Give to the poor?

Alright, how many of you guys here give to the poor? Whether it be a quick $10 to the homeless vet on the corner of your road or volunteering your time at the local homeless shelter?

The town I live it now currently has a fuck ton of homeless people begging near the University grounds, Interstate exits, and at the corners of every major road. I usually volunteer my time at the local homeless shelter on the holidays when I get some free time, and occasionally give a 10 spot (and Im not a very rich dude these days, but I know what its like to be on hard times) to the guy on the corner.

Recently though at least one of those actions has come into question. Last week while on my lunch break I give a homeless guy at the stop light a 5 I had in my wallet. I had my window down, he gave me a sob story about how he was starving and "Please, I just need a little something to get some food!". Ill never turn anyone down who is starving and dying of it. Not in my America, its not my nature. Well, not 2 hours later this same guy walks into my store and buys a Memory card with the $5 I gave him, and likely a bunch of other money he had swindled from other kind souls. A FUCKING MEMORY CARD. He denied it was him and I felt like shoving the memory card down his fucking throat. I talked to my boss about it and he mentioned that when he came into work in the morning he saw a van with a whole load of "homeless" people get off and head to their respective corners.Another of my co-workers mentioned that a person has to have a license to beg as well?
Anyways, this whole thing got me thinking that their is unfortunately a lot I hadnt opened my eyes up to in the world of the needy. Do you have to have a license to beg? I wonder if there is some shady business here in town that pays people to beg, gives them protection, a place to sleep for a cut in the begging,etc.? and if so is this against the law to prey on peoples good intentions like this?

I rightfully feel like a dumbass now, and from now on if I have money to give, its going to go to a shelter and/or some place that can do some good with it.

Kind of sad as their may actually be a person or family begging that may actually need that money.

noob.

I never give money directly to people on the street. Don't at all trust them to use it for living necessities instead of booze, drugs, cigarettes...or memory cards.

I think the sob story should have tipped you off. I had person do something like that to me saying she was in just from out of town and I told him that I just spent what I had already to shoo him off.

One thing about the homeless is that beyond the begging, they really don't want to be saved.

i would like to share a little link brought about by the underground NES scene of the late 90s.not the greatest site, but its personally sentimental and relevant to the topic at hand

http://www.tnca.myrmid.com/scene/poth/




edit: when i used to travel in bum laden areas of town, and if they really wanted cash, i would play trivia or make them do something in return. there was one guy who was a bad ass breaker and did a full routine for a buck.

now i will no longer give them cash, but if i have food on me, ill gladly share

Give money to a homeless shelter if you want to help the homeless. They actually enforce programs to get them off the streets.

ASPCA please. The animals were never deadbeats who got into a rut and won't get a job now.

Usually through my church. That way i know the person in charge of the donations, so i know its getting to who it needs to. As for volunteering, i should do it a lot more than i do, if i get the job i went for and get a predictable schedual, then i will probably hit the local food bank to help out more, since i will actually be able to give a consistant time.

A sob sorry story is always an indicator that they are full of shit- "I haven't eaten for 6 days", "'scuse me, I'm a 'Nam veteran", and my favorite, "my mama's dying on the other side of the bridge and I just need to get a bus ticket".
If someone just simply asks if I can spare some change and stays the fuck out of my personal space, I'll usually give them something if I have it.

If you feel bad about not being generous, try offering to buy them what they're asking for directly rather than just giving them the money. If they say they just want to buy some food or whatever, I'll be like "cool, I was just heading over to that pizza place, I'll buy you a piece," and 9 times out of 10 they say something like "oh naw, I was gonna go to that other place- can't you just gimme 3 dollars?". Hell, if they tell me straight up that they just want a 40 I'll buy them one.

A fun way I deal with the recurring ones is to be like, "sure I'll give you 5 bucks, but you're gonna have to give me 20 pushups."

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Originally Posted by voltz

I think the sob story should have tipped you off. I had person do something like that to me saying she was in just from out of town and I told him that I just spent what I had already to shoo him off.

One thing about the homeless is that beyond the begging, they really don't want to be saved.

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Yeah, I should have known better. I just feel that in that off chance that the person really is destitute and starving I can make his or her life a little better. I think you are right in that there are a few that dont want to be saved, and a few that cant be (mental illness).

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Originally Posted by DNG

now i will no longer give them cash, but if i have food on me, ill gladly share

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Yeah, I usually do this if I have the oppurtunity. Its funny to see the ones that turn it down, and those are the ones that give me dirty looks when I pull up, because after that I obviously wont give them shit.

And yeah, Josh, I feel like a bit of a noob. Live and learn, I guess. These days, I guess begging is serious business. And its tax-free!

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Originally Posted by Vasteel

A fun way I deal with the recurring ones is to be like, "sure I'll give you 5 bucks, but you're gonna have to give me 20 pushups."

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haha, I dont know if I could do this, or the pissing one. It seems like a good way to kick someone when they are already down. I wouldnt mind seeing someone break a beat for a little cash though.