Should We Give Money To Homeless?

[3kmichael]

This monday has been great. Besides it being a conference day, it is lovely outside, and who doesn't love to enjoy the sunshine? There are all kinds of people outside, students at Starbucks, elderly couples walking hand in hand to Lincoln Center, lost tourists, busy workers, artists, moms, civil service workers and... the homeless. Passing several by, I felt a glimpse of guilt on not giving the unfortunate the cash vital to their survival, or so it seems. After musing on it for a while and looking up some articles, from previous years, I found out that most homeless men and women are not as helpless as they are depicted. De facto, it has been brought up that there are many philanthropic organizations, shelters and charities dedicated to the help of the less fortunate.
 Here is a photography of one of the pamphlets distributed in UK , Ipswich, where it has been brought to attention that many of the needy do not employ received charity in a positive way as they should, but spend it on narcotics or alcoholic beverages. (Image and article from www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-suffolk-28670868) 
In the adjacent article, a former homeless man, Tommy Allman, a successful charity manager, gave the world an insight on the life of the homeless, and he claimed that he himself, and many others, spent the donated money on alcohol. The article advised the following, "If you are going to give to someone, give them a pasty not money..." 
(http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-25749158)


Now, it is incredibly disappointing to hear, considering that there actually are people in need, and there are people who actually can't afford something as basic as food. The question is, who is to say that we should or should not give money to the needy, if we do not know the outcome of such? It is known that there are millions of people on the streets who actually need financial help as shelters cannot house them, nor can some individuals attain a stable sources of income.
Will being a good person lead to one's death or to an act of true charity? There are two kinds of people, the ones in need, families dumped on streets, individuals with masters degrees, war veterans; and there are those who are young and strong and don't do much besides sitting on the streets all day. After all, USA, being virtually the most financially successful nation at this time, being not able to fix that problem is rather strange. It is even more upsetting that a nation with such abundant resources, with so many opportunities, hs the people with the nerve to adopt the image of someone who is actually in need.
Personally, I take the stand of selective charity and do not donate unless it is reasonable to. There are those who want help and those who need help. Don't satisfy the wants, satisfy the needs.

[10pbeatrice]

www.hoaxorfact.com/Social-Awareness/begging-gangs-hire-babies-and-drug-them-to-sleep-facts-analysis.html

In the link above you can find information on these so-called scams. These problems do exist so it makes it nearly impossible to see the people who are actually in need instead of the people who are forced to do these things for somebody else. I personally agree with the term "selective charity" because there are people who wind up on the street because of bad decisions that they themselves have brought upon themselves and people who were in a financial crisis es who didn't have anywhere to turn to. I have always wondered how these children don't scream or cry when in subways taken into fact that they are loud and hinder sleep considering that they are very young infants that rely on sleep to grow. Speaking from personal experience, I have seen one woman at least 14 times in the course of one year who always totes around either a young infant, a young boy , a young girl, or all three at the same time. The boy is always asleep and I've always wondered why is he sleeping? The mother must surely have relatives who are not homeless that could take care of these children? Or why isn't she in a homeless shelter where she could actually take care of her children in a safe environment.
Another instance is a woman who has been hopping from train tot train yelling about how she is hungry and four months pregnant. She has been four months pregnant the last time i saw her in 2013 through the year 2014. She states that she has not done drugs or had a drinking problem. The most she has had given to her is some spare change. People will resort to scams or lies to gain money only because the generosity of people is the victim.

[10hdakembay]

I have the experience of riding in the subway at least six days a week so I have seen my fair share of "homeless" people. At least once a day I see people get on the train asking for money, because they are out of luck. I know many people, especially New Yorkers, who are skeptical about giving money to people that are homeless, because the money may be used for alcohol or drugs, but I am for taking this risk and giving money to the homeless. I have never given a homeless person large bills, but if I have some change or a dollar bill I'll give them that. It is not that much of an effort and chances are I'm just going to spend that money on chips, candy, or something else that I don't need, so why not help out someone less fortunate. If a person does choose to spend the money they were given on bad substances that is their choice, but it's not fair to those that would spend the money on toiletries or clothes without holes in them if you decide not to give money to the homeless, because of the minority of homeless people that buy unnecessary goods. I was raised to think like this by the man I look up to the most, my dad, to always if asked by somebody in the street for money give them a little bit. It doesn't have to be your whole life's savings, but it's just like the old saying, "Give a Little, get a little."

[10zqueena]

Personally I think that giving a buck or two to a homeless person is not a hard task. But for me I don't know whether they are really homeless or not. I saw this recording made by MTV that showed a women who was crippled and was asking for money on the streets of times square. One the day needed she got into a van changed and came out with her legs perfectly fine and was also carrying a name brand bag while wearing uggs. I agree with the main post about things like helping out war veterans or actually people who need our help. But like Michael said there are strong healthy homeless people who just sit there saying that they are traveling and need money to get back home. They should go and get a job earn a little but of cash and then get back home. Language is also not an issue because I have family member who came to America not knowing 1 word in English and they are doing fine. Giving is not a problem but whether the person really needs the help is.

[3mmaria]

I'm so glad that you brought up this topic it's something I feel very strongly about. While I do recognize that there are people on the streets that may truly need help, I believe a large percentage are professional scam-artists. I've seen the same women on my train since the 7th Grade saying she was pregnant and hungry. I find it extremely ironic that she's been 5 months pregnant for the past 4 years. While one or two dollars may not be a lot if these people continue to collect one or two dollars from everyone who walks by they're consuming a decent sum of money. If we continue to solicit money to these people what is truly motivating them to get up and make a change? Nothing. They'll continue to sit on the street and collect money, tax free, from those who work hard for their money.   

[3UIfeoma]

I've had a lot of different thoughts about this problem, and I believe that people should give to homeless people *selectively*. I feel like there are many, many homeless people who are genuine and really do need help, but unfortunately there are also those who very much use people's sympathy as a source of income- those who are not honestly homeless or do not really need it. There are times when I may be skeptical of a homeless person, but there are also times when I see someone begging and feel they may really need the dollar or so I have on me. I tend to be more merciful towards the elderly and women with children, and while I know some people are aware of people like me who respond this way and set up scams, I still feel I made the right choice. If a woman with a child were to lie and pretend she's poor, I wouldn't do it for her; that child, whether they are aware of their situation or not, will always remember what they went through- or will be forced to go through.  Generally

[6kmeagan]

This is a really interesting topic that I have been debating for a while now. I find it best fit to share a personal experience to state my point: While riding the NYC subway this summer, a man entered my train car and announced that he was a war veteran simply trying to get his life back in order and be able to support himself again. In order to raise money, he sang an original version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." He had the most beautiful voice I had ever heard. At the time, I had already spent all of my money for the day and did not even have any loose change to give to him. When he walked in my direction with his container to collect the money, I didn't hand him anything, but I gave him a genuine smile and told him how talented he was. In response, he said "Thank you! What a beautiful young lady you are. I have something I think you'd make good use of." He handed me his entire album of songs he had created a while back and said to give it a listen. This goes to show that many homeless people give more, even if it is not of monetary value, than people who are more fortunate. I always give to those in need, whether it be a few spare dollar bills or even a simple "Good morning."

[3rpamela]

Well, this is how I think when it comes to this situation. We give money to the homeless or the needy because we have this concern, in which we want to help. Therefore, you have done your part by giving whoever asks or needs money. Now, if they choose to use the money for inappropriate things or to add to their riches that is their problem. It is sometimes better to not think about what they might do with the money, because it will just refrain us from “helping”, and that is basically the whole point of giving. At the end, you will feel great because you were generous to someone in need. Honestly, that is by most my favorite feeling ever, so why not give?

[6msherena]

On this topic, I don't where I stand because I understand both arguments. For example, when giving homeless people money or food, it is an act of kindness and showing humanity that we feel for each other when one is in need. The benefits of giving a homeless person money is that they are able to buy food to eat, buy clothes and shoes to shelter their bodies, and save up on so that could get back on their feet. However, giving a homeless person money could lead to bed results such as them buying alcoholic drinks, buying drugs, or using it for who knows what. Some people rather not give money because if they don't know what the outcome will be, they would rather be safe than be the person who lead to the event of a homeless buying drugs or doing anything illegal that it gets them killed or in an even worse situation. I believe that a person should definitely give food to a homeless person or clothes because it is less likely something bad will be the outcome of it. Giving money to a homeless person is debatable and is really up to the individual whether they become selective or choose to just give out money. This article provided explains the reason why we give or don't and talks about that if you do want to give you should be selective in which I agree on.
www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/03/should-you-give-money-to-homeless-people/72820/

[10slev]

I feel that how a person spends donated money should not impact your decision to give it to them, because you have no real way of knowing how they will go about spending it. If everyone assumed that every homeless person spends their money on things that are harmful to them, then no one would give them anything and that wouldn't be great. This is one of those situations where you have to give this person in need the benefit of the doubt. Its better to give and risk the chance that the person you are giving to will not spend the money wisely than to not give anything at all. Of course it does make sense to give someone food instead of money since they cant misuse it, that shouldn't stop one from giving money to homeless people because not everyone always has food on them to give away.

[10tjustine]

It is very intriguing to find that most teenagers believe in “selective charity” when discussing the homeless. But, in fact, many of us ourselves have low paying and inconsistent jobs to earn the little money we do have. Is it fair for the average 16 or 17 year old, who is not financially independent, to give up their hard-earned money for the sake of a clean conscience? In many ways, the homeless scam is so successful because it gives hardworking teenagers and adults a reason to brag and feel charitable. For this reason alone, I will always support and aid charities to help those in need find a place to call home and a job to complain about. However, I will never give to begging strangers because they cannot be trusted and too many use the money for the wrong things. I too, have witnessed the same women pretend to be 5 months pregnant for the past 2 years at the age of 65. I have also listened to countless “tragedies” of those who lost their houses in hurricane sandy, which I can immediately sympathize with because the hurricane prevented me from living in my home for some hard months. But, when the hurricane victim elaborated his story I soon came to realize he could not be legit because his apartment building that he claimed to live in, with a little research, did not even exist. It is sad to say that these “homeless” people do not need money; they need real counseling to find a job and get back on their feet. Through giving the homeless money we are only encouraging scammers and those who do not want to work to stay on the streets.

[3akaidya]

I can see both sides to this argument. I believe that some people actually are homeless, and need the money, and giving them some spare change or a dollar wouldn’t hurt. I also feel that giving a homeless person food, or telling them of a nearby shelter would be a better option. However, it is hard to know if the homeless person is genuine, and is actually telling the truth about their current situation. If a person decides to give homeless person money I don’t think they should worry about what the homeless person will do with it because if they choose to spend it on the wrong things it will only end up affecting them. Giving to the homeless should make people feel good inside for knowing that they are possibly helping someone. Therefore, people should give money to the homeless without worrying about what they will end up doing with that money. If people worry about what will happen to their money, but really want to help out they should help by giving them food, or inform them on how they can improve upon their life.

[10dsara]

I don't really believe in giving money to the homeless because you never know what they will use the money for. A lot of them use the little money they have on things that can harm their health, such as alcoholic drinks, cigarettes, or drugs. Once one the train I saw a homeless many claiming that he was really hungry and needed money. No one on that car gave him any money, but when a woman sitting near me offered him a cereal bar, he shook his head and said "no, thank you." That's why I believe it's better to give the homeless food or clothes, or to donate to a homeless organization. I feel that if you think a homeless person deserves your money then you should give it to them. One two occasions my parents have given money to homeless people that have done them a favor. Once near the Duane Reade near our school a homeless man opened the door for us when we were leaving, and once when another homeless man helped my dad exit a parking garage by making sure the way was clear. You should give money any homeless person you want, but you should also know that they won't always use the money you give them in the way you want.

[3kKristin]

Should we give money to the homeless? I think that is a great question. There is a lot of mystery in giving money to the homeless. What will they do with the money I give them? Am i really going to make a difference in their lives? Are they doing something productive with that money ? Are they really homeless? There are so many questions that run through my head when I see someone holding out a bag or a hat, asking for change. I think what we have to keep in mind is that everyone is different and everyone will react differently and use the money that we give them differently. I think its always helpful to give money to the homeless. Although I know that giving this stranger a dollar may not save their life or change their life in any way, I'm sure it helps. Because we all live in New York it is not uncommon to see a homeless person sleeping on the street with a sign on top of them or in front of them asking for change. If we have it, why not give it to them? We are so lucky to have a roof over our heads and parents or a parent who is willing to take care of us and show s love, and give us the things we want and need. They don't have that.
    If i was homeless and sleeping on the street I'm sure i would appreciate something. ANYTHING. Although one may argue that people do not end up spending money on the things they need and instead  end up spending the money on alcohol or drugs, i would argue that you cant live on alcohol and drugs alone. So what if the homeless end up taking some of the money that you give them and spend it on alcohol. they need to feed themselves too, and how do you think they are able to feed themselves... They're buying food! They're buying things that will help them cope with their homelessness. Maybe not all beggars are homeless, but they must be pretty dang desperate to go out and beg others for money. I think that the fact that they're going out of their way to try to survive or get what they need or to survive is worthy of some spare change. Wouldn't you lend your friend money if they asked you for some? I'm just wondering what the difference is. I feel pretty good after giving money to a homeless person or a person in need. I feel like I've done something. Whatever they do with that money is up to them, but I cant say I didn't try to help because the honest truth is that i did try.
    I have had experiences with people who were ungrateful for the money i gave or people who would suck their teeth if i only gave them whatever spare change I had. I think the best thing to do in those situations is to remember that they are desperate. They need. If you needed, wouldn't you want someone to help you? I've felt so much worse avoiding a person in need than giving to an ungrateful person. Its a sense of morality within yourself. If you're one of those people who just thinks that giving money to the homeless would only result in negative effects, then you're being fooled. Maybe not everyone will use that dollar or spare change for good reasons, but i know that there is someone out there who will. What if that one homeless person that approaches you tomorrow is actually trying to scrape up money for their next meal? Just Think about it. 

    

[6djamila]

Yes, there are people that are homeless and are addicted to drugs or alcohol. Perhaps this is how they became homeless in the first place, but we should not write people off or judge an entire (economic?) class because some of them do not end up turning their lives around. I am a strong believer in second chances, and I think it is every humans duty to help out one another. That being said, it can be overwhelming in New York City to try and help every homeless person when there is are so many people in need of help. I think the best thing to do is bring those in need to safe homeless shelters where they will have food and a roof. The united program helps victims of disasters and violence turn their lives around and start over.
www.unitedwaymonroe.org/homeless-shelters?gclid=Cj0KEQjwt7KiBRD9lOePpe_BhrgBEiQAHaS_17ITokYQ3quQmL_HqM1N6uNYjDpczMGCvJO4jwNgbwYaAhIP8P8HAQ