MONEY MORAL DILEMMA: Should you give cash to the drunk homeless man?

lauzjp

I know there are people that live locally to me that go out begging at the train station & in town. I've seen them. Yes, some of them are drug addicts, and almost all of them are alcoholics. Who on earth would drink £1 bottles of cider by choice?

If I was in their shoes; I would feel like I needed to drink, or something. What else is there for them? All praise due to charities that have the time money & patience to deal with these people - I couldn't do it.

So in answer to the question, yes I would give them money. If I had any spare! I don't force my morals on anyone; so they could do what they like with it.

ducky2004

anniehanlon wrote: »

I dont think i would give him money, but if i walked past him everymorning i think i would pack an exta couple of sandwiches in my lunch box for him.
Or put a fiver behind the till on a monday morning at the nearest cafe for a cuppa.

I would certainly consider buying him pack lunch / coffee but would never pack in extra sandwitches (or any homemade food) for him, just in case he has a tummy ache and decided to sue for it.

I was told that US supermarket use to give food that will expire on the day to homeless people but decided to stop doing that to avoid the risk of being sued.
(presumably that is why UK supermarket are throwing away food as well ?)

the_barretts

A great friend of mine used to work up in London and used to pass a homeless man when she got off her bus to go to work. She started giving him the change from the bus ticket which he always greatfully appreciated.

A few weeks later he turned up at her work - clean shaven in a suit with a bunch of flowers for her. He was an undercover police officer and was taken by her kind hearted nature and they started dating and later on were married.

It was Saint Martin of Tours (the Saint with a sword) who seeing a beggar cut his cloak in half to share with him. As someone said above about putting a smile on someones face, can we all in todays dark world just do one random act of kindness now and again?

And hopefully not get mugged in the process...

Bargainetta

No. Having worked for some years in Brighton which generally has quite a large but floating homeless population, your levels of empathy become more than a little depleted and you cannot help wonder if you are adding to the problem. Also, as someone has mentioned, is it a good idea to advertise where you are carrying your wallet. I do give to the charities and the shelter however.

p.s. That is quite an unbelievable quote on the bottom of robpw2's comment. 2008! And is he saying that God has a limit to his patience?

Cerisa

tricky one. If I was sleeping on the streets in November, i'd probably want some Special Brew too.

Pink_Fairy_2

I would definitely not give cash, and wouldn't have done so in the first place. I would take to the nearest cafe, pack extra lunch etc, tell them what local charities are around (in Bristol itself there is a timetable of who does what, which day, so they could do the rounds).

Someone said WWJD - I don't think He would give money which could be used to make the situation worse, I think he would have given food and counselling (Here I quote General John Gowans quoting General William Booth," you can't preach to a man on an empty stomach." From the first day of his evangelistic ministry, founder was consumed by social concern.)

Deco

Give to Charity not to Beggars.

With a homeless Charity 100% of your money will go to helping the homeless.
With beggars x% of the time it will go on drugs or drink and have a negative impact rather than positive.
Giving to beggars isn't proportionate. It gives to those who beg, a higher proportion will be on drugs and it encourages begging.

bogwart

Exactly what Killer-smile said, and I've been faced with this problem before. What am I, his mother? If you give someone a gift, whether it's money or a used sock, it is their property not yours. If you're morally so superior that you 'disapprove' of people spending money on alcohol perhaps it is your attitude which should be examined and not theirs.

geordie1234

I am saving my money these days for buskers

IzziD

I was stupid when I was younger.

Work sent me to London on a course and when I was walking up to the hotel a beggar asked me for money for food.

I stupidly believed him, went into a shop and bought him a large cheese & salad butty for £1.65 (a lot of money for me then).

I gave him the buttie and he exploded at me, threw it in the bin and starting hurling abuse at me following me up the street demanding money.

He scared me and since then I won't give money or other items to people who ask for it. Any money I now give away, I give to charities.