On Helping Beggars And The Homeless.

Sadly beggars and the homeless sometimes take advantage of your generosity when you give someone in need. They rob you instead. But you shouldn't stop helping and giving. And selling stuff should always be done in a police parking lot. Same with giving stuff away. If you're giving away free kittens. If you are giving to the needy. A bed someone needs or a box of food, same thing.

And don't give money to the homeless because they may use it for drugs. But never deny a homeless person food. If there's a nearby store buy them a health bar or a quick sandwich. And if you feel sorry you didn't give that $5 to a homeless person when he asked, for the reasons I just gave, give it to the Salvation Army. Or better yet, donate some of your time to help people in the future.

 

Looks like the US Housing and Urban Development Dept is changing funding grants away from permanent assistance to spot grants for temporary shelter.
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More than half of the 2026 funding for HUD’s Continuum of Care program, which partners with local organizations to connect people experiencing homelessness to housing and resources, will be cut for permanent housing assistance and moved to transitional housing assistance with some work or service requirements. The policy change was first reported by POLITICO.

 

For a few years now, rather then give them a few dollars. I make bags to hand out. A quart or gallon size zip lock storage bags. Contents are a bottle of water. A few breakfast bars, pre-packaged items such as trail mix, cheese and crackers. And peanut butter and crackers. And other related food items . All with a shelf life of a few months or more. If you buy items in bulk and make the bags to hand out . The cost is compatible to cash . At least I know it's not going for a fix or cheap booze.

 

Also I might as well post here, if you want to help out a homeless person now that we're getting into the really cold time of year, don't let them sleep on your couch for a while or even your basement. Doing that sometimes ends tragically. Put them up in a motel. Or maybe even a seedy motel. The last one would be better than being homeless at least.

 

“Monks, if people knew as I know the results of giving and sharing, they would not eat without having given nor would the stain of stinginess overcome their minds. Even if it were their last bite, their last mouthful, they would not eat without having shared, if there was someone to share it with. But, monks, because people do not know as I know the results of giving and sharing, they eat without having given. The stain of stinginess overcomes their minds.”
The Buddha; Itivuttaka 26 Dānasaṁvibhāga Sutta

“What actions are most excellent? To gladden the heart of a human being, to feed the hungry, to help the afflicted, to lighten the sorrow of the sorrowful and to remove the wrongs of the injured." Prophet Muhammad (PBUH; the Hadith

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?"
‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
Jesus of Nazareth; Matthew 25:35-40