I was driving around town today and found myself being propositioned for money by two very different types of people at two different stop lights. The two people were in the median of a busy intersection asking drivers for money.
One person was an older man, with dirty skin, long hair, and something wasn't quite right with his eyes. He was holding a sign written on cardboard asking for help.
At a different light about 10 miles away, I found a middle-aged woman holding a white bucket with a sign on it referencing a local church and asking for donations.
Both people were aggressively weaving between waiting cars and really working the crowd. I have seen this kind of thing a lot lately around town. Especially the men with the cardboard signs.
I was always told not to acknowledge or communicate with a homeless person for safety reasons. I was also told that the chances of a homeless person having an addiction or mental problem were really high. It was suggested that that if I really wanted to help them that you were suppose to give them food rather than money. This way they won't use the money to buy more alcohol or drugs and will benefit by having a good meal.
As far as the woman representing the church, her cause seemed noble but I couldn't help but wonder why this was necessary and if standing in the middle of the street was really the best way to go about raising money. I even wondered if she was really representing the cause she said she was or if she was just using that as a front for personal gain. It seemed strange that there were only two people with buckets at this big intersection. If it was such a big fund raiser, where were the other members of the church? I would rather give money directly to the church or organization to make sure the funds get to where they are suppose to go. Not to mention how dangerous it is to be stepping in and out of traffic!
What I found really surprising today, was the amount of people rolling down their car windows and donating! At the light with the man the car in front of me emptied his car of change right in the man's hands. At the light with the woman, the car in front of me gave her a stash of bills--maybe $5.
This got me thinking... was I being stingy with my money or just safe? Am I a tight-wad or just a smart citizen? What are your thoughts?
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