Should You Give Money to the Homeless?
By Features Desk
Wednesday,
January 24, 2018.
Gloucester
city council in Britain, recently came under fire for launching posters around the city,
urging people to stop giving money to the homeless. Displaying a youth in a
hoodie and explaining that quite often these so-called “homeless”
people are staying in temporary accommodation and claiming benefits. The campaign was intended as a way to encourage
kindly passers-by to donate to shelters and charities, instead of directly to
the homeless, who may well not be homeless at all. Critics say that these
posters imply all street beggars are actually staying in safe accommodation and
just want money for drugs. But surely, this can’t be the case? Should we really
avoid giving change to a homeless man on the streets, out of fear that he may
use it for drugs or alcohol? Should donations be given for particular needs? Or
does it stop being out business once the donation has been made?
Not All
Beggars Have Homes
Not
everyone you walk passed on the street have somewhere to go that night. If they
did, a huge percentage of them wouldn’t be on the streets at all. You don’t
know their situation, and it’s hugely unfair to assume that everyone on the
streets is a drug addict. In 2016 it was estimated that over 4000 people sleep rough, with this number increasing
steadily year on year.
Demonising
Won’t Help
Occasionally
you’ll see someone on the streets begging. Someone who makes you feel
threatened or uncomfortable and you will know that giving them money would be
the wrong move. You’ll see more people who have fallen on hard times, who make
you feel sad and like you want to help. These people need encouragement and
support. They need to be motivated and helped. Seeing posters demonising them,
scaring the public and implying that they don’t deserve our help could see them
turning to drugs or alcohol. Giving them a little change and a friendly hello
could be what helps them start to turn their life around.
Give to
Charities
Of
course, no one is saying that you should give all of your spare cash to the
homeless at the expense of helping charities, shelters and other good causes.
Charities like Habitat HM are doing fantastic work to help the less
fortunate and should be supported in any way possible. If you can afford to,
donate what you can. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t also give change to
someone on the street if you get the urge to help.
The harsh
truth is, when you donate money to a person on the street, you never know what
it’s going to be spent on, and you are certainly free to give to charities
instead or to buy a homeless person a sandwich instead of giving them cash.
But, shelters are struggling. They are full every night, and there are people
in desperate need sleeping rough. Charities can’t help everyone, and government
funding certainly won’t do enough. So, if you pass someone on the street who
stirs compassion inside of you, by all means, give them some cash. Photo source: https://pixabay.com/en/dog-beg-beggar-stray-homeless-2410332/
Should You Give Money to the Homeless?
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