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Giving money to homeless people
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Hiya,
Do you guys give money to homeless people?
I used to, when I was young, then at some point in my teenage years a friend pointed out (perhaps falsely) that the individual I was giving money to was probably deceiving me on that occasion.
That's always made me worry, and since then I give money to charities (Shelter and Salvation Army, though the latter less due to concerns about their inclusiveness) and pressure my MP on matters affecting that. You can probably find me foaming at the mouth about tory cuts to welfare in plenty of places.
But then when I see homeless people, I get that same old gut wrenching feeling, like a mixture of guilt, shame and pity rolled into one. So I wonder if actually giving money directly whilst overall might not change things, it could make a bigger personal impact.
On the other hand, some things don't add up - I live in Cheltenham and my councillor has told me on the last 'night walk' they only found three people sleeping rough. But walk through the town centre during the day and there are at least four or five people busking with a sleeping bag and the whole thing. Three people in a whole town seems a very low number of rough sleepers.
It's honestly hard to know what is the 'right' course of action. Any people with better insights than me would be appreciated.
Some interesting articles:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/dec/19/beggars-homelessness-drugs-thames-reach
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/dont-give-the-homeless-money-call-this-hotline-says-minister-at-charity-launch-8399590.html
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Bristol-s-homeless-speak-charity-urges-people/story-17620058-detail/story.html#axzz2Twwshc85
Do you guys give money to homeless people?
I used to, when I was young, then at some point in my teenage years a friend pointed out (perhaps falsely) that the individual I was giving money to was probably deceiving me on that occasion.
That's always made me worry, and since then I give money to charities (Shelter and Salvation Army, though the latter less due to concerns about their inclusiveness) and pressure my MP on matters affecting that. You can probably find me foaming at the mouth about tory cuts to welfare in plenty of places.
But then when I see homeless people, I get that same old gut wrenching feeling, like a mixture of guilt, shame and pity rolled into one. So I wonder if actually giving money directly whilst overall might not change things, it could make a bigger personal impact.
On the other hand, some things don't add up - I live in Cheltenham and my councillor has told me on the last 'night walk' they only found three people sleeping rough. But walk through the town centre during the day and there are at least four or five people busking with a sleeping bag and the whole thing. Three people in a whole town seems a very low number of rough sleepers.
It's honestly hard to know what is the 'right' course of action. Any people with better insights than me would be appreciated.
Some interesting articles:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/dec/19/beggars-homelessness-drugs-thames-reach
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/dont-give-the-homeless-money-call-this-hotline-says-minister-at-charity-launch-8399590.html
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Bristol-s-homeless-speak-charity-urges-people/story-17620058-detail/story.html#axzz2Twwshc85
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Comments
Either way, we have an article about helping the homeless on TheSite - would be good to hear if you think it makes any sense? http://www.thesite.org/homelawandmoney/home/homelessness/helpingthehomeless
:thumb:
It's certainly discussion though.
I just don't know the right thing to do.
That's a great article you've linked to, it does let the person make up their own mind but I think there's a bit of a slant towards 'dont give to beggars directly' in there, because it encourages them / doesn't help in the long run?
I actually had a dream not too long ago about being a silly rich millionaire who set up a fully catered homeless hostel / shelter. But that's neither here nor there... I think it was inspired by The Belgariad series where the Queen opens all her palaces for the poor and the orphans to home them...
Yep, that's political
Can leave it here for now though for a little more exposure
Sometimes I give a sausage roll to big issue sellers as well, because I never have enough left for a big issue.
EDIT: I sit and chat to them too. There's one I spoke to all the time, but I haven't seen him recently which is quite worrying. Hopefully he's okay.
Theres a fantastic thing for hot drinks for homeless people though, I know I've heard of it being active in America and I saw a sign in my local Starbucks the other day, first one I've seen in the UK though so dont know how widely its used... I'll see if I can find a link.
Thats the one.
That's bollocks. What fucking world are you living in?!
If you're a single man, and you become homeless there is virtually no hope of you getting stable housing. You are pushed to the bottom of the list time and time again behind woman and children. Not all homeless people can access help. I had a friend who was classed as homeless for 10 years before they sorted him out somewhere to live.
Sit and have a chat with some of them. I'm not talking of the people who walk round asking for money, I'm talking the people who sit in the same place day in day out. Who you see so often they blend into the town, and you probably don't even notice them any more. There's a woman in my town who's family all died in a house fire, she was the only one who made it out. She's been utterly destroyed by it, and is scared of living in a house. She walks round with bin bags full of her the things she saved, and sleeps where ever the police don't move her from.
People can not just "get help". The world doesn't work like that.
I do try and donate to the likes of Crisis and Centrepoint and the Railway Children. But I don't donate to street beggars.
So apart from the first time he said that to you, you have met him before
(I know what you meant!)
That woman's story is awful, as you pointed out, she does not want to sleep indoors so is not seeking help in that respect.
I agree that a single man facing no discrimination due to sex or colour will find it harder as places like stonewall etc have their own schemes.
There's no way you would wait 10 years on the street if you were trying to do something about it, I have been homeless, I have slept in a snow covered stolen car, stairwell etc when I was younger freezing cold with one eye open and I believe if you want to get help to get off the street you will. I think the problem is people giving up and, as you point out with you story, suffering a breakdown type affair.
Yes it is. But he kept getting pushed to the bottom on the list for a house, as do many single men.
I figure that if there's even a chance that they are gonna put it towards something useful I'd rather they have it than not.
I tend not to get the Big Issue but I did give the seller outside Nottingham station today a ciggie because I had no change for one and he asked for a ciggie.