I am going to post an
age-old question to you today.
The question is this:
“Do you ever help a beggar?”
More to the point, “Do you ever give money or food to a beggar?”
Further, “Is it better to give money or food to a beggar, or to point this person in the right direction?”
The basic question, and all the other subquestions, have come up recently where I live, because all of a sudden, out here in affluent suburbia, we are beginning to see more and more people standing on the street in retail areas begging for money, their next meal, and for help in general.
Some people go out of their way to help these people by giving them money and food, but most people ignore them, like I do, because quite frankly, I don’t believe a word that they are saying.
Sure, there are a lot of unfortunate people out there, and millions of people have lost their jobs since the pandemic began.
But funny, I did too, but I never stood on a street corner begging for food or money.
I did things the proper way, which was to apply for unemployment insurance, and when that ran out, I admittedly did have a fall back, which was Social Security, and after applying for over 1,000 jobs of all kinds without nary a single positive response, I had to take what I could get, which was to retire.
I never begged. Complained, yes ... felt bad about my fate, yes ... felt I got the short end of the stick, yes ... but I never begged.
Since the weather has gotten better in my neck of the woods, all of a sudden, we have seen numerous people with signs asking for money and food, and doing so, ironically, right across the street from places that might assist them in getting employment, like supermarkets and department stores.
They have big signs stating that they “just lost their jobs” or “I have no food for myself or my family” or “I have nowhere to sleep tonight,” and they stand there asking for money and/or food, of course doing their begging not close enough to the stores so that the stores would throw them off the property, but close enough that you know they are there.
Now, as I said, some people give them food and money, which I believe makes these good-hearted people into enablers of the worst kind, sort of like giving a drink to an alcoholic.
The problem is that others have seen these people being part of a scam, where they stand in their spot begging for a few hours, and then give up their spot to other people who beg for a few house, who give up their spot …
I think you see what I mean.
And when they are done with their few hours of “work,” they go right into their late-model cars and whip out their cell phones.
The police have been called about this on numerous occasions, but these people still come back, like flies to honey, because they know that they will get what they are asking for.
I read the other day that one of these beggars made $800 in a single day of “work,” and I wonder where that money went … and I also wonder how stupid people can actually be at giving them anything, money included.
Look, if they are really that desperate and must beg for assistance, there are numerous agencies that can help them.
There is unemployment, as I mentioned before, for those who have just lost their jobs. Your employer pays into unemployment with each check you get for your salary, so there should be no problem getting unemployment if you need it.
And for those who would have problems getting this, there is always Social Services, for the most destitute of the bunch.
Many years ago, after being out of steady work for 18 months—and right in the middle of my divorce … what a horrible time that was for me!—I was pretty much forced to go to Social Services to see if they could help me.
I am not saying it was pleasant, but I went there in a suit and tie looking for help.
In my case, they decided that since my parents owned a house, I could get money to live on from them, so they rejected me, which was a ridiculous decision, but God looked down at me and right after this, I was finally hired and didn’t have to worry about this nonsense anymore.
But it is a resource for our most down-and-out people, and if these people are as down and out as they appear to be, then this might be a place that they should be directed to.
And giving them this advice, and pointing these people in the right direction, is way better than giving them money or food, and in the case of what is going on in my neck of the woods, again, I ask the question:
“Do you ever help a beggar?”
The answer is this:
The question is this:
“Do you ever help a beggar?”
More to the point, “Do you ever give money or food to a beggar?”
Further, “Is it better to give money or food to a beggar, or to point this person in the right direction?”
The basic question, and all the other subquestions, have come up recently where I live, because all of a sudden, out here in affluent suburbia, we are beginning to see more and more people standing on the street in retail areas begging for money, their next meal, and for help in general.
Some people go out of their way to help these people by giving them money and food, but most people ignore them, like I do, because quite frankly, I don’t believe a word that they are saying.
Sure, there are a lot of unfortunate people out there, and millions of people have lost their jobs since the pandemic began.
But funny, I did too, but I never stood on a street corner begging for food or money.
I did things the proper way, which was to apply for unemployment insurance, and when that ran out, I admittedly did have a fall back, which was Social Security, and after applying for over 1,000 jobs of all kinds without nary a single positive response, I had to take what I could get, which was to retire.
I never begged. Complained, yes ... felt bad about my fate, yes ... felt I got the short end of the stick, yes ... but I never begged.
Since the weather has gotten better in my neck of the woods, all of a sudden, we have seen numerous people with signs asking for money and food, and doing so, ironically, right across the street from places that might assist them in getting employment, like supermarkets and department stores.
They have big signs stating that they “just lost their jobs” or “I have no food for myself or my family” or “I have nowhere to sleep tonight,” and they stand there asking for money and/or food, of course doing their begging not close enough to the stores so that the stores would throw them off the property, but close enough that you know they are there.
Now, as I said, some people give them food and money, which I believe makes these good-hearted people into enablers of the worst kind, sort of like giving a drink to an alcoholic.
The problem is that others have seen these people being part of a scam, where they stand in their spot begging for a few hours, and then give up their spot to other people who beg for a few house, who give up their spot …
I think you see what I mean.
And when they are done with their few hours of “work,” they go right into their late-model cars and whip out their cell phones.
The police have been called about this on numerous occasions, but these people still come back, like flies to honey, because they know that they will get what they are asking for.
I read the other day that one of these beggars made $800 in a single day of “work,” and I wonder where that money went … and I also wonder how stupid people can actually be at giving them anything, money included.
Look, if they are really that desperate and must beg for assistance, there are numerous agencies that can help them.
There is unemployment, as I mentioned before, for those who have just lost their jobs. Your employer pays into unemployment with each check you get for your salary, so there should be no problem getting unemployment if you need it.
And for those who would have problems getting this, there is always Social Services, for the most destitute of the bunch.
Many years ago, after being out of steady work for 18 months—and right in the middle of my divorce … what a horrible time that was for me!—I was pretty much forced to go to Social Services to see if they could help me.
I am not saying it was pleasant, but I went there in a suit and tie looking for help.
In my case, they decided that since my parents owned a house, I could get money to live on from them, so they rejected me, which was a ridiculous decision, but God looked down at me and right after this, I was finally hired and didn’t have to worry about this nonsense anymore.
But it is a resource for our most down-and-out people, and if these people are as down and out as they appear to be, then this might be a place that they should be directed to.
And giving them this advice, and pointing these people in the right direction, is way better than giving them money or food, and in the case of what is going on in my neck of the woods, again, I ask the question:
“Do you ever help a beggar?”
The answer is this:
“The best help that you can give them is not money or food, but is to point them in the right direction, because there are numerous agencies that are set up to help them overcome their current circumstances and help them get started in making a better life for themselves and their families.”
And, of course, this is if they are legit about their situation, which, in the case of what is happening in my community, is highly questionable.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.