When you pass a homeless person on the street and they ask you for money, do you give them money or keep walking?

We had a big debate about this in Sociology last year. I usually don't because I can't get over the fact that they can't find any place for a job and will usually spend the money on booze.

food

Yea i have. he went in the store and got a beer and walked down the sidewalk drinking it

Sometimes.

What you've said there is incredibly general. There are not many employers that will give jobs to homeless people and many of the ones that do are usually part of a job scheme in connection to homeless shelters. Most employers want people with addresses for accounting/Inland Revenue reasons and if they pay in cash or don't care so much they will usually go for those with work permits/visas or illegal immigrants because they can pay them less and because homeless people are seen as unreliable. It's getting harder and harder to get jobs for people with homes let alone those without, it's also harder for unemployed people to get jobs because employers and recruiters/HR people tend to go for those already in employment who want their next or another job, or who've been out of work for a very short time and with 'valid' reasons. They make it their business to know why people want part time jobs as well. They're asking for more nowadays as well for the jobs that need less qualification e.g. they want more experience, more qualifications and more references.

Also, contrary to what many might think, many homeless people aren't 'bums' or 'losers' - many are people who had to go into liquidation/insolvency/bankruptcy or were made redundant, had medical bills that made them lose their property, were kicked out of home and lots of other reasons. There are homeless shelters and charities but like every such institution, they need help as well - many such places can only be open part time, and in London, many people who are homeless or about to be homeless are turned down for shelter because they are a 'low risk' factor i.e. if you are relatively fit/healthy or quite frankly 'you can run' (yes that is a direct quote) they aren't a priority. Those who are in vulnerability groups such as teens, elderly, sick and those with children get help (which is good) but the many who aren't in those those just have to fend for themselves and the longer you are homeless the harder it gets, each day will make it harder.

As for the 'they'll just spend it on alcohol' argument that many do use in this debate - well, can you blame them? People with homes drink all time because of problems let alone with the huge added problem of no shelter at all. But, I do stress, that's not true for all homeless people and it is an unfair way to think of them. They don't deserve immediate negativity just for being homeless without individual consideration because it's not like we're generalising about criminals.

If there are those that want to give to the homeless but aren't sure whether it'll go to those who really need it, do a little research and find charities/funds that give the major percentage of their donations to the cause rather than administration.

I give them food if I have any, but never money (I usually don't carry any cash anyway). Usually they come up to me when I'm waiting for the train and then there are many people around, and I'd feel embarrassed to give the person something (because it's such a social stigma to give money to homeless people )

yes i have in the past i gave i'm a very generous person everytime i see a homeless person in the street i give them either cash or food it's hard to walk away and not give them anything i once gave a homeless man my cheesburger from McDonalds because i was full from eating.

Probably if I see one once in a while, I would, but if I see like 10 of them in 1 day, I'd probably be annoyed.

In my country, if you walk along the street, probably in 1 hour you'll see like 5-10 homeless people, so I just keep walking because I can't give them money every day... it's annoying :-/

But sometimes I give some money to old ladies :-/

For "sociology" side, Its better to give em money.
For reality side, well, I don't, to be honest.

But I give money sometimes to them. Depends if I got money that time or not.
It becomes ridiculous to look at them, and we are only like, feel pity on them.

Very good question!

I don't think that you can always do it. If you see a homeless person in a Metropolis, using Chicago as my closest example, I would give money to that person, but if it's not a big area, I'd say no...but either way you feel weird and disconnected leaving the person there, so you're never satisfied.

Don't you wish everyone could live the high life like you do? :-\ Man...

if i have spare change sure, obviously i'm not gonna give away my money if i'm short on cash

No, never. I barely have enough funds to sustain my drug and alcohol habits as it is.

yes! get a damn job goodness, but if i feel nice i might give them a dollar

This happened to me 3 times in New York, when I went in 05'. I gave all 3 some money. I felt so bad for them. I gave them some food too.

I volunteer at a homeless shelter during the Christmas season. There are a couple guidelines I follow when it comes to the homeless.

-Don't take the chance of giving them money. Most use it for drugs
-Give them some food and/or clothing if you have (Especially at this time in new york and other cities. They need it)

i would definatly help

SOME HOMELESS PEOPLE CAN'T HELP THiER HOMELESS PEOPLE

sometimes i give em money~!
but you'll see another homeless people!
and they bring their little kid with em'
i dunno how to do, coz in one side i feel so sorry about them, but if we give, they'll ask more and more. and that's annoying!

Beyonce says to Michelle "God help you 'cause i ain't gonna"

i cram.

I often don't, and say that I don't have any or enough money/cash on me. (Which is often true 80% of the time, as I do most of my $$$ business by credit/bank cards.) If the person needs a few pieces of change for the bus, I'll gladly fork some over to him or her.