The Student Room Group

Is it a good idea to give homeless people money?

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Reply 20
I do the same too and have also been told by friends that i shouldn't bother because 'they are just going to spend it on drink/drugs' anyways. granted that could be true (and it has crossed my mind a few times too) but still we can't paint them all with the same brush. i'm just doing my bit. its only 50p to £1 that i give out to a few, hardly breaking the bank in anyway. my philosophy in life - what goes around, comes around/do good, get good. who knows, one day when you are in need someone might help you.
Reply 21
Original post by Seamus123
Not a troll trap as such. Just a nasty, mean and spiteful individual who hasn't got a decent word to say to or for anyone and professes herself to be a Christian. Usually it's the poor or gay people who are on the receiving end of her vitriol.


I doubt a middle aged American mom would post so much here, so I suspect troll

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nope - homeless people are actually terrible people from my experience - they only want your money and once they've got it then that's it. homeless people are generally drug addicts, and drug addicts are *the* worst people in the world as well. no sympathy. ****ing parasites.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by sleepysnooze
nope - homeless people are actually terrible people from my experience - they only want your money and once they've got it then that's it. homeless people are generally drug addicts, and drug addicts are *the* worst people in the world as well. no sympathy. ****ing parasites.


Sounds like you've had experiences with a few bad ones; all the ones in my area are quite nice and polite people; even to those who just walk past blatantly ignoring them. I gave some money to one and he offered to help carry my shopping bags to the car
Please don't give homeless people money. A lot of them are addicted to drugs or alcohol and will spend it on that. If you want, buy them food but they usually can afford these things anyway.
It isn't going to end their situation, but on the other hand it might help make their day slightly less miserable (see here) so yes, I do think it's a good idea to give them money.
Eh no, there are better ways you can help the homeless. Volunteer for organisations that help these people. Give tinned food to the homeless shelter, volunteer at the YMCA, volunteer and help at the AA and CA, and other organizations that help with addiction. Going up to a homeless guy and just handing him a tenner isn't helping him/her.

No one really "gives money" to the homeless, they give change which is usually less than 30p and comes in the form of useless pennies in your pocket.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Plagioclase
yes, I do think it's a good idea to give them money.


As posted before, the homelessness charity Thames Reach says it's a bad idea. Can I ask why you disagree with professionals/volunteers actually working with those in need?
Original post by Duncan2012
As posted before, the homelessness charity Thames Reach says it's a bad idea. Can I ask why you disagree with professionals/volunteers actually working with those in need?


I understand what they're saying and I would definitely agree that given a mutually exclusive choice between giving directly to the homeless and giving to a homelessness charity, the latter is preferable. But this definitely isn't the choice that confronts most people - that money is either staying on you, or going to the person. On the other hand, I'm having a hard time being convinced that giving money to homeless people is genuinely perpetuating a problem in a significant way.
Original post by Duncan2012
As posted before, the homelessness charity Thames Reach says it's a bad idea. Can I ask why you disagree with professionals/volunteers actually working with those in need?


People are free to do what they wish with the money in their pocket. Whereas I wouldn't give money to a homeless person, I really don't think it's for any individual or organisation to dictate to others what they should or should not do. I prefer to give at the point of contact. That is my preferred method of helping those less fortunate.
Original post by Allie4
I do the same too and have also been told by friends that i shouldn't bother because 'they are just going to spend it on drink/drugs' anyways. granted that could be true (and it has crossed my mind a few times too) but still we can't paint them all with the same brush. i'm just doing my bit. its only 50p to £1 that i give out to a few, hardly breaking the bank in anyway. my philosophy in life - what goes around, comes around/do good, get good. who knows, one day when you are in need someone might help you.


This. But it does make me laugh when people say they'll just go and spend it on drink.drugs. If I was living on the streets with only a thin jacket/coat I'd probably turn to alcohol too to get me through the night. I'm not gonna judge anybody on the streets for doing it.
Original post by Obiejess
I did once give a guy money and see him in tesco later buying food with that money :smile: So I always give it when I can, just in case they do spend it on food. If they spend it on drugs, that's sad, but I don't want to punish people who need that money because others spend it poorly. I always try and but the Big Issue. I remember one guy selling the big issue helped carry my gran to the bus station when she collapsed. Always try and think the best of people.

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If I could ''retweet'' this, I would

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People are obviously free to do whatever they choose with their money, and no-one is saying that the homeless shouldn't be helped. Nothing wrong with giving non-cash items like food, warm drinks or clothing, and I really like the idea mentioned above of giving little toiletries bags. But giving cash directly does nothing to help get people off the street, which surely must be in the best interests of everyone.
Original post by Allie4
I do the same too and have also been told by friends that i shouldn't bother because 'they are just going to spend it on drink/drugs' anyways. granted that could be true (and it has crossed my mind a few times too) but still we can't paint them all with the same brush. i'm just doing my bit. its only 50p to £1 that i give out to a few, hardly breaking the bank in anyway. my philosophy in life - what goes around, comes around/do good, get good. who knows, one day when you are in need someone might help you.


Good philosophy.
Reply 34
Original post by sleepysnooze
nope - homeless people are actually terrible people from my experience - they only want your money and once they've got it then that's it. homeless people are generally drug addicts, and drug addicts are *the* worst people in the world as well. no sympathy. ****ing parasites.


Are you the president of the Philippines?
Being ignorant isn't cool, you know.

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Original post by RobML
Are you the president of the Philippines?
Being ignorant isn't cool, you know.

Posted from TSR Mobile


I have a drug addict for a flatmate.
she is the most disgustingly machiavellian person I've ever met who hates most people
she will make you think she's a nice person but it's only because she wants your money or "something"
she even stole hundreds of pounds worth of "something" off of me - not only this year but last year as well. it's actually really serious. and baffling. that somebody would be such a parasite like that. she literally broke into my bedroom and cleaned me out. I thought I was going crazy, but everybody else in the house now believes me when they used to doubt it. we even think that she's gone away at the moment to rehab.
and you know what else? this person is minted. she lives in a mansion in london. I live in a bungalow in the south and even then, she still has the balls to steal from me.
this is what drug addicts (most homeless people) are like
this isn't me being ignorant. this is me being an empiricist. I'm somebody who's given homeless people money too. quite a number of times throughout my life. now I've learned why it's such a bad idea - because these people are only ****ing homeless because are ****ing terrible people. if they were nice and genuine people, they would have had somebody willing to give them a roof. but nope! think. these people are literally human vermin. they've been outcast from society because they are horrible individuals not worthy of any kind of sympathy. they're thieves, leeches and parasitic insects.

also, I'm actually somebody who thinks drugs should all be legal so don't call me that.
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 36
Original post by sleepysnooze

this isn't me being ignorant. this is me being an empiricist.


Being an empiricist isn't extrapolating complete generalisations from a single case. You'd make a terrible scientist.
Original post by #ChaosKass
No. No, no, no.

No money, no food, no nothing. If they want it, they have to earn it. No handouts.


There are plenty of people on the street who have suffered hardship, sometimes through their own decisions yes but it can be a spiral of decline that can't be helped. Lots aren't able to get themselves back on the job/housing ladder without help even if they want to, sometimes all it takes is a little kindness to get them back into work.

Please read just one example of someone local to myself who just needed that little helping hand: http://www.thesaint-online.com/2016/03/small-town-hero-one-student-rethinks-homelessness-raising-500-along-the-way/

This doesn't just apply to you, but to plenty of people in this post who have made critical comments without really considering the many ways people end up homeless.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by I'mJustSomeGuy
On the way to uni, I always see around 4 or 5 homeless people on the streets, so I decide to fill my wallet up with money so I can help as many as I can. I was wondering if this is wise or not because I've had people tell me that they may end up buying drugs or alcohol with the money. I just feel sorry for them so I want to at least give a little bit of help by giving them money. They're always really generous too.

P.S. I'm keeping myself anonymous so as to not make it seem as though I'm trying to build my ego cos that is not the case.

Edit: It looks like I can't make it anonymous. If anyone knows how to please tell me.

I think what u r doing is a really nice thing and u have a really big heart! I don't think u should stop doing it cuz ur intentions are good so u gave them money now its up to them if they want to spend it in a wrong or right way so don't worry a lot! :h::wink:
Original post by #ChaosKass
No. No, no, no.

No money, no food, no nothing. If they want it, they have to earn it. No handouts.


every time i see you post, its in the most harsh way, like ur trying to raise an argument with someone

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