Comments on: Should you give money to panhandlers?

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[...]Should you give money to panhandlers? « The Philanthropic Family[...]…

By: Tucci

Tucci — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 05:00:09 +0000

I had a uniquie experience talking to a lady named Paulina who is a panhandler in my city. Instead of doing the common walk by and ignore, I stopped to get change for her and asked my husband to video the conversation. We didn’t know what we would hear about her story and her life but the conversation truly moved me and we are posting a youtube video and the handle is TalkToTucci. I have decided to continue posting you tube videos of people that need to tell there plight or story to someone who will listen. I hope this will go well and we can use our days off for a greater good then laying around and watching movies all day. Please check it out and let us know what you think. All I can say is I don’t think it is wise to judge a book by its cover. People deserve to be treated with dignity and kindness starting with the benefit of the doubt.

By: Toady

Toady — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 18:19:57 +0000

By donating to charities that help the poor and homeless, you are indeed helping the needy. You cannot tell if the panhandler is really needy or is just running a racket. Be on the safe side – give to the charitable organizations instead.

By: Sharon Schneider

Sharon Schneider — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 19:49:02 +0000

Thanks, Raymond, for this really thoughtful reply. I appreciate your perspective.

By: Raymond

Raymond — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 22:51:03 +0000

I researched this topic today, because I came across scripture that talked about giving etc. thus I decided to type in a question regarding panhandlers and if we should pay them that’s how i found this blog.

Like others on here I to at times gave money to panhandlers and beggars on the street, that was until I encountered some Aggressive panhandlers. For example I reached in my wallet to get a dollar and the guy was rude and said you can afford to give me two dollars.

Since that Time I have been hesitant , in my own life i have been out of work for some time , and thanks to the grace of god my mom as kept me from being homeless. But the condition is I have to pay her back when I land a job. Which I am fine with. My father was a con artist who conned people out of money, eventually it landed him in prison. He would make up stories like my wife died and I am stuck raising my son. It sickened me that he would deliberately take advantage of others. It’s a sad thing that some have to ruin it for everybody especially those who really are suffering do to their dishonesty. I plan on making every effort to pay my mom back, because it’s the honorable thing to do.

I’ll help people because God requires it of me. It will be between them and God if they choose to use it for immoral purposes. But if I found out that individual did use it for drugs etc. I would think twice about giving it to that individual again.

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By: Rachel

Rachel — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:29:49 +0000

I think only a limited money like five dollars should be permitted at maximum.

By: Judy

Judy — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:17:49 +0000

Wonderful thoughts on an important question, Sharon. Thank you for this thought-provoking post.

I so appreciate Yin’s loving approach. It gives me a new perspective on giving to the homeless. It also made me think about how some Americans resent the government giving “handouts” to the poor, therefore, it would make it our responsibility to look after one another more attentively and caringly.

I lived in Los Angeles for several years and had many occasions to grapple with these thoughts. My resolution was to keep food in the car and offer it when I met people in need. Sometimes, people in need hung out near a grocery and I would buy some extra food while shopping.

To Melissa, in particular: I heard a very moving story on NPR the other day. A family wasn’t able to make ends meet and the wife made the decision, one that she found humiliating, to panhandle. Her story had a happier ending, but it’s an experience that made her – and the listeners – put more charity in our thoughts about the individuals holding cardboard signs at stoplights.

Here’s a link to the piece: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95670969

Thank you for a wonderful blog, Sharon! I look forward to being a regular reader!

By: Sharon Schneider

Sharon Schneider — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:26:02 +0000

Yin, Thank you for pointing out the different standards we hold the poor to. Your compassion is quite moving and I appreciate your comments very much.

I suspect fear is the biggest factor that keeps people from looking panhandlers in the eye. But fear of what?

By: Yin from Hawaii

Yin from Hawaii — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 06:42:14 +0000

Twenty years ago, I asked this question of a mentor of mine when I first started working as an urban community organizer (I grew up in small town). He was someone who worked all his life with poor farmworkers and gave me an answer that went something like this: “All day people give their money to all kinds of businesses and companies when they buy things and we don’t really ask if they use their profit in ethical ways or if they treat their workers, spouses, or children well. For all we know they may be abusing drugs or alcohol with their wages or profit. But when an obviously poor street person asks for our spare change, we ask them to submit to a much higher morality / good behavior test. I would rather err on the side of compassion each time I am given the opportunity to share with someone who obviously needs help instead of holding back for fear of misuse of my spare change. If someone does use it for drugs, alcohol that is sad and unfortunate, but I give him or her the same freedom to make the same mistakes as middle class or rich people.” Since then, I give whatever I can when asked, look whoever is asking in the eye and ask them to “Take care.” I also often ask my children to do the giving as well and to look the person in the eye and to smile. I notice that people will walk past a panhandler or poor person without looking or making eye contact, why do you think that is the case?