A large proportion of homeless are drug or alcohol addicts and use the money to support their habit and not necessarily on food. Nothing wrong about being kind but suggest buying them a coffee / sandwich or support a charity to help. Good on you though.
There's no right or wrong answer, but anyone who says getting £2 is going to encourage a young lad to sleep in a doorway in December must be on drugs themselves. Maybe he will have spent your kind gift on drink or fags or drugs, or he might have put it towards a hot drink or a burger... who knows. Either way, you were kind to someone who looked in need. As a little aside, around this time last year I returned to my car after an evening at the cinema with friends. The tickets had been bought in advance, the parking was free on the street, and I don't tend to bother with popcorn etc - so I literally had no change what-so-ever, just my credit card for 'emergencies'. Two girls were sat huddled in a doorway right by my car; it was a freezing cold night, and I'd seen them begging for change earlier in the evening. It would've been rude and wrong to ignore them, but small talk doesn't really cut it when I'm off home after a jolly night out, and they're freezing their tits off on the pavement; so I said I didn't have any money, but if they fancied a coffee I could nip round to burger king and get them a drink and some food on my card. They declined the food but said a coffee each would be grand; and when I returned we chatted for a bit over the coffee. When I asked where they would stay for the night, they said that the local multi-storey was usually a good bet although it could get a bit rough; one of the girls said if she couldn't stay there she'd probably be okay because she was lucky - she'd got a tent. Imagine on a sub zero night in December considering yourself lucky because you've got a tent. Registered charity doesn't always find it's way to everyone who needs it. I don't know about you but I'd far rather give a couple of quid to someone who looks like they need it, than not bother incase they didn't spend it wisely. Good on ya Bazza.
I went out in the razz the other week , woke up in the hotel at 7am...gagging for a drink and fresh air....got up , went to buy a coffee ..bought myself one and someone less unfortunate a coffee and bacon butty, he seemed very grateful and I was happy to have done what I felt was right... When i told my mates. .....they took the *******... Was I wrong ?
My wife works in Preston city centre where there is a pound bakery, who often have two for one offers. She has in the past given the extra sausage roll she got away to a 'beggar', who promptly got up & slung it in the bin! There's gratitude for you!
You were right. I always think, well, who needs a quid more right now, me or the obviously homeless guy? Not giving him anything isn’t going to suddenly stop him drinking/using and deciding to go straight is it?
A reminder that not everyone is as lucky as most of us. I was wondering what to do with the money I had saved from not sending company Christmas cards this year (my company being just me) I have just made a donation to a homeless charity in the hope that at least part of it reaches those who need it.
