Beggars Can Be Choosers?
November 23rd, 2009 · Posted in Money, money, money · 7 CommentsI’m never really sure how to deal with the large number of homeless people abound on the streets of the Sydney CBD. Today I talked to a young lady who had a sign saying she needed help to get back to Nowra. I asked her if I could buy her a train ticket to get back there. She didn’t want it. I’ve offered to buy food for several homeless men, and I’ve been knocked back because they just want money (I’ve also met very grateful men who asked if I had any money for food and were more than happy for me to buy them lunch instead). Today I saw another homeless man turn down a feed from someone else.
I don’t want to give money directly, as friends who have worked with charity organisations have told me that it just makes their (both the homeless and the charity’s) problem worse. But I know God is definitely not happy with just ignoring the poor either.
What do you do?
RodeoClown: What should you do?
November 23rd, 2009 at 7:21 pm
I think you are doing the right thing offering to buy food rather than giving money directly (which might be used to buy drugs or alcohol etc). Good on you, a lot of Christians would just happily pretend they are not there and just walk right by.
Besides offering a meal you could just stop and chat for a while. Many homeless people will talk you ear off for hours but even 15 mins would be nice for them.
Bless ya!
November 26th, 2009 at 11:56 am
I also only offer food or travel tickets, not money. If they’re serious about wanting food then surely they can’t expect just cash. Of course, not knowing you and whether you are trustworthy, they may be a bit hesitant to accompany you somewhere and who knows how old that sandwich you’re proffering is.
One of the saddest cases I’ve seen were a brother and sister (adults) who didn’t want to be split up so they slept in the railway underpass as all the homeless shelters were for men only or women only. All I could offer them at the time was something like a lamington.
November 27th, 2009 at 9:59 am
I’ve also had a guy come up and ask if I had money for food, and I told him I’d buy him lunch and he was really happy. All he wanted was a cheese and ham roll from Woolies. He even walked down there with me and pointed it out.
I think he was really just hungry – but sometimes it’s really hard to tell.
It’s frustrating when you see people on the street who seem to be happy there – they don’t seem to have any desire to support themselves. What do you do then?
November 27th, 2009 at 10:02 am
@Nicole – I’ve talked to one or two (for longer than just a few words I mean). BTW – are you the Nicole who lived behind my parents?
@Laetitia – That’s real sad about the brother/sister thing. Although I can understand why you’d have separate sex dorms in a homeless shelter.
November 27th, 2009 at 11:15 am
Yep that’s me!
It really is hard to know… i had a mother asking for money to buy formula for her baby. I said i would go buy it and bring it to her, suddenly she didn’t want it anymore
Thinking about the baby going without food was pretty heart breaking
But we do what we can… i spose!
December 24th, 2009 at 10:39 am
Living in the city makes it more difficult in knowing what to do, and feeling worse about ignoring so many people every day. We walk all over the city, to church, to buy our groceries, etc and we have the same people asking us for money from one day to the next. we recognise them, but probably because they ask lots of people they don’t recognise us. it is really hard as i am sure god is not happy with ignoring them completely. even though we give to homeless organisations, it is still hard to refuse someone who is there in front of you.
December 30th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Hi Andrew,
I only work in the city – but I recognise a fair few of the beggars around. I don’t want to just ignore people either.
It is a really hard situation.