posted by jmog
The ones that truly say they are hungry I volunteer every time to take them to the closest restaurant to us and buy them whatever they want to eat. Doesn’t matter what it is.
Had 2 people out of 100s take me up on it over 25 years.
everyone else I have ever offered to take right to the closest food vendor/restaurant has either just said no or even got pissed off I didn’t just give money.
Odd how that happens.
tl;dr alert
For people that approach directly asking for money to eat, especially the ones lurking in the shopping center parking lot, every one of them has turned down my offer to feed them. Every one. That's when you know they're not hungy.
For that reason, I do not interact with people holding signs at intersections. Exception: twice have had a strange feeling, like a voice telling me to notice them. Both times were in an area of town I'm not usually in One was a decrept bearded old guy, the other was a guy in his 20's. Each time I drove around the corner to a BK, and brought back a couple of sandwiches, fries, and hot coffee. The old guy broke down. thanked me, and actually bowed his head before he started eating. With the younger guy, turned out he was part of an actual homeless camp hidden in the trees - several adults and babies in there. Even though it was just one meal, they all came out to thank me.
I felt ashamed for not being thankful enough for what I have. Wish I could say I was like at all the time, but I'm not.
Discernment is the key. In our shopping center, we have two groups - 1. an actual homeless camp behind the stores next to the Scioto River. 2. a group of, shall we say, young adult meth heads or otherwise unproductive citizens. Interestingly, the actual homeless don't come out of their camp unless a church group brings food on certain days
The meth heads (for want of a better word) are another matter. You can pick them out in a heartbeat, hiking or riding children's bikes up and down the thoroughfare with backpacks on, checking on each other's take for the day, parked at all fast food spots. Pretty sure they're feeding a habit, and they give off a very negative vibe. I've seen them at their posts looking all forlorn, then I've seen them take a lunch break inside McDonald's, carrying on like they've beat the system. And then they hang out right in front of the local library doors, looking scuzzy and laughing nastily like they own the place, while moms with kids try to hurry past them to get inside.
The mh's carry signs that say "homeless - please help", but they all walk back to their nearby low-income apartments without any pretense. One guy holds his sign while sitting in a wheelchair at an intersection with his girlfriend sprawled on his lap. When they leave, they both walk back to their apartment, with her pushing the empty wheelchair.
About the only thing you can do for the second group is pray for them.
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The wife and I visited New Orleans some years ago, right outside the French Quarter. We quickly learned the homeless there set up for the night on the sidewalk under the marquees of hotels and other large businesses. Also learned they keep their area scrupulously neat, and do not bother pedestrians, other than to say good-morning. We just shook our head and guessed it works out for all concerned down there.