Should You Give a Homeless Person Money : Part 2

Over a year ago I wrote what was to become the most popular post on this blog, Should You Give a Homeless Person Money? I wrote it because I felt it needed to be said, many arguments have been made over the years and it was my way of putting a new perspective on the issue. Alas, it seems the argument will never end, I have had personal emails, lots of tweets and comments telling me I am at best misguided and at worst a fool. NOTHOMELESS said:

You’re an idiot. The people that DO give are the ones entitled to judge. Just like with people collecting welfare. I should be able to question what they do with this charity, as it’s coming from my pocket. It’s sad to see all the bleeding hearts on here who are out of touch with reality. If you don’t want to be judged, don’t ask for help. Pretty simple.

Other comments were more polite…. but I still feel people missed the point. I was not asking people to give money to homeless people, I don’t even give money to a homeless person that often, you might find that shocking or hypocritical but I never said we should. I said, we should not be some sort of moral judge because we give a few loose coins or notes. It takes a lot for someone to beg on the street and we should be more worried and more offended that a person has to beg, for their existence. Or drugs and alcohol have so ravaged them, that they have to be less than a human being and take abuse and disgust. We should be judging each other on how many homeless folks we have in our local communities, because then it shows how we have failed each other. How we’ve failed gay kids who can’t be themselves, families who have to live in motels and mental illness that goes untreated. I think this will always be a contentious issues , with lots of different opinions. What are yours?

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Anton Preisinger

I think it’s ultimately a question that can’t be given a simple answer. Each person is going to judge or not based on their personality and everybody has to find what they’re comfortable with on the giving side. What we should focus on is making the desire to help one another more central in our culture. Some will need to place more judgement on their neighbor before tossing them $5 or their spare change. Others will be a “bleeding heart” and just throw a little bit here and a little bit there to feel like they’re helping everybody. Personally, I rarely give cash, for a lot of the same reasons many people don’t give cash, but as often as I can I like to buy someone a meal. This way I don’t have to pass any judgement on what they might do with the money…I know they have to eat. A balance of all of these strategies and any others that actually involve active generosity would create a healthy giving society; the main problem is that there aren’t enough people out there willing to put in the effort to do anything at all.
Thanks for your post!

Anonymous

Couldn’t agree more anton we need a more caring and giving society.

http://twitter.com/boscotung Bosco Tung

Read your other article and agree, many people missed the point. Was really well written and the “it is a gift” point rings true. It’s a complicate question of course and there are so many sides of the argument (like it can ruin relationship building making it ALL about money) but the point is to not ignore. Wrestling with the question is better than not wrestling at all.

One note I’d add is the term that Salvation Army Gateway in Toronto taught me: “People Experiencing Homelessness” rather than “Homeless” as a label. Homelessness doesn’t DEFINE someone, just like a bigger house doesn’t define someone like we don’t call people “Mansion livers”, “Condo livers” or “Grate livers”.

From my quick skim through, sounds like you’ve ‘experienced’ homelessness (like many others, its more often temporary than permanent) and I’m thankful that you have! Keep educating the public!

Anonymous

I think that comment about homelessness as not a label is very important, I don’t like using it on the blog but sometimes it’s simpler and a default that everyone knows. Very important note

http://twitter.com/boscotung Bosco Tung

I absolutely understand the need for ‘simplicity’ T-T It’s so hard to be ‘correct’ and still ‘make sense’ to the public!!! Keep on sharing

Barbara

I volunteer for an organization that helps the homeless and count many, many homeless folks as my friends. They are homeless for so many reasons, many because of a series of bad decisions they have made but many through no fault of their own. A small percent live outdoors by choice. But 95% of the homeless I meet are friendly, grateful for any kind of help, and have interesting, wonderful stories of their life, present and past. And they have more similarities to those of us who have homes than differences When I’m asked for money by a stranger, I strike up a conversation with them, learn their name (or nickname) and ask what they really need. Blankets? Socks? Shelter? Laundry? A shower? Replacement ID and SS cards since many have lost theirs and then can’t get assistance or jobs. Do they have children? If they are addicts, do they want to stop? Where are they from? Then I try and hook them up with help for the long term. I know organizations that will help with all of the above. Or I get them some water or food or socks or shoes or a toothbrush or whatever small thing I can provide. Some really aren’t interested in anything but money, which I usually don’t carry, but are grateful for the conversation and that someone cared to get to know them.

Homeless-no-more

Same same!

http://www.facebook.com/abeoudshoorn Abe Oudshoorn

I have blogged before a similar perspective that it is the responsibility of the giver to give, and what the receiver does with it is their own responsibility.

However, here’s another way to look at it that supports giving. We know that are capitalist economies are great for generating money, but terrible for distributing it. Therefore, we have taxes and social programs in order to more equitably distribute wealth. Giving money to a homeless person is the most direct way to redistribute inequitable income, and cuts out layers of government.
Pingback: Homelessness Does Not Define a Person | The Adventures of Homeless Girl
http://twitter.com/HlpHouHomeless James Tanner

A great topic should I give Homeless people money ?
I have played this record again and again so many times and honestly there is no right or wrong answer. WHY ? I’m glad you asked yes I have given money typically to the guy you see working a particular intersection most day’s and yes I have kicked myself for seeing that same person passed out drunk later in the day. Yet I wish I had a dollar for every well educated non drinking non drug user that I’ve met that had no choice in being homeless other than losing a job a house ect ect. A woman who’s only escape from abuse ect ect. I have given to many and in my mind I feel blessing someone will come back to you as a much greater blessing some day. I have also used the argument that I don’t want to enable someone to do wrong and would buy cases and cases of water pack a cooler on a hot Houston day and hand out ice colder water both are a blessing yet believe what comes from your heart will inturn be a better blessing for you. So in part don’t do like most and look the other way and do nothing either. For the holiday’s I would go to the bank and get brand new $2.00 bills and drive and hand out with my email and a message of hope May God Bless You.

Homeless Girl

That was really insightful and it is really complicated, I don’t know if there ever will b a right answer.

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