just wondering
Yes of course. And if they go spend it on a pack of chips or coffee from the 7-11, that might be just what they needed to get through the next few hours.
Only they know what they need right then and there, and I hope we’re past the condescension of people refusing to give money but offering some food item they believe the person would benefit from (because “if I give money they’ll just waste it”).
Sometimes they might want to talk if you can spare some time too, to break the social exclusion they’re feeling.
And they might not be appreciative, or they may have a as bad attitude, that’s the way it goes. They’re dispossessed, they’re looked down on, and they could be sleeping on the side of the road on a rainy night wondering how long they’ve got left. They may have lost families. They may not have it in them to say “thanks mate”.
It’s not so much people being worried about wasting it, as much as they’re worried about paying someone to continue fueling spirals of addiction. People can be homeless due to any number of different factors, so I hate to assume someone’s circumstances, but it’s impossible to know when giving cash is helping or making things worse.
My place of work is a nonprofit that coordinates with a variety of local social services, so I donate to those causes each year instead and help others connect to the resources they offer when I can.
people refusing to give money but offering some food item
Dude doesn’t need to accept it.
the condescension of
Hmm. Don’t be a dick, okay?
