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I used to buy them food and feel like I'm some kind of a hero. Of course, I'm not stupid and I knew that money is fungible. If others give them cash (and they do) then they don't have to spend cash on food and have more cash to buy drugs (and make no mistake alcohol is also a drug). So they're not directly buying drugs with my cash... but indirectly they are.
So I'm thinking to stop and save my money or find more worthy causes to donate to.
What do you guys think?
There is no more worthy cause to give to than that of the homeless. Many of them are veterans whose country screwed them over when they got back from war. Not all of them drink or take drugs, either. Do your research before lambasting the homeless. Most of us are all but a few steps away from it.
I often buy a sandwich and coke for an obviously homeless guy outside of the local corner store. Every time they take the grub. I feed homeless cats, too. Same kind of creatures in my mind.
Few of the panhandlers I've seen are druggies or winos.
Hey I resemble that!
As for panhandlers it all depends upon the circumstances.
I was for all intents and purposes a homeless kid my last year of high school (still went to class and graduated) so I've seen both sides of the equation. Like I said, it all depends on the circumstances.
Yeah guys, I think I'm done. I have a good heart but I refuse to be a dummy and finance their recreational drug use directly or indirectly. And like many here have pointed out almost everywhere there are plenty of social services for them including those that absolutely ensure they won't die from hunger. I wish I thought about this rationally earlier.
That was my MO too. But now I realize it's practically the same as giving them money because they have to spend less money on food and will have more money to spend on drugs!
I used to buy them food and feel like I'm some kind of a hero. Of course, I'm not stupid and I knew that money is fungible. If others give them cash (and they do) then they don't have to spend cash on food and have more cash to buy drugs (and make no mistake alcohol is also a drug). So they're not directly buying drugs with my cash... but indirectly they are.
So I'm thinking to stop and save my money or find more worthy causes to donate to.
What do you guys think?
Just consider it contributing to a momentary escape from their misery (if they buy booze indirectly with it). Obviously someone reduced to begging isn't having a great life.
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