I bought a guy a sandwich today

[edslhead]

Homeless aren't clones. There are good ones that are needy and bad ones that just prefer to slide in life. I prefer to keep my distance from all of them. Cater to them and they will come.
I was sitin in my truck eatin lunch in a parking lot and a dog came up and just sat there watchin me. I ripped half my sandwich off and gave it to him. He took off tail a wagin. I could do that all day

 

[Kristina]

Being kind can be the most thankless of tasks, but that shouldn't keep you from doing it . There's a line from a pretty famous book: kindness is it's own reward. Still, the guy sounds like a turd

 

[ThemGunsThough]

Well, you did your part to try to pass on the light. We live in a world full of judgement. I feel that as long as we give from the heart, nothing else should matter. We cant always control what people will do with their blessings but we can control how much we want to contribute. Anyways, thats my talk for the day.

 

[Timbertodd]

You tried doing a kind thing and I applaud you for it. And he wonders why he's always told to leave!

 

[3MTA3]

Been places where the beggars really needed to beg - men with no hands and feet, kids with leprosy. I gave to them. It's hard to give money to able bodied people who have many, many more options and many, many more opportunities. I'll feed anyone who is hungry if I have the means. That's still one offer I've yet to have someone begging stateside take me up on.

 

[ACO]

My buddy's dad used to take out a handful of change and chuck it in the bushes saying, "I worked for it; so can you." I'm starting to understand his bitterness towards them.

 

[Camelfilter]

Well, you did your part to try to pass on the light. We live in a world full of judgement. I feel that as long as we give from the heart, nothing else should matter. We cant always control what people will do with their blessings but we can control how much we want to contribute. Anyways, thats my talk for the day.

This.



We never give anything to the homeless directly. Ever.

We do donate to missions and the like which we feel are just.

That whole give a man fish, vs teach a man to fish thing.

Sadly, a fair number of the homeless are mentally ill, and should be institionalized. Far better that, than the self medicating cycle we see today.

For them and for us.

Institutionalization will likely never happen again though, in the US, which is really too bad.

Again, both for them, and for us.

 

[Mister Bisley]

Been places where the beggars really needed to beg - men with no hands and feet, kids with leprosy. I gave to them. It's hard to give money to able bodied people who have many, many more options and many, many more opportunities. I'll feed anyone who is hungry if I have the means. That's still one offer I've yet to have someone begging stateside take me up on.

Agree. I just have a hard time giving money, when I don't know what it will be used for.

When I got married, we eloped in Key West and stayed there for a few days before and after. One afternoon after some sightseeing, we were pretty hungry and stopped at a little Peruvian joint to get a late lunch. They were kind of packed, so we got our food Togo to take back to our suite.

When walking back, some local homeless kids, a man and women in their mid-20s, the guy said in a rude way, "Hey, give us your leftovers". I saw and heard them, but ignored what he had said. Then he says "Hey man, I'm talking to you, give us your leftovers". I told him they weren't leftovers it was our carry out food. And he says "I don't care...give me the food". I said "hey broheim, it's my dinner and you're not getting any of it, but you're welcome to come over here and take what you think you're entitled to" LOL. He mumbled a bunch of stuff and walked away.

Don't mess with a fat guy's dinner!

I am compassionate but don't be ungrateful and definitely don't demand it.

 

[41mag]

I am compassionate but don't be ungrateful and definitely don't demand it.

The best line I ever heard was a guy under the Burnside Bridge circa 1978.....had an old style full 3 piece wool suit & raggedy hat, standing wobbly and announcing he had an important engagement....he was going to ride the rails down to the California Wino Convention and run for Mayor, and was soliciting funds for a suitable tonic. His was an entertaining act with some care to produce a little chuckle along the route. Yes, I gave him a buck.

 

[Flymph]

Tell me about it... I have the same bad taste in my mouth.
I can tell you what, i'm fed up with a lot of people's behavior (not that everything is bad or whatever...).

 

[justcuz]

Wifey, kudos...

If some takes advantage, shame on them...you've done the right thing towards another citizen.

That stated, I purchase the mcdonald's gift cards in $5 denomination and provide them to those homeless individuals.

Again, kudos wifey for doing what is the civilized thing to do.

 

[Lazyfaire]

I NEVER give them money on the streets. There are many services available to the poor and the homeless. Portland spends million of dollars on the homeless and the destitute. Give the 'panhandlers' a listing of the services available to them. I have been yelled and sworn at by them. I have had my window hit by them. Thats why I carry a pistol in the car now.
I used to work for a beverage dist in the downtown area. Had a guy come up and say that his car had broken down and he needed $40 to get back to Beaverton. Since I didn't give any money out he went on. Fast forward to a year later, the SAME GUY came up and said the same line to me. When I said so he ran away. Reinforced my position!
All that said I have been known to buy a coffee for a guy standing outside a Safeway store when it was cold. Have fed a couple in a McDonalds who were hungry. If they say they are hungry buy them food. If they scorn your choices you have still done the right thing. Hold your head up, you tried. The next guy might REALLY be hungry. Don't spurn him because of the others.

 

[edslhead]

Homeless are human beings. They think breath eat just like I do. If they cant even clean up their living area or even their crap, thats just lazy and irresponsible. They can get off their butts and earn food, I'm not feeding them. Just look at all the filth and waste they leave behind for the rest of us to clean up for them. Disgusting.

 

[Lazyfaire]

Homeless are human beings. They think breath eat just like I do. If they cant even clean up their living area or even their crap, thats just lazy and irresponsible. They can get off their butts and earn food, I'm not feeding them. Just look at all the filth and waste they leave behind for the rest of us to clean up for them. Disgusting.

My point was that giving them money was NOT in their best interest. I do not know their past or situations, but do not want to fund drugs or alcohol. If they're hungry or cold, fine, I can deal with that but never do I give money. I too hate the mess their 'camps' leave behind but the city will have to deal with/outlaw their camping laws to fix that.

 

[Member 5605]

Win some and lose some.

I've been in both boats. Never handed anyone a dollar.

Amazing what happens when alcohol withdrawal kicks in. Food isn't as important as the $4 in your pocket for a 40 of malt.

 

[Lazyfaire]

Win some and lose some.

I've been in both boats. Never handed anyone a dollar.

Amazing what happens when alcohol withdrawal kicks in. Food isn't as important as the $4 in your pocket for a 40 of malt.

Addiction has a very powerful pull.

 

[Stomper]

I donate THOUSANDS every year to places like Doernbechers, Salvation Army, etc.... that's on top of the >$500 I pay in taxes EVERY WEEK.

I won't give the street hustlers a thing. The "homeless" in this country are (generally) wealthier than a lot of other country's "rich" people.

 

[cigars]

I think this is disgusting. 1) Taking advantage of people's generosity 2) Taking from those that can truly use the handout.

I don't give people on the street jack 99.99% of the time, for just these reasons. Why should my hard earned money go towards supporting someone's drug or alcohol dependency? I have helped people who I believed were in dire need and I have also volunteered and donated food at soup kitchens.

I once put $40 of gas in someone's car because he said he got robbed of his wallet and cell phone and had to get back home to his family. He was stuck in our town for 2 days and only raised $10. He was in town on business, or so the story goes. I told him to buy something to eat and I would fill his tank. The guy swore he would pay me back if I gave him my mailing address. I wasn't really expecting anything back, but I gave him my work address for security purposes. Low and behold...two weeks later, he sent me a letter of gratitude and a check for $60. He was truly a person in need at the time.

Buy a lottery ticket.

 

[cigars]

Being kind can be the most thankless of tasks, but that shouldn't keep you from doing it . There's a line from a pretty famous book: kindness is it's own reward. Still, the guy sounds like a turd

I don't think it's about not being kind. Generally, peoples hearts are in the right places. It's just that there are so many hucksters out there these days that people have become jaded, as they should. If you want to help the truly needy, stop by any church and ask them if there's a family or single parent that needs help. At least that way if it's not legit then at least you're not at fault for giving carelessly. The ramp rat situation is so bad around here that it's like going to the slums in India. Everybody has a
scam.

 

[The Heretic]

Just watched a guy yesterday morning go up to a self labeled "homeless and hungry" guy in his 20s outside fred meyer. The guy offered him a place to stay, work on his land, and meals. I was shaking my head before he even finished his heartfelt offering. Go figure, the kid said he was ok for the night, and was going to head south so he couldn't stay.


Guess who's still there this morning?

It's a racket. I see the same ones every day on my commute. The couple that rotates, the gal who's been "pregnant and hungry" for the last 2 years, the "disabled vets", and all the rest. Best I'd ever do is take them to one of the numerous shelters that would help them with exactly what they're complaining about.

Yeah, I see the roadside beggars on my way to/from work - most of the time they look to be in better shape physically than I am.

I remember when I crushed my foot and had to have it surgically reconstructed. I was back at work a week later on crutches, with pins sticking out of my foot, on Vicodin, sitting with my foot propped up writing code. Once I could walk without the crutches I was taking breaks once an hour and walking up and down the street with a cane, a little further each time - took six months until I could walk normally without a cane.

So when I see some 20 something guy or gal at a freeway exit begging for money I ignore them. I've had trouble finding a job too, but when I was their age I had a wife and baby to support, so I would do anything to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table, including shoveling s*** (literally).

I've told this story before, but I was once leaving the parking lot of the Winco in Hillsboro and there was a guy on crutches at the exit of a drive thru for a fast food joint. Behind him, hidden in the bushes, visible to me, but not to the people coming out of the drive thru, was his bicycle.

Want a job? I've got plenty of work on my property for someone not afraid to do hard physical work - but I am not going to give a penny to someone wanting something for free.