5 Reasons I Give Money To The Homeless
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This is a topic that is very close to my heart and one that completely changed the way I view homelessness overall. When you see a homeless person, do you give them money, or do you simply walk past them and ignore them? Here are 5 reasons I give money to the homeless, without hesitation.
Many years ago, I wouldn’t give my hard earned money to a homeless person. I didn’t know if they were going to use that money for booze or drugs. I mean seriously, how would I know that the money I gave them would actually help them?
My thought was this, go to a shelter and get help! That’s what they are for, right? You are in this situation from your own doing. Your reasons for not giving money to the homeless is your business, and I am not here to pass judgment on you either.
I am here to give my reasons I give to the homeless and will continue doing so in the future.
5 Reasons I Give Money To The Homeless
Giving money to a homeless person will not increase the epidemic
When I am out and about, and I see a homeless person, and I have cash available or change, I give it out. The amount of money and time I have given to the homeless hasn’t affected the numbers of homeless living in my area.
How do I know? Well, let's see, I don’t recall the last time I have been bombarded with homeless asking me for money because I gave a dollar or two to one about two months ago.
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I give my money with good intentions
When I give money, whether it's a charity or someone in need, I give the money with good intentions that it will benefit them. I can’t think and wonder how much of my money will go to the CEO salary, expenses for running the charity operation, or if that individual will use my money to help him or not.
When I give my money to the homeless, they can use it as they please. It is none of my business. If it helps them get something to drink during the hot weather month, good. I give my money with the intention that it will help someone. Whether that person will not use it according to my good intentions, well, that’s on them. The same goes for charities. I give money with the right intentions that it is going to help someone in need.
Not every homeless person is a crook
I can’t judge every homeless person because of some being bad apples. Just like in many other circumstances, there are honest people, and there are bad people. If I think that everyone I meet is a bad guy, then I will be in big trouble.
I don’t know their story.
Everyone has their own story. Some have mental illnesses, and if you have dealt with people who have a mental illness, you see where I’m coming from. The way this country handles mental illness needs significant improvement. When someone has a mental illness, it is hard to help them. It is challenging.
What if the person is a war vet? What if this is someones loved one who the family reported missing? What if they lost their home to a tragedy? The individual stories are endless.
Homeless shelters are not open for everyone.
I thought that if you were homeless and you didn’t go to the shelter, then too bad. The reality is that homeless shelters are not as easy or simple to get into. One can’t just walk in and say I’m here to stay in the shelter.
Some shelters don’t have space. Other have priorities, so if there’s a family, those will be taken in first. Others required paperwork and agreements, and when you are dealing with mental illness homeless, giving up rights don’t come easy.
I want to say that I don’t know how every shelter in the country runs. I am speaking from experience.
My Story
How do you know this won’t happen to you? In 2007, I lost my home to a house fire. I was homeless in matters of minutes. Though I am thankful to the Red Cross for helping us out, we were only allowed three days stay in a motel.
Thanks to my community and neighbors, I was lucky enough to have a place to stay until our home was re-built again. I was lucky! We were lucky. No cash, no shoes. I had nothing. Many other people are not so lucky, nor blessed with having amazing people to help them like I was.
In 2014, a close family member was homeless due to mental illness. The hardest thing to ever experience. Finding her a shelter was difficult and hard and I was so angry at the system, but I learned so much about it and how wrong I was about homeless people. It simply is just sad. To me, personally, this was a devastating blow and every day I think of her. Thank God we all pulled together and got her a place to stay. For how long? Who knows.
I am telling you my reasons why I give money to the homeless and why I will continue to give my money, whenever I can in the future.
I am not saying I will not give to charity because I do but experiencing what I have experienced in my heart, I think this is the right thing to do for me. Granted, I live in a small town. I don’t hunt down homeless to give them money. I know that a dollar can’t even get them something to drink where I live, but I am trying.
Knowing all this, I know I am helping them out. Everyone gives differently, and I encourage you to give. The way you give is your business, my friend; I'm not here to judge. If you don’t give money to the homeless, I will still love you and understand. 😀
What do you think about giving money to the homeless? Please share it with us!
I keep a mint can full of change in my car for this. I have a daughter who works with the homeless. Best things to give: tube socks and toothbrush with toothpaste.
Thank you Lisa. This is good to know. We have change with us in our van and we do the same thing. Also when I worked retail we would buy those small hot pads and give them out during the brutal winter nights we worked. Thank you for what you do. This makes me happy.
I live in a very small town and I can count our homeless people on my hand and give you there names. My whole town financially supports our few homeless and we all try to help any way we can. Sadly,all but one of ours suffer mental illness so even when some try to get them off the streets they can not stand to be indoors and end up sleeping under bridges again. I always take time to talk to them and give change if they need it.
Thank you Ray for doing what you do. At least you are taking the time to make them feel like a person. Sometime is not about the money you know.
Thank you so much for writing this, I am always amazed how many people I know are completely uncharitably minded toward the homeless. I have given less lately, perhaps allowing my doubt to creep in by the way every corner in town suddenly seems to have some well dressed people with signs. But deep inside, I truly feel all the same things you do. I am so glad you reminded me of what I know to be true and sharing these things with others
Thank you @christasterken:disqus This post is very personal to me and I get so emotional speaking about it. I’m glad that my post reminded you of what you know to be true.
Thank you for sharing this. I must admit that I definitely had some misconceptions about the homeless, assuming they are mostly suffering from mental illness and beyond my ability to help. This has definitely forced me to revisit my assumptions. Thanks for linking it up a the Happy Home Life. Being a more conscientious person will certainly help make my own home life happier!
I know I did and this is hard to admit because I was so judgmental too. Seems like life had a surprise in-store for me by having my close family in this situation. It sure changed me completely. Thank you for stopping by Corinne!
I am so glad you wrote this. People think there are shelters everywhere and everyone can get into them. There are more shelters for men then women. Disabled persons are often not allowed or welcomed in shelters as either they cannot accommodate or don’t want someone who isn’t able to go get a job. If you are in a wheelchair…too bad. Some shelters give shorter housing time to men, not enough to get on their feet because of space and the number of men trying to enter shelters. Women with babies can experience bias attitudes from other women who may be in charge of a shelter and “just don’t like the person” even if there is no justifiable reason for the dislike. And yes there is favoritism at shelters. I could write a book on this subject, but yea, help someone out with cash. Maybe if they get enough they can get an apartment roommate situation long enough to get work and get on their feet, or they can buy a ticket to get to somewhere where they know someone who will help them. They may need medication like for asthma and need money to buy it. There list is huge. And mother’s with babies always need diapers.
Thank you Rhonda for sharing this information. People are not aware of how these programs work. I was, seriously, surprised at how these shelters run. I was just like well is a shelter they just walk in and sleep and be safe. WRONG! Again, thank you!
It sounds like you have an excellent sense of perspective on this. Too many people worry about what that person will do with the money, which you are right, is nobody’s business. I saw a social experiment YouTube video, which is usually not my thing, but this guy game a homeless man a stack of cash and followed him secretly. The man got hot food and shared it with his friends. You can’t know what someone has been through, so it is best not to judge. Thanks for posting. Hello from Happy Home Life.
I find it hard to give money to the homeless since one of my closest friends was once homeless. He was a heroin addict. Now I understand not all homeless people are addicts. The thing is he has told me that some of the people he was pan handeling with have nice cars and nice houses and make more on the streets then they would making an honest living. I will help someone who is helping them selves though.
I completely understand and respect your opinion. A close family of mine was a drug addict and lived on the street. I felt the same way you felt too, but when I learned and found out what I know, I was putting all homeless in one category. To me that was wrong.Just because they are homeless doesn’t mean they are not helping themselves. Thank you for sharing your opinion.
In Denmark, the homeless are given a way of earning money, by selling a newspaper about homeless, called “Husforbi” which translates to “HouseOver”. I buy that newspaper every month, and have almost become a regular with one guy. Him and his friend are very nice, the other day I passed them without buying it, but they still greeted me. They also made a bet about whether my hair was natural or dyed.
I don’t give them straight cash, but I do buy that newspaper and might buy them coffe when it gets colder. I think the newspaper is an excellent idea, and they have even made a calendar with the stories of some of the sellers.
We have a similar program in the United States. Homeless people can sell copies of the Street News.
Thank you Erica for sharing this. Would love to find out more about this program.
This article is a little old, but it explains the program really well. The program creates jobs and helps the homeless to help themselves.
http://www.npr.org/2010/12/23/132291799/Street-Papers-Sold-By-Homeless-Are-Thriving
Thank you so much Erica!
Thank you for writing this. I was homeless after aging out of foster care. I started using drugs, it made the long days and even longer nights bearable. After three years of living on the streets a stranger took me in, I am very lucky that I was young and female.
Anyways I do give money to homeless people, I sit and have a coffee with them, I listen to them, I learn from them, I smile at them, I do what I can to let them know that I see them and I care about them because I know what’s it’s like to be “less than” unseen, unloved and without hope.
Thank you for sharing your story, Smiley. Thank you for what your doing too and I am so happy to know that you have someone that care enough about a stranger come and help you. Wish you the best always and you are an awesome soul. Thank you.
Hey friend!! Long time no talk!! LOVE this post. I have a good friend that works directly with the homeless in our urban streets to provide them meals and other necessities. He’s done this for years and learned each one’s story. He spends time with them and talks with them and makes them feel loved, giving to all who need the donations he gathers from friends. Once you know a homeless person personally – or experience homelessness yourself like you have – it becomes a much more “real” problem. Yes, the scammers are out there, but like you said what they do with the gift is not the giver’s problem.
Friend!! Miss will email you soon! And yes, as you said once you experience it or know someone personally it becomes real.
Thank you so much for sharing. I always give money to homeless people. Even when I don’t have a lot I will share it with them. I’m happy I can return home, I have my own house, Good food, a Nice bed.. Even when you think you can’t miss it, please think of a homeless person who don’t got anything. Money is not important, Being Good to people is! If you think they will use it for something else (what has nothing to do with you but ok..), please ask them if they are hungry or in need of anything else. Think of how you would feel if you were in their position..
Yes!! I so agree with you. Its more than just food. Thank you so much for being you. The world needs more people like you.