I hate how cruel life can be

Post Reply New Topic

I had been giving £2 whenever I saw a homeless man because he was desperate and I met his wife too and they are genuinely in need. Today he saw me and asked for £12. I could barely afford it but gave it because I thought to myself, well I have a warm apartment , he doesn't. He promised not to beg again for a month to me but I wonder if I've been taken advantage of. I think I already gave him more than most people. If everyone gave homeless people as much as I gave him I don't think anyone would be on the streets. Because in my town of 90,000 people and about 50 homeless people if everyone gave £2 to one homeless person every week each of the 50 homeless people would get £3600 each. Enough to get them an apartment and everything they need.

This is the thing. Some people like me help and many others just walk past and do nothing. And because I'm kind I've ended up being asked to give more than my share.

If only people would pull together. Instead of all competing all the time. We could fix things, care about people. I just feel so frustrsted and upset about it.

If he asks for double the 12 Pounds next time, then the person is probably taking advantage of you. First he asks for 2, then for 12. What's next? 100?

If you're on a fixed income, you can't afford to give all this money to this person.

Don't feel guilty for having a roof over your head. Isn't it true that, in the UK, everybody is guaranteed a home?

In a sense people are guaranteed a home here. With budget cuts forced through by the government, local towns and cities have few homes left to give people now so the waiting lists are long.

The guy I've been helping is Polish so he will have come here as part of the EU immigration agreement and while EU citizens can move here they aren't guaranteed a home. Since the Brexit vote many of them are getting deported too, probably usually because they haven't got a job. I don't like to see that. It is tough because I'm sure they came here expecting to be able to get steady work. My ancestors came here from Russia I think so I am sympathetic to people who want to start a new life. But I don't think I can afford to keep giving more and more.

THANK YOU
THANK YOU
THANK YOU

Ask a million children what they want to be when they grow up; not one will say "homeless and destitute".
There are worse things than being taken advantage of for your kindness; like being a selfish egocentric as*hole who doesn't give a s**t for anyone but themselves.
Thank you again for your compassion.
(Fair disclosure: I was homeless from 16 to 21)

"If beings knew, as I know, the results of giving & sharing, they would not eat without having given, nor would the stain of selfishness overcome their minds. Even if it were their last bite, their last mouthful, they would not eat without having shared, if there were someone to receive their gift. But because beings do not know, as I know, the results of giving & sharing, they eat without having given. The stain of selfishness overcomes their minds."
The Buddha

Generally speaking, from my experience, the homeless have food to eat. Whether they get fed at a shelter, get food stamps, eat at a soup kitchen, drop-in center, or visit food banks, there is no reason to go hungry.

And again, from my experience, those homeless citizens who ask for money are simply using it for drugs and booze. Don't feed their habit; give them a sandwich instead.

It depends on the person, and I think the city. There are people that choose homelessness. For anyone who wants to argue otherwise: I am not saying this out of discrimination or bias, so you can stop right there, I've met the ones that choose to be homeless. They will brag loudly in your face about how much more money they make than you, and how you have to go to work "to be someone's b***h all day" to make money, and that they "can take that money right out of your hands". I've watched them pull out an enormous stack of money, the smallest bills making up a very small percentage of the stack, and wave it in the face of friends who called them out on their s**t. I have myself offered clothing, my Husband has offered rain gear and do you know what they said? "You don't have a whole outfit? I don't f*****g want it then." Friends have offered food they just bought, one an entire pizza they bought for themselves, and was told "Does it have sausage? Where's the f*****g sausage? I don't want this s**t."

It really, really depends.

^Man, how ungrateful can they be!

May you never be so unfortunate as to learn first-hand the reality behind your BS prejudices,

In all of my years living on the streets, most of them in the Haight/Ashbury of San Francisco, I've never met that mythical person who makes hundreds or thousands of dollars a day pan-handling, then strolls around the corner to their car and drives home to sleep in his warm California-King bed. There's no 24/7 buffet available to the homeless, and homelessness sure as Hell isn't merely an alternative lifestyle choice, like 'urban camping' or something. These are just BS tropes people confabulate to give themselves a moral justification for their selfishness.

Once in a while I will give some change to a homeless person.

I do feel you've been taken advantage of if you can't truly afford to give up that 12.

I make donations to a youth homeless shelter. Money is MUCH better spent donating to homeless charities etc than directly given to most homeless people, IMO, because most of those people are not going to use the money for food/shelter/clothing/medicine. A lot of it gets spent on drugs & alcohol - if not MOST of it. There are many "career," homeless people here who have regular begging spots. They literally make more money than I do, but they have nothing because they are mentally ill & addicted to substances and can't manage to keep any of the money they make day to day. The Might get a room for the night, but spend most of it on drugs/alcohol. I feel your thought that if everyone gave $x and these people would have enough to pay for rent etc is nice but misguided. Chances are more than likely that that guy DOES get enough money by panhandling to pay for rent, but chooses not to because he blows it on some form of substance abuse. It's extremely common and most probable, stereotypes and judgement be damned.

If you feel compelled to donate to homeless people then make a donation to a local shelter than utilizes the funds well. Homeless people can go get food/shelter/services from there. Giving money directly to them, in most cases, is completely wasted. Every time I give a homeless person cash I accept that they are likely going to go get loaded at their first opportunity. Sometimes I had them food, instead, then I KNOW they have something to eat. Some of them will refuse food - well then, you're not hungry, you want cash for drugs/alcohol, F you then. Basically, IMO, even though I do it sometimes myself.. giving cash to most homeless people is enabling their addictions.

_________________
No for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.