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Bad Manners and Brimstone
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#Post#: 28023--------------------------------------------------
Re: Panhandlers
DIR By: jpcher
Date: March 21, 2019, 4:41 pm
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--- Quote from: Contrarian link ---
>
> I wish I could just do a vote on this one.
>
--- End Quote ---
You can do a vote/poll . . . right next to the "New Topic"
button is a "New Poll" button. Not sure if that's what you're
referring to (you wish you could . . .), just thought I'd point
it out.
I only give money to panhandlers if I'm in the mood to do so. I
give to charities (gently used clothes, donations, etc.) and I'm
not in an area where I run across panhandlers very often.
So I would say Choice 3 -- sometimes. ;)
#Post#: 28024--------------------------------------------------
Re: Panhandlers
DIR By: lakey
Date: March 21, 2019, 4:48 pm
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I do not give money to panhandlers because I believe that it is,
in the long run, bad for society. There are disability and food
assistance program for people who physically can't work. Giving
to able bodied panhandlers encourages people to not take
responsibility for themselves. To me, it is like being an
enabler to an alcoholic. Teaching people that they should get
money without working for it is not good for them or their
communities. There are a few cities that have tried being
generous with these people and the communities have not gotten
better as a result, they have gotten worse.
#Post#: 28028--------------------------------------------------
Re: Panhandlers
DIR By: sandisadie
Date: March 21, 2019, 6:24 pm
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I don't give money to panhandlers, or the wandering homeless
either. I contribute to food banks and homeless shelters. I
give items I no longer need to places like the Salvation Army.
My city has a program that goes under the overpasses of the
freeways and sets up tables to feed the people who gather there.
I don't agree with that. The local newspaper even runs stories
and photos of this activity on a regular basis. The city also
complains that there are so many more homeless here now then
just a couple of years ago. Maybe, just maybe, the word has
been passed that these people can get free food and other items
just by flocking to my city. My city also has a tremendous
amount of people who can just scrape by. The school food
programs serve two or three meals a day to most of the enrolled
students because they don't get food at home. Some churches
have free food programs all year to give free breakfast to
anyone who wants it. They have big signs on their lawns
advertising this service. I firmly believe that there are
needy people in every community and they are being helped in my
city too by a variety of programs. but caring for the homeless
like I've described is not helping these people to stop being
homeless.
#Post#: 28031--------------------------------------------------
Re: Panhandlers
DIR By: Luci
Date: March 21, 2019, 6:57 pm
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I give to the Salvation Army because they do so much in their
charity shops. I buy there, too, sometimes.
I never give to panhandlers and never have. I just didn’t when I
was younger because of the stories I’ve read over the years.
We’ve only lived here for 2 years. One of the first things the
cop at the neighborhood meeting said was that the "homeless
family" on the corner make more money than we do. They do get in
the way of traffic sometimes, too.
#Post#: 28034--------------------------------------------------
Re: Panhandlers
DIR By: vintagegal
Date: March 21, 2019, 7:33 pm
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I donate money to local charities that help the poor. I do not
give money to panhandlers. If one approached me and said they
were hungry, I might buy them food. But in this area there is a
free bus system that goes all over and there are places they can
get free meals 3 times a day. And I have seen panhandlers
literally two blocks from a place that has breakfast and lunch,
as well as social workers who can help with other problems. Not
too smart.
#Post#: 28049--------------------------------------------------
Re: Panhandlers
DIR By: peony
Date: March 22, 2019, 7:06 am
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I don't give directly to panhandlers because I don't want to be
targeted as either a soft touch or a potential robbery victim,
but I do give to selected charities that help people who are in
need. Most often my yearly giving budget goes to the local food
bank but sometimes it's been to an organization that gives
blankets, socks, etc. to the homeless people in our area.
#Post#: 28058--------------------------------------------------
Re: Panhandlers
DIR By: Wanaca
Date: March 22, 2019, 8:48 am
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Choice 2) don’t give money to panhandlers.
I've lived in a couple of places where my next-door neighbors
panhandled for a living. They made very good money in addition
to not having to pay taxes. They easily netted more than my
gross income--and they didn't have to put in near as many hours
as I did. They were happy to tell me all about it (I was
curious so I asked a lot of questions). I found it interesting.
Their goal was to get money and they were accomplishing it
better than I was.
They never really understood why I wanted to be gone so long
working when I could so easily have made more money doing it
their way. To me, giving a panhandler money is to voluntarily
pay them a salary for doing nothing constructive. I volunteer
not to.
At one time, my DH gave money to panhandlers because he didn't
believe what I told him about them. Then he had a man give him
a classic sob story about running out of gas---only my DH had
just fallen for it by the same man in a different location two
weeks before. In my area some of the more established
panhandlers switch areas to keep things fresh. DH won't give
anymore.
#Post#: 28059--------------------------------------------------
Re: Panhandlers
DIR By: Twik
Date: March 22, 2019, 9:03 am
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The problem with charity of any kind is that bad people (of whom
society will always have a few) will always try to game the
system. It doesn't matter whether it's a panhandler who actually
is making a killing, or a celebrated charitable organization
whose board is syphoning off donations. There's no guarantee
that your money will always go to those who need it most.
All you can do is try to find the best way to help those your
heart tells you to help (whether directly or through organized
charity), and remember that in the Book of Life, it's better to
be marked down as erring in generosity than in
mean-spiritedness.
#Post#: 28072--------------------------------------------------
Re: Panhandlers
DIR By: Contrarian
Date: March 22, 2019, 10:39 am
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--- Quote from: jpcher link ---
>
> [quote author=Contrarian link=topic=1050.msg27989#msg27989
date=1553187190]
> I wish I could just do a vote on this one.
>
--- End Quote ---
You can do a vote/poll . . . right next to the "New Topic"
button is a "New Poll" button. Not sure if that's what you're
referring to (you wish you could . . .), just thought I'd point
it out.
I only give money to panhandlers if I'm in the mood to do so. I
give to charities (gently used clothes, donations, etc.) and I'm
not in an area where I run across panhandlers very often.
So I would say Choice 3 -- sometimes. ;)
[/quote]
Thanks Jpcher, yes that’s the type of vote I was talking about.
I’m pretty hopeless with anything other than normal posting. I
keep trying to “agree” with posts, I hit the green check mark
but nothing happens.
Will figure it out eventually!
#Post#: 28078--------------------------------------------------
Re: Panhandlers
DIR By: lakey
Date: March 22, 2019, 11:30 am
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--- Quote ---
> The problem with charity of any kind is that bad people (of
whom society will always have a few) will always try to game the
system. It doesn't matter whether it's a panhandler who actually
is making a killing, or a celebrated charitable organization
whose board is syphoning off donations. There's no guarantee
that your money will always go to those who need it most.
--- End Quote ---
That's why, as others have said, it is a good idea to donate to
local organizations that you are familiar with. The churches in
my area have coordinated for food bank and meal programs, and
for Christmas programs. The people running these programs are
dealing directly with the recipients and have an understanding
of their problems. I'm always leery of programs that are
advertising on tv.
One of the things that impressed me about the local food bank
when I toured it, was that some of the volunteers were former
recipients who had gotten back on their feet.
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