have done my part for some of them.

I was homeless a couple of times for brief periods myself, so I have a lot of compassion for homeless people. I do tend to wish I could give more, but in some places, especially when one is alone, it's simply not safe to do so. There aren't really any visible homeless people where I am now, but I do give to charities that help them, and I have been known to help out people who have less than I do. One year a small religious group that I am a part of gave money to a lady with several children who couldn't afford gifts for them for the holidays. In larger cities, when I see homeless people, and feel that it is safe to do so, I tend to give whatever I have on me and can afford.

i would like to help them those who have from natural calamities because in that you can do nothing so you should always try to held the person who are homeless

I think if you're going to give to some one, you should give it out of your heart and not worry about what they do with it. It's up to them what they do with the gift they recieved from you.

It is good to help those..We all waste lot of money..if that money brings smile on someones face we all should do that..atleast once a while

In the UK they have the 'Big Issue' sellers it's a magazine that the homeless can sell to make money. I sometimes buy one but not very often. Most beggars have dogs with them so I would prefer to buy a couple of tins of dog meat so at least the dog is well fed!

I do not give money to beggars/homeless. I will often give them food, or warmer clothing in the winter, but not money. I don't get angry at what they may be doing with money because it does not impact me at all. They aren't doing it with my money. The bible tells us to feed the hungry, cloth the clotheless and shelter the homeless. It does not say to give money to them, it says to meet their needs. Money is not a need and the needs can be met without giving them money. If they want money then they should get into a shelter and get a job.

yes it is not correct we are not looking at the bottom of the boardings and only attracting the heading of the slogens only

well, i am very choosy with helping someone who is needy and asks for help wherever I am and I am sure we find a lot of these everywhere we go. Now, you would say that what do i mean by choosy. so, i always look at the person who is asking help and think whether they really need help or not. If the person is well enough to work and earn money thyself then i would rather not give any money to them and if i see that a poor very old lady is asking me for a help then there will go a $1 to her or whatever possible which i can giver her...

i take a look very closely on the person if they really need help coz some of them are just too lazy to get a job though they look so strong to get one, but i do help those that i think really in need.

I am not sure how to respond to this, one of my first reactions is a little anger, not at the fact you are giving money to the homeless(good on you!) but the way in which you describe "your project" rather entertaning, also the way you say "a whole $5", which in the UK is about £2.50, the price of a sandwich if you are lucky! I give money to the homeless, but only to "big issue sellers" as they are registered and i know that money will be put to good use. I feel , that you are giving money for your own amusement and also to fill some void. Have a good day!

i dont give money to beggers on the street,as most of them are not homless and doing this because they dont want to work,most of them have more money this way then i do and my hubbie works.i was watching a programm about this and at the end of the days begging the guy got in his fancy car and went to his fancy house so i stopped giving to street beggers.i would rather give to a charity

Sometimes I will give money. It all depends. Some people are phonies, they will look homeless on purpose just to get money. There was a guy near my house who did this and he got caught and was arrested.