Do You give to beggars?

RE: Do You give to beggars?

Hi Caringsoul,

I too had some thoughts on this as I read V's post. I have given to and done some work for homeless charities, particularly at Christmas.

I also give to disabled charities. Being a parent to a disabled child does open ones eyes to the work these charities do. I am also greatful that I live in a country where disabled people don't have to beg on the streets for subsistance.

Dunkirk

RE: Do You give to beggars?

I wouldn't give to beggars in this country because we have a social systems that meets people in need.

I think by giving, you encourage certain people to think living on the streets is acceptable.

When I was a young adult and frequented the West End, to see what was then called a tramp was pretty unusual. Now you trip over them all the time in doorways and down the underground.

I wouldn't buy the Big Issue because a) it again gives the impression you can survive doing this sort of thing and b) I wouldn't want to touch one after they had touched it first.

RE: Do You give to beggars?

I personally will not give to beggars, firstly I would not be able to afford it, as on almost every corner in bigger towns there are at least 15 beggars per corner, and if you give to one and not the other they simply vandilse your car.
I do however do my share and take to the proper shelters when I have.

gentle breezes
shaz
xxxx

RE: Do You give to beggars?

I wouldn't give to beggars in this country because we have a social systems that meets people in need.

I think by giving, you encourage certain people to think living on the streets is acceptable.

When I was a young adult and frequented the West End, to see what was then called a tramp was pretty unusual. Now you trip over them all the time in doorways and down the underground.

I wouldn't buy the Big Issue because a) it again gives the impression you can survive doing this sort of thing and b) I wouldn't want to touch one after they had touched it first.

We are each entitled to our opinions but I find your comments Orangeblossoms so judgemental and lacking in compassion and empathy.

You know nothing about the homeless if you think the homeless live on the street for the fun of it.

Our social system does NOT meet people in need otherwise there would be no homeless!

The Big Issue is a way forward for the homeless, they are working and making a living, albeit a small living, instead of begging. They buy the magazine themselves upfront, then sell it on and keep the difference. It helps them to be doing something worthwhile and regain some dignity and self-worth. The homeless aren't lepers as you seem to think, I can't believe you wrote 'I wouldn't want to touch one after they had touched it first'.

I will always stop and have a chat with them, and buy the Big Issue, it's a really good magazine full of interesting articles, better than many you would buy in shops.

I also do give them money, who am I to judge what they spend it on. We should give without expectation and worry about whether they will use the money wisely. A few days just before Xmas I gave a lovely lad £20, it was so cold that day, and he had been standing selling the Big Issue all day. He had only made about £7, he was also busking, and his fingers were all cut due to playing his guitar and with the awful cold that day. To him I was an angel, he was so overcome and kept checking if I was sure I could afford £20. He couldn't thank me enough, and for me it felt good to give to someone that was worse off than myself, for we are meant to share what we have been given.

It is disgraceful that in the year 2007 we have homeless people out in the streets; again highlighting the lack of care we are giving to those that are vulnerable and in need of our support.

RE: Do You give to beggars?

Oh well said, Rosi! You took the words right out of my mouth! From my POV we are all one, all brothers and sisters. What about 'there but for the grace of God, go I'?
My son, who has had a troubled life, has just got a 'job' serving lunch to the homeless in a shelter and I am absolutely over the moon that he should be given this opportunity to serve his fellow human beings.
We are all one....

With love
Sunanda xxx

RE: Do You give to beggars?

I saw this on TV the other night ... it's about a woman who has allowed a homeless man to sleep in her caravan, and is now 'negotiating' with her local council because she's breaking the law.

[link= http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolpda/ukfs_news/hi/newsid_6337000/6337493.stm ]http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolpda/ukfs_news/hi/newsid_6337000/6337493.stm[/link]

Holistic

RE: Do You give to beggars?

Perhaps it is better to address each situation as we come to it rather than holding preconceived ideas and judgements about it.

We are indeed all connected. Whether or not one 'ought' to give money or food to one without is best determined in the moment depending on the uniqueness of the situation.

I remember sitting in a restaurant in San Francisco called "Then Thousand Buddhas" (or something) over 10 years ago enjoying a meal. A beggar walked in off the street whilst and started asking me for money for food, telling me repeatedly how hungry he was. I looked into my heart, offered him my food. He then commenced to tell me that he didn't want it, but wanted money to buy a hamburger. I was a little disheartened then. The situation could have easily tarnished my 'opinion' of homeless people. But thankfully instead it was one of many situations that invited me to look deeper into my heart still.

I think the key here is non-judgement. Perhaps we still won't feel the pull to offer money or food to those without. But lets be honest to ourselves about the motives for our choices without projecting our opinion towards those who we don't even know personally.

I personally will not give to beggars, firstly I would not be able to afford it, as on almost every corner in bigger towns there are at least 15 beggars per corner, and if you give to one and not the other they simply vandilse your car.
I do however do my share and take to the proper shelters when I have.

gentle breezes
shaz
xxxx

And to tar 'them' all with the same brush is just as unfortunate. Doesn't sound like 'gentle breezes' to me (rather more like a raging hurricane!).

RE: Do You give to beggars?

I work with homeless or roofless young people, have done so for about 12 years now. I never set out to work in this line of work, my degree is actually in business studies and I couldnt get a job for 3 full years after I qualified. In that time I claimed benefits, I would also like to say that the only reason during that time that I managed to survive financially was because I was living at home with my mum. Benefits are not a safety net, in most cases they give people the bare minimum you can survive on. I would also like to say this, many 16 and 17 year old young people are forced to stay in situations in the family home where they may be seriously abused as this government only allows 16 and 17 year old people to claim benefits in a very limited number of cases.
Anyway, I did a post grad in community education after trying and failing to get work and after 6 months of working as a community worker I was then paid off as it was only a temporary contact so it was back to signing on again. When I was doing my placement in community education part of my job was to work in an area team and on a training course that I was helping deliver I met a girl who worked in a supported accommodation project for homeless young people and I thought to myself, I could do that and 6 weeks later an opportunity came up in a different charity and that was me.
And I have been working in similar lines of work ever since. During that time I have had some challenging situations but I have met lots of young people who have lost their way even temporarily, in lots of occasions this has been due to young people living with a partner, breaking up and one of them having to move out.
Many young people also dont have family support so going back home is not an option for them.
There are lots of ways that rules makes it difficult for young people in temporary accommodation to get on in life. For example if someone is under 25 and wants to go into a private let, only part of the rent is covered so people are forced in most cases into sharing, also if someone is in supported accommodation, they can only study up to 16 hours a week or else they cant claim benefit, so for example, if a young person was at college and became homeless, they would need to in most cases give up the college course and sign on so that their rent would be paid.
If they are living in supported accommodation. I have also over the past few years done a degree in addiction studies and have worked with young people who have had issues with alcohol.
It could be any of us that loses our way temporarily. Who am I to make a judgement about where someone has been or the life they have had. I havent had the easiest of few years either and to cut a long story short, I ended up back on benefits again, only for a few weeks, but given that I now have my own home and bills to pay, if I hadnt had the support of my mum and gran I could have gone under and could have lost my home.
Life can kick all of us between the eyes sometimes. I'm not a great fan of the Big Issue but I do buy it and what the good thing about that mag is, that when people have moved on and are striggling to furnish a home for example, they can keep selling it for a period of time.
I live in Lanarkshire and there used to be an older man who sold the Issue, he must have been 65 easily and he was out there week in, week out in all weathers.
I gave him a Christmas card one year with a tenner in it and I was so embarassed about embarassing him I gave him the card and ran off.
I always wondered what his story was and what life he had had and I was glad that he looked as if he was doing ok and was back on his feet.
People who are homeless are not diseased or dangerous, they are human beings like the rest of us. Kindness and compassion costs nothing.
Again, back to young people, if young people are signing on benefits and are moving on into their own accommodation, they need to furnish it. If a young person wants a community care grant from the DSS, they basically need to be signing on without a gap in their cl

RE: Do You give to beggars?

Yes.......not all, but some.....But I donate some of my time.....does that count

RE: Do You give to beggars?

ORIGINAL: Rosi1

I can't believe you wrote 'I wouldn't want to touch one after they had touched it first'.

Can't you, I am just being honest.

Considering that we are on a spiritual forum and I am aware we are all entitled to our own opinion, we could try and remember that we could all be a few months away from being homeless.

This is isn't a spiritual forum it is General Discussions. You've got your wires crossed.

RE: Do You give to beggars?

I dont give to all, I cant afford to, there arent many people who beg in the medium sized town I live in anyway, its more likely to be in Glasgow, which is the nearest city. Poverty is something that disturbs me, not just on a local but a global scale as well, I try and do what I can when I can to make other peoples lives better, I dont have much myself but I have more than many and I am very aware of that.
There are all sorts of things about society that are wrong or maybe unequal is the word I am looking for.
The thing about homelessness is that its often not having a home is the last issue on the list.
I worked with very few young people when I worked in Glasgow who just needed a roof.
Many suffered from depression, ranging from mild to severe, some had alcohol and substance use problems. Others had been abused by families or partners. The thing was, I was a generic worker in a hostel which was supposed to offer "minimum support" to young people for a year until they got a house, in reality, it wasnt like that such were the issues that they were presenting with.
Many young people suffering from depression hadnt been diagnosed properly and were self medicating with alcohol and or drugs which just made matters worse. I could tell you lots of stories but I do know that every one of them deserved a chance to turn their lives around.
I dont believe that young people just get up and walk out of a happy home environment and make the choice to start rough sleeping.
Beggars are not the cause of all ills in this life, they are in my view an easy target, the ills are already there.
I take my hat off to the people out there who do run a home on £44 pounds a week or less because I tried it and I struggled.
There are also not enough low cost affordable homes either. I have my own flat and I live in a run down area, it was either take it or sit on a waiting list for 10-15 years.
So the myth about young people presenting as homeless to get a house quickly doesnt work like that either. In reality to be considered for housing quickly, someone who is homeless needs to fit into the "vulnerable" category and just being roofless doesnt give you that priority.
There will also be thousands more people who are homeless and not included in the figures because they are living on friends floors, couches etc.
If giving someone 20p for a cup of tea or buying a paper that gives someone a bit of dignity back helps then I am happy to do that.

RE: Do You give to beggars?

I was talking about healthypages in general, apologies, didnt mean to cross any wires, was just stating an opinion.

RE: Do You give to beggars?

Hi
As in most walks of life there are those who abuse the system and the people who help them.

I dont give to beggers for that reason, I once gave a couple of pounds to a young lady and a dog who both looked so pitifull that I gave in. As I went to collect my car later on that day I saw her andthe dog and a man and a dog running through the car park and getting into a newish car. (newer than mine).
I know they are not all like that but how do you know?

I am not sure that our social system is that good it can't even look after our pensioners.

Do you have to be registered to beg?

RE: Do You give to beggars?

You dont know, I agree with that, but I dont and I cant afford to give vast sums away anyway, so if someone cheated me out of 20p, well, its not the end of my life as I know it.
Im not actually sure about the legality of the situation, I am pretty sure that in Edinburgh there were moves to cleanse the streets of beggars for the duration of the festival as they were an "eyesore".
Police can and will probably move people on if they are begging. As I said, I live in a medium sized town and any time I have given money its been in Glasgow and not where I live.