[John62]

I wanted to look into the big charities a bit more. It makes me wonder if they are doing good or not.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/charities.asp

[rexs73gto]

A few years back I needed help & there were some on here that helped me out with some funds that gave me the chance to not only give my daughter a Christmas but helped to get me up & back on my feet to be able to stay in my home. I didn't get a lot of money from the ones who gave to me but the amount was not as helpful as the good I felt inside when the money came to me. I'm not shy about saying I got about $ 375.00 total which isn't a lot but it gave me the extra boost to be able to feel good enough about myself to be able to let may daughter have a good Christmas. I had just come out of the hospital from a triple bypass & had nothing but bad luck with that as I had spent almost 2 months in the hospital because of the problems that came with the bypass. If you know a bypass usually is about 10-15 days only in the hospital & I was there 2 months. I to look at the people who are out on the corners & try to see if they need it or not , but because there was a number of you guys here that helped me when I needed it I try when i can to give back to. I even today live on a small fixed income that doesn't go very far but I try to stretch it as far as I can & still make it ok for me & my daughter now. So Please don't let the bad of some make it hard on the ones that really do need it. I don't have a lot but I try to give when I can. For all of those who did help me a few years ago I know I said thank you on this site at that time but I still & again want it to be known that you the ones who did help me when I needed it ,,,, Thank You from the bottom of my heart & may GOD Bless you all. !!! Merry Christmas, & Happy New Year.

[Alvin]

Kudos to you and your Bud for the positive karma Marx.
Don't let the bad overshadow your good intent IMHO.

Agree w the positives who state & posted to keep on giving to trusted entities and persons. When you get home you can make a "Royal" PB&J w Oeros on the side...and enjoy the remains of the day w a smile.

[marxjunk]

Originally Posted by indymanjoe

PBNJ as well!! Yea i would be really pissed.

smuckers grape with extra cruchy..and just a smidgen of butter..just and ever so small layer of butter, all natural, creamy goodness,...ice freakin cold tooo,,yeah im pi$$ed

[geeteeohguy]

I haven't donated to any panhandler in over 20 years, after getting conned. I realize that they are just working a hustle, and to give them money is just enabling them to continue on their nonproductive path. I did give a lady $20 about 4 years ago.....I was fueling up our rig at a truck stop on HWY 99 and noticed a poorly dressed woman and two very small girls going through the garbage. They were not panhandling at all, just searching for food. I saw this, approached her, and gave her the $20, and she started to cry and told me her husband had just died (a seasonal worker) and that they had no food or money. She thanked me profusely, and as I was pulling out of the truck stop, I noticed that she and her little girls were eating a meal inside the diner. That was an exception. The people with cardboard signs on the corners are just hustlers.

[Ben M.]

Originally Posted by geeteeohguy

She thanked me profusely, and as I was pulling out of the truck stop, I noticed that she and her little girls were eating a meal inside the diner. That was an exception. The people with cardboard signs on the corners are just hustlers.

Most people that truly need help are too proud to ask for it.

I've done the food thing, gave a guy a candy bar I had. He was nice about it and I didn't worry too much about what he was going to do with it (everyone loves chocolate! ;-) ). I will say that this one guy came up to me at a gas station begging everyone for money with some sob story about prison and whatnot. I told him I'd give him a dollar to shut up and go away as I didn't want to hear it and he was all "no problem sir!" and took off happily.

[pontiacs4ever1971]

I had a situation like this in St.Louis. the women wanted $$ for food. I told her I was not going to give her $$ but would walk with her and buy her some food. She called me a mother ****er and walked off.

[Bob Hall]

Originally Posted by John62

I wanted to look into the big charities a bit more. It makes me wonder if they are doing good or not.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/charities.asp

Useful website I use at work for all the charity cold calls we get.
http://www.charitynavigator.org/

[BOB VIDAN]

We had a guy in this area who really knew how to work it. He "worked" an intersection and would use the hungry vet sign using only one arm and always wore a jacket with the other sleeve of the jacket just hanging there empty as is he was missing an arm. Later in the day he would switch sides of the street and "work" it. Only problem was the hanging, empty sleeve now had an arm holding a sign in it and the other sleeve was empty.

[poncho-mike]

Right before we moved from Charlotte, my wife and I were going to the local Sam's club in Matthews. Standing on the corner was a man with a young child, maybe 4 - 5 years old. His sign said his family was homeless and hungry.

We went inside Sams club and my wife decided get some things for him. She bought a large can of BBQ beans, some beanie weenies for the kid, and some vienna saugages, basically stuff that didn't have to be refrigerated and could be eaten right away.

On the way out, she called him over and gave him the bag. He looked in it, cursed at her and said "I ain't eatin' this s**t" and threw it in the window. It really hurt her.

I've helped out a few pan handlers over the years that really looked like they needed it, but most I've seen lately dress as well as I do.

[David Jones]

I get on and off of I-20/59 at an exit about 4 miles from my house. The stop sign at the bottom of the exit and the traffic signal below it constantly have panhandlers. Sometimes one at both places. Couples. Men. Women. Sometimes you'll see the same person for weeks. One guy built quite a pile of random crap under the bridge over a period of months. Over the years I've been through there the total number of people would be in the hundreds.
I never roll the window down.
Hard ass? Guess so.
I'd need a second job.

Come to think of it, they've every one been white. Interesting.

[necdb3]

I refuse to give money to someone on the corner. In MOST cases, if they can stand on a corner and beg for money, they can get a job. I think giving it to them enables them. If everyone stopped giving, they would have to work. They are only there because people will give to them.

I know I sound like a bastard but I give elsewhere, I found elderly people that I have known for years in my own developments that need help with meals, rides to Dr. visits, cutting their lawn, and general repairs ect. At least then you know exactly where the money is going and 100% of it. I feel better spending a dollar knowing where the whole dollar went.

Like has been said previously, unless you follow a pan handler for 24 hours, you have no idea what kind of life they lead. It could be a very lucrative one at your expense. Some have nice easy lives and work less than 40 hours a week.

On the same line,

My brother lives in Herndon Va. and it's amazing how many people are waiting outside of a 7-11 looking for odd jobs. I would never employ them either. They are getting paid in cash, not reporting it, not paying taxes, getting food stamps, and free healthcare. The thought of handing them money so they can cost me more in taxes is insane. I guess on a good note, at least they are working for it.

I'm done my rant

[pugslyx234]

I really like to see panhandlers smoking cigs. It gives me a warm an fuzzy feeling, so if they have smokes they have food $.

[68BeaumontSD]

Several years ago I was working in Maryland. On the way back to my motel late one night one of these guys came up to me and gave me a hard luck story about his delivery truck running out of fuel and needing a couple dollars for fuel. This guy had a uniform on with the name of a delivery company so I gave him $2 or $3. 3 or 4 days later at around the same time the same guy came up to me with the same story. Needless to say, I had a few choice words for the guy. Since then I have never given a panhandler money.
James

[JSPONT]

I go to 7-11 a lot to buy my morning caffeine fix. I feel a good thing to do is whenever there is a military person in uniform, I buy him his breakfast/coffee and thank him for his service. Happened 3 times in 7-11 once in a local deli.
It's takes a special person to join these days with all the coward bastards blowing them up in hiding.

[Bob Dillon]

When my woman was a law office courier, she used to go to San Francisco City Hall every day. She's a good person with a tender heart, especially for animals.

She usually ignored the gauntlet of homeless, crazy, shouting, smelly pissbums that infest downtown San Francisco, but one day she saw a guy with a dog and a sign that said "I need dog food." The next day, she took a bag of dog food with her and walked up and handed to him.

Her "thanks" was to be berated by the miserable crud for being willing to "feed a DOG and letting a HUMAN go hungry!"

That was pretty much the end of her personal interaction with the more needy members of our society.

[Bob Dillon]

Originally Posted by rexs73gto

A few years back I needed help & there were some on here that helped me out with some funds that gave me the chance to not only give my daughter a Christmas but helped to get me up & back on my feet to be able to stay in my home. I didn't get a lot of money from the ones who gave to me but the amount was not as helpful as the good I felt inside when the money came to me. I'm not shy about saying I got about $ 375.00 total which isn't a lot but it gave me the extra boost to be able to feel good enough about myself to be able to let may daughter have a good Christmas. I had just come out of the hospital from a triple bypass & had nothing but bad luck with that as I had spent almost 2 months in the hospital because of the problems that came with the bypass. If you know a bypass usually is about 10-15 days only in the hospital & I was there 2 months. I to look at the people who are out on the corners & try to see if they need it or not , but because there was a number of you guys here that helped me when I needed it I try when i can to give back to. I even today live on a small fixed income that doesn't go very far but I try to stretch it as far as I can & still make it ok for me & my daughter now. So Please don't let the bad of some make it hard on the ones that really do need it. I don't have a lot but I try to give when I can. For all of those who did help me a few years ago I know I said thank you on this site at that time but I still & again want it to be known that you the ones who did help me when I needed it ,,,, Thank You from the bottom of my heart & may GOD Bless you all. !!! Merry Christmas, & Happy New Year.

Well said, Rex. As you can attest as well as several others here, Pontiac people are some of the world's best. That you make every effort to pay it forward is all to your credit.

As to the amount you can afford, remember the parable of the Widow's Two Mites.

[nas t eh]

I'm not a facebook guy but I just read that MarK Z. plans to donate 99% of his 45billion in stock over the course of his lifetime. Following in the footsteps of Warren Buffet and the Gates'.
Good on them.

I have been taken a time or two by fake homeless guys/gals, I'm more careful now and like many of you usually only buy them meals now. Some accept the meal and some don't, I'll continue to offer meals when asked for something and be happy when the truly needy accept.

99% of the time I don't think the clever sign guys and gals standing on the side of the road are needy, so they get nothing. Same with most of those who approach me in a parking lot.

[Bazooka]

One time a dirty shaggy haired homeless looking guy asked me for some change as I was leaving a convenience store. He said he was hungry and wanted to get something to eat. I handed him a couple dollars worth of change I had in my pocket. I got in my car and drove over to the car wash next door. A few minutes later I see him walking down the sidewalk not realizing I was there carrying a fresh 40 oz. bottle of miller...

[android 211]

Never give to the homeless. You are only buying crack, meth or booze.