Do you give to panhandlers?

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Markola

Markola

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Difficult topic. My city has growing numbers of panhandlers on corners, in shopping districts, by our grocery market, and elsewhere. I’m curious how others approach it? When I see someone on the usual corners every single time I drive, I have both a reaction of human pity, the usual “There but for the grace of God go I,” and “I wonder where that person will sleep tonight?” Seeing women hits me harder, and seeing kids is obviously more distressing. I have come to ignore them and not make eye contact, because there are simply so many, which I then feel bad about, even though I’m just driving somewhere and need to stop at certain red lights. I let myself, I guess, feel like a bad human in a broken society.

But I also understand economics. My state of Minnesota and my city is famously high tax and high service. On top of that, we have an abundance of faith-based nonprofits whose donors, staff and volunteers provide every manner of support, food, shelter, job training and other services that they can. Yet our homeless population grows. If I give the lady on the corner money, not to mention the able-bodied man, and the cars behind me do the same, are we incentivizing self-help and giving a hand up? Or are we incentivizing getting by another day on the street corner with a cardboard sign? Am I helping a person find their next meal, or am I helping them buy their next bottle or fix on the way to the free meal and lodging over at the church or the shelter? If the person is an immigrant, especially with small kids, it generates a whole different set of conflicting internal questions, such as whether I have a responsibility to them if they broke my country’s laws to come here for our largess? I have so much social capital, much of which I was insanely fortunate to be born with, starting by simply being born in the richest country in the history of the world. Am I a bad person for not giving a few bucks to a fellow human who doesn’t have as much? Or am I contributing to the perpetuation of their difficult circumstances? If we solve the issue in Minnesota will we become a magnet for Chicago’s homeless and troubled? I cannot know. I also cannot know if I’m simply a greedy, uncaring __-hole.

I’ve been to the truly wonderful state of California but have seen the disasters that have happened to the downtowns of their major cities. I’ve lived in DC where I was asked for spare change dozens of times every day. The same thing is happening here in our generous city. I’ve been to other cities and countries where people are not living in tents by freeways and in the city parks. What do they do that works better? Socialism has never worked in world history, yet our own city councils are being filled with no-doubt well-meaning avowed socialists. Unfettered capitalism chews up people and spits them out, throwing them onto the streets. See: The Great Depression. Some cities drive their homeless to the city limits and say “Do not come back,” which is too harsh for my values. We have a middle system that taxes earners to provide a basic social safety net, which philanthropy further supports. And yet, the street corners and city parks fill.

Please leave partisanship and religious piety out of any comments. I’m just looking for a better and more enlightened practical mindset, if there is one.
 
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Not everyone gets a silver spoon, but we all get choices, and they have consequences. I know lots of choices are constrained. It seems obvious to me that the variety of social services available are at or near an all time high. I don't give to panhandlers.
 
No.

But I also understand economics. My state of Minnesota and my city is famously high tax and high service. On top of that, we have an abundance of faith-based nonprofits whose donors, staff and volunteers provide every manner of support, food, shelter, job training and other services that they can. Yet our homeless population grows.
Click to expand...

You get more of what you subsidize, not less.
 
I have heard stories from law enforcement and others. Our former neighbor was a firefighter in the Bay area. He said 80% of their calls were homeless related. In my current town, I was told directly that the two closest major metro areas issue one way bus passes to the troublemakers and they end up here.

I personally have had interactions with the homeless. They talk to me when I am out riding. Some seem lucid, normal, others seem on another planet. I wonder what their stories are. I see the camps along the river. I could not imagine living that way.

In the end, I don’t contribute to them. I am told many get some sort of assistance.I don’t know the truth.

I wish I knew the answer. I wish they had a better choices, but I can’t judge. I feel fortunate.
 
I never have, with one exception. There used to be someone who stood next to the street that exited a grocery store I would frequent asking for money. I always ignored the man.

On one such trip to that grocery store, I had just been in a meeting with my boss earlier in the day. There was some question whether I would be retained for much longer. Many in the defense industry were getting laid off monthly for several years, but I had survived up to that point.

There was a real concern I would not be retained. At risk was my pension. I needed one more year in order to not have my pension reduced. If I didn't make it another year, my pension would be reduced by 60%.

In addition, I would not qualify for their Under-65 retiree medical insurance, nor would DW nor I qualify for the health care subsidy we would receive monthly once we reached 65.

Leaving the grocery store on that day, I told myself if I made it for another year to retain my full pension and retiree medical benefits, I would give that man $100.

One year later, as I was leaving that grocery store, I handed the man five $20 bills. He stared at me for a bit, wondering why I was doing it. I told him I made a promise to myself, but that I would only do it this once. He smiled and thanked me. I never did it again. About six months later, I was finally laid off.
 
A friend (legal immigrant) told me recently that he saw his neighbor working a corner... I suspect there are plenty who do not deserve it & are able bodied to work.

Dallas has a law against it & put up signs to not give... I finally listen.
 
No. Never money, but food when given the opportunity. I have an incredible amount of empathy for the unhoused. Overwhelmingly, they are dealing with severe mental health issues; often self-medicating with drugs. Disproportionately they are veterans, children, and increasingly geriatric aged individuals. I contribute my money to and donate my time at the local food pantry and collaborate with other local organizations to provide clothing and other essentials to those in need.

However, having lived in DC and spent a lot of time in other major cities, I view people (mostly tourists) giving money to panhandlers no differently than feeding rats living around your house.
 
I do not give to panhandlers. I give to a couple different charities that deal with hunger and homelessness. I do what I can recognizing that it's at best a drop in the bucket. I have to accept the reality that I can't give to every person or cause that has a need, no matter how legitimate it may be. Therefore, I pick a few charities to support that meet certain needs that I care about. Panhandlers and individuals in general do not meet the criteria I've set for my giving. Neither do some instantly recognizable national charities. That's just the way it is.
 
Just today, I was checking on a family member's dog for them, and while out with the dog, I had some guy ask if I needed anything done around the house like yard work, and I said no, and then he asked if I could help him out. I told him I was not in a position to do that. Same guy did this a few weeks ago when I was checking on the dog. And I don't think the couple that lives there has actually ever heard from the guy.
 
No. I have a couple of times in my life and regretted it when I did.

Years ago when working in downtown Dallas during a safety meeting a policeman said unequivocally you should not. By doing so you put yourself in danger, by bringing out your wallet or purse, or motivating that one or another to follow you to their car.

Unfortunately I’ve had experiences through my adult daughter with drug addicts and with them support/money generally just enables them to do what they are doing longer. I have read that a large percent of homeless you see in public have either addiction or mental health issues, or both.

I imagine that on occasion there are some that just truly need help and could be helped by the money but you’d have to give to quite a few who probably shouldn’t get it to find the occasional one that should.
 
California pan handlers have a lock on hypocrisy . Leaving SAM's yesterday was a man so fat, he should be hauling his gut in a wheel barrow. His t-shirt barely covered his belly button and his shorts were below the belt line. His sign said he was hungry. Dear god, he could eat me whole without chewing! I can't imagine how many $5 roasted chickens that guy could polish off in an afternoon hanging out there.
I once asked a guy about his pan handling, and he told me he does it as a service to those who feel guilty for having so much. By presenting himself as needy and accepting their gift of cash, they felt better about themselves so he sees himself as a feel-good service to others. Now that's an interesting view point!! I bought him a coffee and actually thanked him for that insight into a pan handler's mindset.
It's just too difficult to determine who is needful and who is scamming and who is the drug addict, so I leave it up to specific charity groups I'll donate to that will make those determinations.
 
No, I don't give to panhandlers. If I am walking home from a restaurant with left overs and I see someone obviously living on the street, I pass along my bag. They have always been accepted.

My youngest did a shoe drive for the local homeless shelter (I volunteered there) when he was in HS. First, they spoke to the shelter and got agreement on this. Then he and a friend who played on the same varsity team planned it. They coordinated the other team members. Each player was asked to go thru their house and find excess shoes. Then, ask 2 neighbors for their excess shoes. It was all done in a week. Over 250 pairs of shoes were collected, sorted to men, women, kid. A few pairs were discarded as trash. The rest delivered to a very grateful homeless shelter.
 
OP, thanks for this thread.

I’ve always hated the feeling I get ignoring panhandlers. But I always do, with one exception:

I used to travel to DC for winter meetings, and felt very bad for those shivering on the street. One year, I brought a too-small 3-piece suit with me and approached a panhandler and asked if he knew of anyone who could use it. He thanked me.

A few years ago, my Rotary club had a presentation from a reformed drug addict who spent a lot of time homeless. After his presentation, I shared my quandary about whether or not to give to panhandlers. He advised never to give. I’ve followed his advice, which was same as the decades-old advice of my parents.
 
Years ago The WSJ interviewed at least one “homeless” person, hustling cleaning windows in heavy traffic. The punchline, he was not homeless but self employed as a car window washer with a considerable income.

The signs promoting the condition of the homeless person is also a nice business for the sign artist. I am not aware how much money they earn but I understand they are in demand.

Having said this, from time to time I still give to what appears to be people in need. When I do, I give grocery gift cards. I expect they are used sometimes for groceries. At other times, they are likely sold at a discount for cash.

Since I am confident that most of these people are not very happy and in need of help, that may never result in a change, I direct most of my financial support to organizations designed to help them. And, I let my voice be known to community leaders that we need community programs and NGOs to help the homeless. We are too wealthy of a country to run people out of town.
 
No, for a few reasons.

A local newspaper did a story on them. On investigation they found that many of them were not homeless, and in fact panhandling was a more lucrative job than most unskilled labor work. I can't recall if it were here or someone else that I read that someone organizes these people, assigning them corners and hours to work and then take a cut of the money. Basically you are giving to organized crime.

Once I was in LA, and saw a panhandler with crutches. Suddenly he gathered up his things and took off running. I don't know if his shift was up or saw trouble or what. But clearly the crutches were a prop.

The town I usually go into for shopping has signs at the intersections they often use that say not to give them money. Basically the same thing, that most of these people aren't really down and out, and choose to do this rather than work productive jobs.
 
I carry a bag of canned food in my truck that I offer to those I see. It allows me to do something but I don't have to wonder if they will spend $$ on ill advised products. I've been doing this for a couple years now and few reject this. I find cheap places to get tuna and chicken packets and some canned items with pull tops. Costs me about $10-15. FWIW
 
Don't have any and I'm not sure if I ever have seen any in my life time. I don't spend any time in the largest city in my state though. I believe they ae there and NO I wouldn't donate to them.
 
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