Oct 11, 2022
Should we support panhandlers and the homeless?
I sometimes hear people say do not give money to panhandlers or homeless people. The reason being is that they are going to use it to buy alcohol. I always make it a point to give to panhandlers and homeless people without giving it any thought if I can. I gave three dollars to a homeless woman once. She took it from me. Her response was three dollars. What am going to do with that? I cannot even buy a hamburger at McDonald’s with that. Are you kidding me? Is that all you got? I did not respond. She shouted out loud. I need more than that. The people around her stared at me as I had just harmed her.
I felt ashamed and embarrassed at her reaction. Her response made me feel small. To think, I thought I was doing something good. She turned my act of kindness into a negative moment. I was in Graduate school at the time. I did not have a lot of money. I was completing a three semester internship without pay. I thought I was helping her at the time, in return she made me feel very bad. She wanted to argue because it was not enough. Luckily for me, I was driving. I got back in my car and drove away. As she continue to yell at me. I could not help to wonder what just happened. Are you kidding me? This was suppose to be a positive moment for her.
I would not mind if she did not say thank you. I could not understand why she was so upset. It was not like I pulled up in a Range Rover or a Saab. I could see if I pulled up driving an expensive car and gave her three dollars. I do feel that when I see a homeless person it is my obligation to help. I try not to judge them without having a back story. some of us seem to think that homeless people are lazy, and they do not want to work. That is a false narrative. It could happen to anyone of us. Some people are homeless because of an illness. Some people are homeless because they lost their job.
I once saw a homeless man for counseling who had a thriving business at some point in his life. He was an addict. He started taking drugs since he was 11 years old. His addiction had the best of him by 52. He lost his wife and his child due to addiction. He came from an upper middle class family. They were very abusive to him. They wanted nothing to due with him at this point in life. It was their abusive ways that led to his addiction. I have seen veterans who are homeless. I have seen bank managers that were homeless. Of some there some people who are homeless because they made bad choices. My point is that all panhandlers or homeless people are not lazy or thieves. They all have a back story. Homelessness is not a choice. For many people it got to that point simply by circumstances.
Have you ever tried to help someone and it back fired?
