Should people help homeless people?

Question

Whatever2929292 · Accepted Answer

Yes and Jesus even commands it

"Matthew 25:35-45 GNBUK
I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.’ “The righteous will then answer him, ‘When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we ever see you a stranger and welcome you in our homes, or naked and clothe you? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these members of my family, you did it for me!’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Away from me, you that are under God's curse! Away to the eternal fire which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels! I was hungry but you would not feed me, thirsty but you would not give me a drink; I was a stranger but you would not welcome me in your homes, naked but you would not clothe me; I was sick and in prison but you would not take care of me.’ “Then they will answer him, ‘When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and would not help you?’ The King will reply, ‘I tell you, whenever you refused to help one of these least important ones, you refused to help me.’ "

Source:
https://www.bible.com/bible/296/MAT.25.35-45.GNBUK

Qdbrown · Accepted Answer

Nope. I use to work in a downtown city where I began to recognize the homeless seeing them going and leaving work.

First off, most homeless are mentally ill. They need professional help. Not handouts. We had this comment from eating at the patio restaurants, 'Don't feed the Pigeons.' It was fun to occasionally throw a tidbit at them, until the flock landed on your table and started grabbing food and flying off. If you didn't feed them, they stayed away.

And that's why you don't want to personally care for the homeless. If you feed them and give them cash, they will be always there, begging for more. If they know there is nothing for them, they either find another place to frequent or will go to the shelter where they will be fed, and evualated. They also have programs to help homeless get out of the lifestyle. You find out that many are stuck in it, and then add drugs and alcohol to mix, and they are there for a reason.

And my last warning is that some homeless are very dangerous. If triggered they can harm you, even kill, and they see it as a plus so they can go to prison and get medical and dental care. They have not many issues commiting crimes and there are some who don't value life and have dangerous episodes where they freak out and hurt people around them.

Hrumf · Accepted Answer

Yes. By directing them to mental health services and social services so they learn how to get their feet back under them for the long term. Throwing money at them is an easy, short term fix, and a lot of times a fix for drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. (I have stories of a former homeless client trying to score money for drugs by sitting in a wheelchair by begging for money on the subway. He didn’t need the wheelchair…)

Help implies supporting someone so they can improve their lives. A lot of homeless I see begging are regulars. There are no changes made no matter how much money you throw at them. Giving money is easy and just makes you think you are doing something to help…but you aren’t helping the homeless in the long run. You cannot help someone unless they truly want the help themselves.

At the same time, the shelter system sucks and the social workers in the shelters are overworked and underpaid. The whole system is a loss and helping no one…

#EndRant

Secretlyy · Accepted Answer

Should people help homeless people! Yes absolutely, but be mindful that some are not actually homeless. They're just pretending to be, so they can take advantage of other people and because they want attention!! If someone is going to help a person; they first need to make sure that they are genuine before taking action. The greedy money hungry liars are giving the homeless a bad reputation, and because of their wrongness; that makes it much harder for a real homeless person to be taken serious or to get any help! Would I financially assist others from the kindness of my heart? Heck yeah!!! I sure most definitely would and if I were rich; I would literally write out a check for people and give them a large sum of money. I know what it's like to be homeless because I was once in the same situation!

Anonymous · Answer

It depends. I will usually go out of my way to help someone if they seem like they’re genuinely trying to help their self. I don’t like when people stand on the street just expecting a handout. I take the same route 90% of the time to work, I see the same damn lady w the same damn sign who looks like she’s in her 20’s. Sign reads family of 5 displaced due to COvID. But she’s been there for months, never has her eyes open cause she looks like she’s always doped up. I won’t help someone like that. She’s only there M-F, no weekends, go figure. Now I had a you g man one night ask if he could clean my car windows for some change. I said sure. I gave him $10 in quarters, a few dollar bills I had. I even bought him food at In-N-Out. I even offered to give him some clothes, but he said it’s hard cause of his stature being small sometimes people take advantage of you. I said why not a backpack. He said because when you’re sleeping other homeless people will come cut your backpack off of you while you’re sleeping. So he kept a small plastic bag w just a few items. Some people really want to be help, others just want free money. I will say that I used to work in a prison as well, seen a lot of the same people at least 3-4 times a year coming back in. Others never came back. I believe it’s the same when it comes to homeless, some just need a helping hand to move on. Others will never change.

sage2021 · Answer

There by the Grace of God go I.
I have lived in fear of being homeless my whole life. Life can be very cruel.
Sometime a person needs just one good thing to happen to them to turn their life around. Like if someone just gave them a leg up and helped them by asking them what would help them, then try to help make it happen.
I keep reading opinions from people here that say "Ah, they're all drug addicts and alcoholics so I don't help them". But you don't have to be homeless to qualify as being a drug addict and/or alcoholics. No, there are plenty of people with money and good jobs like CEO of a company, famous celebrities, millionaires like Nancy Pelosi's husband Paul, that just got a DUI - a drunk millionaire!
Don't judge people by the way they look and not help them. Help them if you can by all means (if it's safe for you to do so).
After all, everyone has a story to tell ☮️

Adronicus · Answer

There's a fine line between helping or enabling; there's also a fine line between having much & not giving back. This is my opinion.

I wouldn't give directly to the homeless but indirectly. Example being funding a soup kitchen or a place they can stay that attempts to help them become productive citizen's.

I know how people end up that don't face their demons, giving them money will just add fuel to the fire but if you help them indirectly there's a chance, in my opinion anyway.

GoodGuyBreakingBad · Answer

Hi there, some homeless people can be dangerous
I live like 20-30 Miles South of Pittsburgh PA and from
what I hear is there are homeless people living in tents and
there are small businesses going out of business cause
people are afraid to go to their businesses cause drug addicts
are shooting up, one time I took a bus to downtown Pittsburgh
to a doctor's appointment and there was a needle on the road
so yes it's not good at all but there are some good homeless
people I met an elderly man who was homeless and needed a
meal and I bought him one at a local McDonald's.

TallAnon · Answer

Depends. Where I grew up, homeless people were able to go to the government, push their debt onto the government and start over, being paid monthly and sheltered With the main con being that everything they do will be controlled by the government. You want to buy alcohol? Nope, not gonna happen. You want to take a day off? Nope, keep searching for a job.
All the homeless people I met either did not want to be checked by the government or didn't want access to stable income in fear of drug abuse.
In those cases, they made their choice.

In some countries, there's no choice. Or worse. A 15 year old homeless girl that's got a cute face on her? What do you think is going to happen with her? We should be providing them with a systematic opportunity to escape their circumstances. That's the help I would vote and pay tax for.

Pinay_ako · Answer

Yes for food and shelter especially in negative frigid temperatures in the winter.
no for $ to buy drugs or smoke. I will give you food or clothes, but don’t force me to give you $ for you to turn around and get drugs or smoke.

Blackcosmo · Answer

Yes if you have the means because it's just being a good person. There are so many people that buy so many useless things they don't even need or when they have so much money they don't know what to do with it. That money could be sent to people who are needy but they're too stingy to care. There are some blessed people that always try to help when they can which is such an amazing thing to see.

mermaidcancermoon · Answer

I would assist but not in my own home. I work in Social Work and have worked in a shelter. 80% of homeless persons have mental health issues or drug addiction. The typical 20% make their way out of being homeless within 6 months. Theyre runaways, hardship, medical crisis, or abuse victims.

I do not give homeless money due to the drug addiction, i give food and hygiene items instead.

Oigit · Answer

I don't. Myself and my younger brother where raised by a single mother who has had cancer since her teens. We never asked for help and turned it down when it was offered. Simply because we would struggle to keep what we had and keep finding ways to improve our situation. Rather then depend on the kindness of others to make our way through the world. That and I was not about to accept someones help because people tend to act as if you are indented to them if you accept their act of kindness.

CaptainOverthink · Answer

Yes. But not with money as much as with opportunities. Lasting effects comes through action and building of helpful routines like jobs or ways to start over.
Money is temporary and will likely just prolong their stay.
If they really want to change, only then can the real work start.

Sonorous · Answer

I really don't like using the word "should" with things someone's not obligated to legally do. But if someone is willing to give, then yeah, they should.

And I think the best way to do that would be by donating to trustworthy organizations that are dedicated to helping homeless people on a case-by-case basis. Because the average person can have good intentions when offering a gift while not knowing that the same gift will accelerate the homeless person's downfall.

NamerOfStars · Answer

Yes- needing to hospitalize and provide emergency care for them can get HUGELY expensive, meaning even from a purely financial standpoint, it makes sense to. I'd suggest you look into the works of Jonathan Haidt; you'll find a lot of interesting ideas, and some explanation for how things got to the point they're currently at.

bamesjond0069 · Answer

Define help and homeless people.

Does help mean money? Then no.
Does help mean food or shelter or mental help? Sure.

Does homeless people mean someone who is on the streets because they have mental illness or bad circumstances? Sure.
Does it mean willful druggies or hippies? No.

So its not so much just a yes or no answer.

crossdressingrihno · Answer

Where I live the homeless can get free food and shelter.

However despite free food and shelter being abundant most of them go out to do drugs and rob stores, houses, yards and anywhere else were they can feed their lazy lifestyle.
Oh yeah the homeless shelters also have free showers.

If you see a homeless person asking for money it's either to feed an addiction or to do something stupid.

MrCon10t · Answer

Lots of homeless people I’ve met are homeless on purpose and don’t want your help. I think you should help anyone who asks for help (so long as it’s legal), but my best advice would be to offer clothes or food, not money. I gave a bum $10 “for lunch” and watched as he went into a gas station and came out with alcohol. Bottom line, be kind, not gullible.

Drumlin2001 · Answer

I don't tend to. At my old flat we had homeless people who would come into our block and urinuate/deficate in discrete communal areas. When you've had to pick up someone else's turds and disinfect areas due to their disgusting behaviour it tends to sway your opinion against them

Swordnen · Answer

I definitely help those who are in the age criteria (0-15) (55-older). I do this because children are supposed supposed be enjoying their childhood rather than working.. and elderly can't work like young... I don't help people who can work and chose to be poor.

EarthRealm · Answer

If it’s a young person
Like 18 19 20 then yah buy em a box of pizza or something and give load 50 bucks of money on a loadable card. Ask them there situation and everything so you can get to know them and there situation. Then you can decide whether to help the youngster out or not.

Anonymous · Answer

1. Some homeless people WANT to be homeless and live without responsibility. If that is their choice, they should live with the consequences.

2. I don't believe that governmenet should use the tax power to force all of us to support social welfare programs.

3. On a voluntary basis, I have no hesitation about helping people who are temporarily homeless.

Anonymous · Answer

Everything @adronicus said, and in addition, I think most homeless people from real and actual undiagnosed or underdiagnosed physical health issues. I think our dishonest, greedy, inefficient healthcare system and food industry (that is the one causing those health issues) are both to blame.

aquamarine321 · Answer

Yes we should assist, because if it was us we would want help, plus not everyone had the choice of homelessness, some happened while some cause themselves to become homeless, some of them just need assistance to make it back on there feet, while some of them are able to help themselves out of homelessness but are too lazy

ChrisMaster69 · Answer

Yes I do help them and used to do a lot of out reach with them.

it is surprising just how easy it is to become homeless.

In between the homeless on the street, you have those that are sofa surfing, often for years.

maximumpower · Answer

only those who truly want the help.
do some research. bet you'll come to realization that:
1) not all who claim to be homeless are truly homeless
2) not all who are homeless wish to/are willing to not be homeless
3) not all who are homeless are capable of improvement until they get past a few current issues.

forget who quoted it, but it was something like "to save the world, you must first be sure the world wishes to be saved."

MCheetah · Answer

Should everyday people help homeless people? No. There's PLENTY of resources out there to help homeless people and they never take advantage of any of them. They are homeless for a reason and not just due to "bad luck."

mobiusforniner · Answer

I give to pan handlers from time to time. Not my place to judge what they do.

The biggest problem in this world isn't hate, its indifference. Walking past someone lesser fortunate becaue youve already dertermined they dont matter...

Starlight007 · Answer

yes, give them some food or money if you can! especially money!

Sparkie460 · Answer

I help them any time I see one. I carry care bags in every one of my vehicles.

jennifer_bloom · Answer

People have different reasons for being homeless and some of them fake it for money - there is no single rule that applies to them all but I would say it’s your decision.

_deeznuts · Answer

yeah, I mostly give them a meal from wherever im going to eat, if I can't do that I give them money.

AviatorTom · Answer

I don't help individual people who claim to be homeless, there are too many fakes out there. Instead, I support reputable charity organizations that help the homeless.

Mia-Wallace · Answer

Of course.  That must be your concern especially if you're wealthy.

aazzvv · Answer

Ofc, you should definitely help others , not only homeless. It will return back to you.

Better_off_here · Answer

if we want to help a homeless person buy them lunch, buy them some coffee. or a sandwich, but i would not give out money to anyone unless i knew what they were gonna do with it.

Tamera952 · Answer

Ummmm, ….. yeah. I think so. They’re people too, just fucked up.

Guy13 · Answer

The homeless I know can work... In fact, one of them was MIT.

CaptainCh · Answer

We need to change our govt before WE ARE ALL HOMELESS. Have you seen the cost of rents and housing? Black Rock buying up all the housing to rent for thousands.  We need caps on rent like the old days.

Blueeyes81 · Answer

People should do as much as their compassion allows.

Anonymous · Answer

YES! You do that by voting out of office the retard mayors and governors that are presiding over the homeless disaster areas.

Is your city covered in human feces? Chuck out your retard mayor and governor.

Fuentes · Answer

The gov rather pay immigrants and Ukraine then help the homeless

Anonymous · Answer

I rarely do because most of them will just use the money to buy alcohol or drugs, and I don't want to play any role in enabling that.

bean2k21 · Answer

Anybody who knows how to hit a nail with a hammer can build a home. It's not rocket science.

exitseven · Answer

I just try to get them to go away so I don;t have to deal with them.

Iron_Man · Answer

Yes they should but the homeless people have to be serious and want real help not just to buy liquor and drugs with The money they receive

Jamesshinobi · Answer

you aren't helping, you are enabling. but if it makes you feel good, do it. i have been known to enable the homeless when im in a good mood

Anonymous · Answer

i help homeless men. They are more likely actual homeless and are likely there because some woman screwed their life up. I do not help females or young kids with tatts and piercings.

ArtemisSilver · Answer

Not by giving cash. Help fund the local mission or shelter instead.

LimitedBenefits101 · Answer

Nope homeless people are lazy mf and drug addicts  no sane person becomes homeless if they were not lazy.

Guardian45 · Answer

Yes, but I DON'T believe in street begging. Homeless people should have accessible places to go for food and shelter and healthcare.

888theGreat · Answer

Most homeless people live that way by choice , usually due to drug problems or after serving in a war and killing people.

jimmy2 · Answer

Well the Bible says the poor will always be with you

lofii · Answer

Stopped helping after I saw a "homeless" hop in a bmw

OddBeMe · Answer

I do occasionally. I get first impressions. “Are they for real?” “He’s faking.”

LadiesFavoriteToy · Answer

Yes give them drugs so they can over dose and end their pathetic lives

Djaay · Answer

I DONT help the homeless. Although i DO help as many houseless people as i can.

CattusNoir · Answer

Yup, we are all created so that we could help each other... The rich helps the poor and the strong helps the weak

Kingofkings1992 · Answer

They shouldn’t be handed cash because a lot of them are drug addicts, but yes they should be helped in a way that doesn’t enable them.

Anonymous · Answer

not saying to never help a homeless person  but a lot of them are nothing but drug addicts  and drunks

VV3ZZY · Answer

Yes I think it is good to help when you can.

xBarbiex · Answer

Heck yeah would you want someone to help you if need be?

Anonymous · Answer

You're a piece of crap laughing at people who help.

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