Surely the bottom line is - can you afford to help?
Yes - here is $1
No - Sorry, mate

Multiply according to your status.

Why should it matter what they will spend it on? If you can spare it, then give it. If you can't, then don't.

Christmas is coming
The goose is getting fat
Please put a penny
In the old man's hat
If you haven't got a penny
A ha'penny will do
If you haven't got a ha'penny
Then God bless you

The Cellar is either unusually generous, or I think you are right. The overwhelming majority of people (in this city anyway) just walk past homeless panhandlers as if they are part of the landscape, like a tree or fire hydrant or something. Like they are invisible. I at least make eye contact with them and answer them when they ask me for money. But somebody must be giving them money, or they probably wouldn't bother asking for it.

I think the frequency of contact with panhandlers might have something to do with it too.

There was a law passed in DC about ten years ago that said that panhandlers can't block your path when they are asking for money. It used to be they would step in front of you so you would have to walk around them. The begging was worse back then. Now at least they stay to the side.

I'm sympathetic to them and sometimes feel guilty as I walk past someone whose face clearly shows they are in a desperate situation, but that's why I give to charities that are designed to help the homeless. It eases the conscience knowing that there is food for them nearby because I've already helped pay for it. I also marched in a "help the homeless" fund raising thing a couple of weeks ago. Got a t-shirt and everything.

But there is no way I'm going to give them money so they can shoot up again.

Thanks glatt - as usual you said it better than I could. I donate plenty to charities and organizations which directly help those less fortunate.

After that thing with United Way a couple of years ago, I'd prefer to give the money directly to those in need.

I see it as 2 separate issues really, with some charities being far more manipulative and annoying than any individual beggar.

And not all beggars are less fortunate, some prefer the lifestyle they live. They don't want to "succeed" in "Babylon", they want to do their own thing. Even the conditions that the Salvation Army etc. puts on their help is too much for many - and those places are freaking creepy.

That's two good points in a row, jinx. Quit it!

;)

I love beggars. They're always around and they're so handy for scraping icky stuff off the bottom of my shoes. They usually don't even wake up.;)

So that was YOU! I was down and out, cousin. Didja have to use me as your own personal welcome mat?

Oh, how about THIS.

Let's start a fund for Cellar Alms. Next time one of us comes across a panhandler and feels the urge to give, keep it, and put it in the fund instead. If enough is built up, then whenever any of us falls on hard times and needs some help to get by, we can request some of the funds.

I think I would rather give one of you a few bucks to help pay your electric bill or get a couple of meals, instead of some guy on the street pretending to be hard up, while he's got a hunge in small bills in his pocket.

I'm skeptical. First, I need to know what a hunge is. ;)

Yeah, that really pissed me off. I had been donating a lot to United Way up until then.

My long-standing daily Cellar search for the term "hunge" has finally paid off!

We could all use more hunge in our lives. :D

Puh...I gave a certain amount to UW one year, and they were to give us each a primo parking space for part of the year. I got assigned a summer part, when there are hardly any students anyway, then let a girl who had a motorcycle accident have it because she was on crutches. I won't fall for THAT again. At least if I give money to a drunk I can see the fruits of my generosity later, when he's got a bottle of Mad Dog and blurry eyes. [/totallykiddingiswear]