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What do you do when homeless folks ask for money? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 23 hours ago by bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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This is becoming more common in my town. I just either feel like an ass saying I dont have cash, or lying, but I also can't be giving out 20's to everyone who asks.

I feel bad for most of them but at the same time I get anxiety walking down the sidewalk and seeing someone up ahead that I know is going to ask me for money. Its not like you can say "oh no, I donate to services that help the needy" because that person isn't necessarily being helped by that. And ignoring completely feels so mean, plus I tried that one time and the person was screaming at me as i walked away that I ignored them.

I also dont want my city to round them up and send them to prison camps, something they are planning and that I know a lot of people would vote for just to "get rid of them" but im not supporting that at all.

Its tough.

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[-] Sl00k@programming.dev 18 points 20 hours ago

I wonder if the people saying they give money every time live in major cities (and walk often).

Honestly there's panhandlers then there's homeless. I get asked for money surprisingly few amounts of times from homeless and I usually throw them $5-10 every time if I have cash.

Frequent panhandlers I will never give money to. If you're around the area a lot it's pretty easy to know the difference.

[-] otp@sh.itjust.works 4 points 16 hours ago

That's a great point. There are also a lot of career panhandlers where I live. Like, "getting picked up in fancy SUVs" career panhandlers.

I hope they're just scam artists and not victims of human trafficking.

Which raises another point -- sometimes giving money to people in the streets is supporting human trafficking.

You have to really know who your money is going to. And 9 times out of 10, I'd wager the money is better off being donated to services that support people in need than it is going into a takeout coffee cup at the end of a stretched out arm.

But food is still probably a great help no matter what, even if it is for a victim of human trafficking. Everyone needs to eat.

this post was submitted on 10 Aug 2025

166 points (100.0% liked)

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