This past weekend I was hanging out in the city with a few of my friends. The city is the place to be on the weekends. You’ll find some of everything there — residents, tourists, freaks, geeks, foreigners, dudes, chicks, dudes dressed as chicks, chicks dressed as dudes, and the homeless. While we were hanging out in the city, my friends and I were approached by homeless people multiple times.
Having spent four years of my life bombarded by panhandlers in Chicago, saying no is practically second nature to me now. Seeing the same people on the El asking for money every weekend made me grow rather cynical. There was one incident in particular where one of the perpetual panhandlers started saying his lines, and a lady started warning the other passengers not to give him money because he didn’t need it.
In other incidents, I’ve seen homeless people flat out refuse food from others just trying to help them out. Apparently, some of them are hungry for money, not food. Other times I’ve seen people give a homeless person some money, only for the homeless person to get mad when they can’t spare a little more. These experiences have left quite an impression on me, and that’s why I never give homeless people money.
I know it sounds selfish, and maybe it is. However, this study shows that I’d fit right in with the college students at UNC when it comes to giving handouts to the homeless. Here are the main reasons I never give homeless people money.
You don’t know what they are going to do with it. I really hate the feeling of not knowing if they spend the money on something useful. Of course, their signs always mention they need money for food, but we all know that it could just as easily go towards drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes. I’m not trying to stereotype all homeless people this way, but my biggest concern is that I have no idea which ones are being genuine and honest.
Sometimes they aren’t even thankful. As I mentioned before, some homeless people blatantly refuse food offerings because they’d prefer money. That’s like having a friend throw away a birthday cake you made for them because they prefer pie. It just doesn’t make sense to me. I’ve helped an old lady cross the street and held doors open for strangers, and these people have been more grateful than any homeless person I ever gave money to before I adopted my new policy.
There are better alternatives. In fact, maybe the reason some homeless people aren’t thrilled about money and food is because they’re really just looking for conversation, as this article suggests. As far as money is concerned, I prefer donating to organizations that help the homeless rather than giving money directly to the homeless, because I know that the money will be used appropriately.
With that being said, my friends see things differently. All of them ended up giving change to most of the homeless people we ran into this weekend. In fact, one of the homeless guys tried to make me feel guilty for being the only person in our group to not give him some money, and it made me wonder.
Do we give money to the homeless to help them out or do we do it to feel better about ourselves?
Most, if not all, of the people I’ve met who regularly give money to the homeless mention a common feeling — guilt. When you mention that the homeless person could spend the money on something bad, they usually say something like, “That’s not my responsibility anymore.” Basically, they’ve done their good deed, and the overwhelming feeling of guilt is gone.
Do you give money to the homeless? Is the act of giving a selfish act?
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Laura 07.29.08 at 4:21 am
I may offer food to a homeless person, but in general I do not give money. I agree with your reasons. I had homeless people turn down my food and persist in asking for money. I wish it wasn’t this way, but I don’t give money.
Nate 07.29.08 at 5:32 am
Broke Grad, these are all valid points for not giving to a homeless person directly. But, I think there are valid reasons as well. If you have a conversation and after that, see that their the immediate need is money for a cheese burger, I think that would be a valid reason to give. Also, the homeless struggle with an immense amount of stuff most of us don’t have to deal with. I hope I offer more patience, even among many homeless that may take advantage of a situation, but how often do we take advantage of our friends for instance? Thanks for the post!
Geoff 07.29.08 at 7:28 am
I also don’t give to the homeless/panhandlers, mostly for several reasons. When I was in college the same people would come along with the same stories night after night (”my daughter was jsut in an accident and I need money to take the bus to the hospital” or “I just moved here and have a job, but not a paycheck until friday and I need money to feed my kid” (this same person gave me the same story the next saturday)). Second, I had a guest lecturer in college who worked in Cleveland with the police and went undercover to study the habits of panhandlers and found out that it was a business with a heirarchy, the top getting most of the money, and a business-type system. Lastly, there have been plenty of stories of panhandlers with huge bank accounts, liek one millionaire panhandler in NYC. I’d rather give to a charity or homeless shelter.
Nate 07.29.08 at 9:27 am
It very well may make sense to not give in most cases, but it is a mistake to assume that all homeless are panhandlers and that all panhandlers are homeless. There are many panhandlers that are not homeless and who can make a decent amount of money, but this don’t mean that there are homeless that may actually need the money in their instance. I’m just trying to drive home that the statement “You should never give to a homeless person” is an absolute statement that isn’t completely helpful.
Amphritrite 07.29.08 at 10:56 am
I’ve had the instance of refused food happen to me, as well. Generally, I get hit up for money while shopping at Pike’s Place in Seattle, and since I’ve just bought a bucketload of fresh food, I usually offer a peach or an apple or a banana in lieu of my cash.
I had one guy go, “No, no, I have plenty of food, thanks. But if you have a penny…”
I just looked at him and said, “I paid $.59lb for these bananas, and you want a penny? Meanwhile, your sign clearly says that you’re hungry and homeless. Don’t ever refuse the blessings offered to you for free; there are always less fortunate people than yourself.” And walked away.
PT 07.29.08 at 12:30 pm
No chance do I give and for the same reasons as you don’t: you don’t know where it’s going to go to and there are better ways that you can help them like giving to a charity who helps the homeless (and if you give big enough, they give back - in terms of a tax receipt).
GG @ This Writer's Wallet 07.29.08 at 7:23 pm
I never give to homeless people either, true Chicago-native-style, I guess. There’s a part of me that always wants to, mainly because of how I will feel in helping someone, so I understand your question about whether it’s selfish or not. And I have given food before, but, this makes me feel bad, it was restaurant leftovers we were carrying.
I have a couple friends who’ve, in my opinion, shown real Christianity by walking with a homeless person to McDonald’s or whatever’s nearby and buying the person a meal. Even when it was inconvenient for them. I’d like to be like that.
Broke Grad Student 07.29.08 at 8:48 pm
Nate: I definitely agree that there are valid reasons to give directly to the homeless. In my experiences, the brief amount of time you have to interact with them just isn’t enough time to determine whether they’re genuinely in need or not. I have had my fair share of interesting conversations with homeless people, and seeing them smile and laugh has always been more satisfying than giving them money.
GG: Back in Chicago a few years ago, I was eating at a restaurant late one night, and there was a college-aged guy sitting down, having a meal with a homeless guy. It looked like they were discussing the Bible over a meal. It makes me wonder if homeless people really are just looking for companionship rather than money or food.
Hayden Tompkins 08.04.08 at 6:21 am
I almost always, if I have it, give money to street musicians. Sometimes they are homeless, sometimes they are simply poor - but that’s the way I’m wired. They don’t accost me, they provide a soundtrack to my day, some of them are actually QUITE accomplished, and frankly it actually makes my heart ache to see them doing something they love in such a debased conditioned.
Dana 08.04.08 at 6:47 am
I don’t give money to the homeless. I give money to my church who then decides where the money should go. Most of the time it is spent on people in the church first, then if there is some leftover then the community. We don’t just give money away. We provide food and personal finance education. We work with them - if we don’t see improvement, when there should be then they are on their own.
Remember the saying: teach a man to fish ….
Kate 08.04.08 at 1:59 pm
I’m with you. I gave money to street people when I was very young, actually before I had any real earning power. Then I started working in food service. I would often take the meal that I was entitled to and offer it to homeless people on my way home. More often than not, I was either turned down or got an attitude from people I tried to give it to. And it was good, fresh food that I had just prepared myself. They wanted money instead. That pretty well soured me. I’d rather give to homeless shelters or other charities.
kat 08.04.08 at 3:29 pm
I agree completely. I live in NYC, where there are literally thousands of places for the homeless to get food. I have offered food in the past and been verbally abused in return. It seems to me that, since food and shelter are readily available for people in need of them, panhandlers are almost always trying to get money for alcohol, cigarettes or drugs. And panhandling can be quite lucrative, because they do play on those feelings of guilt! As long as people continue to give them money, they will continue to do it instead of trying to repair their lives. I resolved instead to give money to a couple of local organizations which help the homeless (and attempt to address the societal issues behind the problem), and I plan to volunteer my time as well once I have more of it.
I DO give money to street/subway performers though, because they brighten my day and provide a soundtrack to my commute. I feel like they’re part of the wonderful tapestry of city life and I’d like them to continue doing it.
Sam 08.05.08 at 4:58 am
I also don’t give money to homeless, often because I don’t carry cash, but mostly because, not only do you not know where the money is going, but it perpetuates their ability to continue to live comfortably on the street. With no incentive to fix their lives, they will continue to be a burden on society. The organizations that help get the homeless off the street are much better places to donate.
I did think it was kind of funny, though, when I went to a conference in Baltimore last year and kept getting asked for $20 for a taxi because “my car has been towed.” It’s like all the panhandlers (I’m sure these people were not homeless) synchronized their stories, which doesn’t make any sense to me, since they’d collectively be better off having different stories.
Shadox 08.05.08 at 10:38 pm
Well - I understand your motivation, but I sometimes do give money to folks on the street. Maybe they are swindlling me, but what if they’re not. For me, a couple of bucks don’t make a difference either way. For someone else, those two dollars could mean a whole lot.
Maybe I am just making myself feel better. But if so, a couple of bucks is a really small price to pay for making myself feel good. Anyway, I think there are probably worse ways for making yourself feel good. No?
Broke Grad Student 08.07.08 at 11:46 pm
kat: Back when I lived in Chicago, I also gave money to street/El performers and musicians. Some were so good that I considered bringing something to record them, so I could listen to it back at home.
wordy 08.10.08 at 3:50 pm
I agree with you about not giving money to those who appear homeless. I say “appear” because my experiences in my 20s taught me that not all is as it seems. I worked in a public library in Charlotte, NC; my branch in particular was in what was, at the time, a very sketchy part of town. We had a scary dive across the street, pawn shops, one of those buys-by-the-pint blood banks around the corner, and a couple of very cheap by-the-week boarding houses on the other corner. Guys who spent their days panhandling would come into the library to escape the elements, and proceed to sit around and coach each other on how best to “push the mark” or bug people to give them money and which shelters to avoid. None of them liked the shelters that required them to bathe, as they all knew that intense body odor was one of their weapons. If they could get someone in close quarters, the “mark” would often give them money just to get them and their stink to go away. One of them drove his car to the library on a regular basis. He was later busted by the police and found to have a car, an apartment where he had a fridge full of food, clothing, furniture, all utilities, and $700 in the bank in checking and savings. He supported himself panhandling, standing around with his sign that claimed he was a crippled veteran. There were genuine homeless people in our area, and I did offer them food - and sometimes even clothing I got from my brother when he was cleaning out his closets. But I never, ever gave them money, and to this day I still don’t. The truly homeless were grateful; the “professional” homeless (my term for guys like the one I’ve just described) got nasty when they were offered anything but money.
doctorS 08.10.08 at 7:39 pm
I did my undergrad in Philadelphia and we had a huge situation around campus dealing with the homeless. It was always the same guys and many times they were very aggressive, just with females. There were a few of them that sometimes just wanted common conversation. I have never been one for giving them money, but I have often given them food, especially when my friends and I are out to dinner somewhere and we get things packed to go. They were always very appreciative.
Ashley 08.14.08 at 9:15 am
I find it strange that the homeless always show up in the places where people carry the most money. I was at Otakon (anime convention) this weekend and there was a homeless man arguing with a security guard about sitting in the way of the dealers room. He KNEW that the people going to the dealers room had lots of money, and the fact that he had a custom sign (”Anime or Aid?) is sketchy, in my eyes. It’s just extortion…
Lauren 10.16.08 at 3:04 pm
Hello i am doing a project on homelessness for school and i have some questions soo if you could email me that you be amazing!!