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Re: undefined

#21

Post by rb2e »

Well you can sidestep the issue slightly. Ask what do they need the money for? If they are hungry buy them a meal at a local cafe then buy some dry food (like crackers), canned meat such as spam that can be kept in a tin till needed and UHT Milk (milk in a cartoon that doesn't need to be refrigerated till opened. Don't forget some bottle water, also low alcoholic beer may be a subtle alternative if they don't have access to a clean drinking water supply within reason (In ye olde days, drinking beer was common during the day as drinking water was often polluted) [1]. Also vitamins and supplements too.

If they need money for the Bus or Train to get home, then buy it for them. Get a taxi (you hail/pick it not them) to the train or bus station (don't walk there in case its a setup and you get robbed on the way and don't use your own car)

However, everyone has a story. For every person who is desperate and needs money, they are others who abuse peoples kind genorisity. They may use the money to buy Crack or Heroin or they made need it to buy their baby some food. You simply don't know.

[1] http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/14208/1/The-History-of-B...

Re: undefined

#22

Post by station909 »

samscully wrote: post #19

I give to the top charities on GiveWell [1] instead. As an individual you can't help everyone, at least with GiveWell you can be fairly sure your money is making someone's life better. [1] http://www.givewell.org/

How do you know you can trust them?

Re: undefined

#24

Post by tibbon »

I live in Boston (and occasionally NYC) and I rarely give money. My grandfather taught me to rarely/never give money, but always buy any person a meal that asks for it. And I've done so on several occasions; taken someone to a Subway or whatever is nearby and bought them food; or to a 7/11 where they could purchase whatever food/toiletries they needed. Especially in the winter around here, being outside like that all day is brutal.

I have had a few occasions where people ask for money for food, and I tell them I'll just buy them food and they refuse. But I've had many more times where they are excited about it. Generally they ask for very little, sometimes just a cup of coffee and a bagel.

Re: undefined

#25

Post by 6d0debc071 »

illumen wrote: post #11
jamesjguthrie wrote: post #4

I don't give to charities or homeless people. I live by the old saying, "Charity begins at home." If I can afford to help strangers then I can afford to help my family and friends, who are more important to me.

Your home isn't the streets where you live and work?

I don't know about the person you're responding to but I don't take myself to live in the streets. I don't even go into my town most months and when I do it's to go to a shop and then go straight home. Pretty much everything I want I order off the net, or drive to a supermarket which is massively outside of town.

I don't work on the streets either, I work in an office or at home.

The streets are just the transport to and from places I actually work and live. They're not somewhere I do anything other than pass through.

Re: undefined

#26

Post by applekor »

station909 wrote: post #8
professorTuring wrote: post #3

I stopped giving money to "beggars" long ago. I usually help them by buying them what they need. I go with them to whichever close market or restaurant and buy them what they really need, I don't usually put a money limit but rarely goes over 20 bucks with a nice food basket. Part of these process is also listening to their stories, sometimes you can even hire them for some tasks and I usually tell them to help other…

There was one time, someone asked me for small change in order to buy water. I offered him to buy the water without giving him the money. He turned away and kept walking. This is why I tend not to give money (and feel really bad about it).

Better to help those who don't deserve it than to neglect those who do.

Re: undefined

#27

Post by throwaway283719 »

station909 wrote: post #22
samscully wrote: post #19

I give to the top charities on GiveWell [1] instead. As an individual you can't help everyone, at least with GiveWell you can be fairly sure your money is making someone's life better. [1] http://www.givewell.org/

How do you know you can trust them?

If you mean "how can you know you can trust the charities on GiveWell", the whole point of GiveWell is to rank charities by how effectively they use their donations to help people.

If you mean "how do you know you can trust GiveWell", I guess you don't.

Re: undefined

#28

Post by Fletch137 »

I always try to put my personal assumptions aside and buy the person a meal - in the UK a lot of convenience stores have "meal deals" on that cost around £3 for sandwiches, a side and a drink. I usually go with that without asking them first, and then listen if they want to talk.

I think the worst thing about being in their situation would be that most people wouldn't listen, and sometimes that can be just enough to get you through the day.

Re: undefined

#29

Post by professorTuring »

station909 wrote: post #8
professorTuring wrote: post #3

I stopped giving money to "beggars" long ago. I usually help them by buying them what they need. I go with them to whichever close market or restaurant and buy them what they really need, I don't usually put a money limit but rarely goes over 20 bucks with a nice food basket. Part of these process is also listening to their stories, sometimes you can even hire them for some tasks and I usually tell them to help other…

There was one time, someone asked me for small change in order to buy water. I offered him to buy the water without giving him the money. He turned away and kept walking. This is why I tend not to give money (and feel really bad about it).

Yeps, the repetition over this is what led me not to give money but instead helping them in this other way.

Also, trust your instincts.

Re: undefined

#30

Post by station909 »

rb2e wrote: post #21

Well you can sidestep the issue slightly. Ask what do they need the money for? If they are hungry buy them a meal at a local cafe then buy some dry food (like crackers), canned meat such as spam that can be kept in a tin till needed and UHT Milk (milk in a cartoon that doesn't need to be refrigerated till opened. Don't forget some bottle water, also low alcoholic beer may be a subtle alternative if they don't have ac…

Good idea. What do you think I can do when I'm on a train and there is nothing I can do but to give money? That where I get to hear most of the touchy stories.
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