Once we spotted an obvious alcoholic begging outside the corner of the downtown mall. We drove out of the garage, pulled up to the corner, and I hopped out and gave him $20. What was interesting was about fifteen teens had walked out and now stood behind him—and the shocked looks on their faces said they’d not considered giving him anything! He ran across the street right into the Steak n Shake.
Another time I carried packs of peanut butter crackers. The angered man nearly spit in my face. “I don’t want no food!”
It’s too crazy here now with carjacking so we only donate to a local shelter.
I usually carry dollars, or even a $5 with tracts. Sometimes I don't have the opportunity to access. Those along a road at a traffic light. I use to be unwilling to give knowing most don't use it wisely. I was convicted when I thought of the 'good Samaritan'. I'm accountable for my response when I see the 'poor'. They are accountable with what they do for it. That's why I always share tracts too. Ray Comfort tracts are very good.
Let us pray so as not to fall into the condescension of those who allow themselves to judge without knowing.
I do speak with street beggars.
And I wonder if I would support what they endure in the so-called "shelters": theft, violence, promiscuity ...
And if I would not fall into alcohol or drugs myself to bear the contempt or the indifference of those who lack nothing towards those who have lost everything.
When I was seven, I barely survived a mass murder. I have two severe injuries, the worst of which by far is a traumatic brain injury. By the time I was of college age, I was far too sick to be a student. I was never able to work. I lived with my parents until their deaths when I was fifty.
I was homeless for nine horrible weeks. ( That is a redundancy. Keep this image in mind if you want an image of a homeless person: a man in his early twenties, sobbing his eyes out. I saw him at a homeless shelter during my own homelessness. ) Eventually, I had enough money scraped together to rent an apartment in a house built in 1905. That was in December, 2002. I am still in that apartment. It's good enough, but for twelve years, I had to sleep on the floor.
Some bureaucrats are truly dear people. Others are sociopaths. A federal administrative law judge lied successfully to me to keep me from receiving disability money I was legally entitled to.
Many workers in medical officers are equally dear. Some are sociopaths. One sociopath, a woman whom I would not go to bed with because I am a Christian, sabotaged a disability hearing of mine. I think it's around $250,000 in income I have lost because of her action and that of the unjust judge.
Sociopaths overrun America in our evil time. One other is a first cousin of mine. In the 1980s he was on the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ. He married the only daughter of an extremely wealthy man, and for thirty five years has lived in Franklin, TN, a Top 1% town. He himself is of limited ability. He could never have earned his way in.
Ten years ago, after the death of a widowed, childless aunt in her late eighties FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE FAMILY, I learned that my cousin had persuaded my aunt to disinherit me in favor of a wealthy friend. I had been looking forward to the inheritance because I was going to need it. I had always felt funny about my cousin's "Christianity," and this turned out to be yet another example of gut wisdom. My godly cousin is in reality an evil man. He had hoped to murder me indirectly. But he is a fool. He's still something of a big shot in his huge church in Franklin, but a few months after he convinced my aunt to disinherit me, my cousin was caught in a political scandal which he could not have dealt with more incompetently. Word of my cousin's awfulness took a few years to spread, but spread it did. He had been handling the public relations of about seventy five small, Christian owned businesses in the South and Southeast. Five years after I learned I had been disinherited, the man whose defamation of me brought it about had lost all of his clients.
God means what He says about our trusting Him to take vengeance on our behalf.
In late 2015, the president signed a bill which permits people to contribute money to special accounts for disabled people on highly restricted amounts of Social Security. I asked my church to contribute. They have and they do, every month. It has made the difference for me between desperate, probably unsurvivable poverty and a total income which I do quite well on.
Ten years after the woman in my doctor's office sabotaged my disability hearing, something she got by with for several reasons, she, too, tried to kill me. ( That makes three people altogether who have tried to murder me, four if you count the administrative law judge. ) She has the I.Q. of an avocado, and thought she could get away with keeping medical test results on me from my doctor. She ended up going to federal prison. The vengeance of the Lord again.
Every word of the foregoing is true. I've excluded much and compressed much because I'm getting hungry and you're getting tired of reading me! I do urge you to err on the side of foolishness, not of stinginess. At The Judgment Seat of Christ you won't have to answer for a knave's taking advantage of your kindness.
We were in ministry to the homeless in the 1990s. Very different world then. In my smaller midwest city now, if a homeless person asks for help, I'll offer to buy him/her a meal. Then we go to a nearby food outlet, and I purchase a meal. That's worked fine. I also periodically put together a bag of easy food items, plus some other things I know they can use - paper, envelope, pen, bandaids, washcloth, plastic utensils, and offer homeless folks that. They are always grateful. I also offer a Bible and rarely do they not want that. They are glad to get one. I buy those at a dollar store, $1.25 a piece. Usually, also, just having a short chat with them means a lot too. They are terribly lonely and it helps them to unload some of their grief. Of course, the people I encounter and engage are not high or drunk. With those I do minimally. But never give money. If you offer clothing items, make sure they are out of the original package. Brand new can be hocked for money. It's tough. We were homeless ourselves at one point and my husband was very ill. I would offer to buy medicine if someone asked too. And ask their name! That's means you really do care. And then pray for them.
God bless you for helping and wanting to help. You could not be more mistaken about the clothing, however.
Do you know what the primary cause of death was in the West End of London at the time of Jack the Ripper, 1888?
Suicide.
Does any idea of the why of it pop into your head? It wasn't the desperate poverty, the malnutrition, four people to a bed, or the lack of a moment's privacy.
The chief reason people committed suicide or attempted it was they could no longer stand the physical filth of their circumstances. Isn't that heartbreaking?
I don't doubt that any clothing items you give to the homeless are immaculate. Still, what man or woman wants a hand - me - down, the exception being possibly a vintage item of clothing?
The homeless are the least respected people in our country. People tend to consider them scum, to laugh at them, in some instances, to target them. Being homeless is a condition which however the person got there is a constant whipsaw at the person's ability to maintain any sense of dignity.
I can't come up with a more Christian way to express to a homeless person that the person matters than to give new clothing in unopened packages to them. And no, obviously, I am not suggesting that these items must be in the chi chi category. Over a decade ago, I bought a half dozen men's dress shirts at WalMart for under twenty dollars a piece. I'm still wearing them. A package of male briefs or T shirts or socks is not expensive.
You would know far more about women's clothing than I would, but I know that either sex can dress neatly but inexpensively, and I believe that such gifts to the homeless please God very much.
Where we ministered, the homeless (and some of them were one step above that, had a temp place to live), got their clothing at second hand stores. Often they used a voucher they got from an agency serving them, like a shelter.
They never did laundry. Ever. They’d wear something for a time, then throw it out. There are some people I would offer to get something new. But those who live on the street, sleep in dumpsters, do not care about their appearance. They have zero hygiene. It takes discernment to know when to help a person up. You are right in this sense though. I once worked for a doctor who went to prisons periodically to do dermatology on the felons. He said that did more for their morale than anything. I get that. But the folks we dealt with would immediately take anything new to a hock shop. They’d get free commodities and sell those 50cents on the dollar, at bars. Money is what they’re after, not self-esteem.
It's a hard call. Years ago, 60 Minutes did a documentary on an actual university in North Carolina that taught you how to be a pan handler!
In my area there are a more than a few people in hard times. If I see someone hitch hiking up to town or out of town, I'll give them a ride. There are people with signs asking for money for gas, etc. I say a prayer and ask for some guidance. Some I feel urged to help and some it feels like a con that they are maybe pro or for drugs.
Thanks, Jim, for this article. It does seem to be a growing problem. I've been in a number of bible studies, classes, etc., where this question comes up and it always generates discussion around a variety of approaches/solutions. In my experience, most Christians land where you did, but it still seems somehow dissatisfying. I almost never give cash to street-corner beggars as I've decided that is the wisest choice. But every time I don't it leaves me a bit of a sense of wondering if I'm making the right decision. Thank you again for your balanced perspective.
It's not the wisest choice. Doesn't the Lord say that if someone asks us for our coat, we should give him that and our cloak, too. We are expected to understand what He meant: it certainly includes the possibility of direct financial help.
What the person does with what you give him he'll have to answer for. And yes, you'll have to answer for your decision to give or not to give.
Being homeless assaults a person's dignity in the best of circumstances. Everything in our "culture" seems to conspire to make a homeless person feel as if he is a nothing. Homelessness takes everything away from someone. We all know that, and that is why the possibility that it might happen to us terrifies us.
Why wouldn't you give money to a homeless person? It's hard enough for someone to beg. Being given something for one's begging at least confers a little dignity upon the beggar. I realize that you have to use your gut. There are some people you shouldn't give to because it's obvious that they're going to use it to buy drugs or alcohol. But the homeless need to eat, too. They may need clothing. God knows, they need a place to live. Very probably, they need medical care.
I think the town in Canada is Guelph. It's probably in Ontario. I read about what I am about to say years ago, so I can't be sure. I do know that for a period of two years in the mid seventies, the government, probably provincial, not national, tried an experiment. There was an income cutoff for it, and there may have been a graduated level of money distribution, with middle class persons receiving less than people with lower income, but during that two years, the government gave a modest amount of money to each eligible person, no strings attached. They wanted one thing in return, that the recipients keep receipts for what they did with their stipends.
When the experiment ended, the great majority of participants turned in their receipts. A small percentage had been foolish. A small percentage is guaranteed always to be foolish. But the vast majority had used to money to buy a used car to get to work, to buy good and necessary things for their children, to pay college tuition, and so on.
I've been homeless. I was homeless for nine weeks in the autumn of 2002, and in the upper Midwest, at that. I was not homeless because of laziness or drug use. I've been physically severely disabled since I was seven. I'm one of those people who is usually written off as having fallen through the cracks. I survived it, barely, though I had to humiliate myself in ways I will not talk about ( bureaucracies and extended family, not selling sex ).
For twelve years after that, I had to live on less than $1,000 per month. I have the same apartment I have had since December, 2002. It's one of three apartments which is in a house which was built in 1905 ( down-market Addams family ). My landlord is a good and godly man, but between 2002 - 2014, I had to sleep on the floor.
The life of the poor in the United States is brutal, and I urge you to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Thanks for the thoughtful reply. It’s a tough issue. In my view, and in my experience, there are many reasons not to give to everyone who asks you. And, of course, there are many reasons to give to some who ask you. I do not think it’s wise as a steward of God’s resources to give indiscriminately to anyone who asks. How do I know someone is homeless? How do I know they are needy? Appearances are (often intentionally) deceiving. That’s why I believe it’s better to give through an organization closer to the facts of a person’s circumstances. I’m open to becoming a better steward, but I will continue following my conscience before the Lord.
When my children were little, we were leaving a Costco parking lot, we had purchased some pizza and my 14-year-old daughter at the time said let’s give our pizza to the guy on the corner, which we all agreed we would do, as we were driving away my daughter yells at me “he just threw our pizza in the bushes!!!”
I have struggled with the problem you describe. You are correct when you say many street-corner beggars are looking for money to support an addiction. There's another dimension to those who beg on the street - illegal aliens beg also. Charities are absolutely the best option. Scripture warns against enabling sin. Proverbs 29:24 says
“The partner of a thief hates his own life; he hears the curse but discloses nothing.” So providing the ability to continue in sin is a sin itself. I don't give money to street beggars. I do give to charities with a proven track record.
You are 100 percent correct that most of the ones begging are doing so because of drug or alcohol addictions. I remember back in the early 70s when I was in college and didn't have much money, I was approached by a person begging. I asked him what he needed money for as it was early morning and I thought perhaps he was wanting some kind of breakfast. His response was "Do you want the truth or a lie". I said I preferred the truth. He said "I got the habit". I didn't ask him what his habit was and I think I gave him a dollar at the time and told him that I would rather he got something to eat. What he did was up to him. Did I help further his "habit'? Perhaps, but at the time I thought it was my duty to help as a Christian. But there are other ways to help. Today I occasionally donate to food banks if I have any extra, which is rare these days as well.
What to do is stop looking for others to blame because we feel helpless about the circumstances that are going to get worst. Instead, just do whatever God will have you to do, me included. We like to talk about the government and at the same time ask, "what would Jesus do?" He did what God had Him to do; He did not lean on the government because it is on His shoulders. Thanks for this message, I know your heart is in it.
Hi Jim, thanks for this article. I am a Christian. I am struggling. I am disabled from a car accident and a stroke. I have been trying to get housing for 12 years. I live in rooms, in houses where landlords are not vetted. Very abusive. I have been to court several times. Local counties give me a hard time. The state gives me a hard time due to being in a disaster (hurricane Sandy). I am fighting fema with a senator for the disaster money I never received. Fema has deterred my housing for some reason, and I am not the only one on the state of NJ.
As far as the local counties, they say there is no place for the disabled, yet, there are apts going up everywhere! I am trying to get a proposal out to interview disabled people who are able to live together. Still no luck. I live in fear everyday, living in my car. I pray so hard, and I am still waiting on an answer.
My current landlord is horrible, I have been to court several times in 2 years. Not due to eviction , due to uninhabitability. I win, he doesn’t do the repairs, I keep getting sick and it’s so upsetting. I wish I had an out. Or even an attorney. I keep fighting the good fight and I hold my belief very dear! Please pray.
Thanks again for the article. I left Cali in 1995. Before my accident. I agree, I got out when it started with the tents. That has to change. There are so many empty bldgs in Los Angeles. And that’s my point, house the responsible homeless.
Personally, I think that money should not be handed out. Homeless, should be vetted and put together to help one another. There are no programs like this. I am determined not to be on the street. I can’t I am in too much pain, but I am willing to help someone who needs more help than I do. I think Jesus would be happy to see people helping each other this way, than money. I hope this helps with a different perspective. I would just love to have a roof over my head, so I can paint again. If the Lord wants it, He will provide. Amen! 🙏🏻
Lisa, I have a story which isn't dissimilar to yours, except that I don't have the leadership instincts which you have. But I have been severely disabled since childhood. For nearly fifteen years I lived on less than $1,000 per month. For twelve years I slept on the floor of my apartment.
Thank God for my church. You don't mention a fellowship. Do you have one? You need one, as everyone does, but the poor need one desperately. You need allies, healthy people, and you need financial help.
Churches which please God have strong Diaconates, whose duty it is to help people such as us. If it weren't for the Diaconate of my church, I would have had to kill myself. I know how hard it can be for people in our situation to approach a church, but there are churches which strive to please God, and I urge you to seek one out.
Thank you, Bobby. I have been looking. It’s very hard. I have had bad experiences with churches. I ask if you could please pray. There are a lot of global churches here. And I am confused where to go! Thank you for your kind words 🥰
I run a Christ centered transitional home for homeless women. We offer 9 months of living, teaching job skills and offer help finding housing after they’ve saved while in the program. Addiction causes mental illness, mental illness causes criminal activity. Giving them cash without them having a willingness to change something is damaging them more. Give to programs that help them make better choices. I sometimes buy food (McDonalds, etc) if the Holy Spirit directs that. I NEVER give cash.
Linda, within the last twenty years, two studies of homeless men, the first in Toronto, the second in Dallas, were done. The studies were independent. Each study found the same thing: 50% of homeless men have had traumatic brain injuries.
Your talk of "better choices" is hollow against such a terrible thing. I am convinced that one reason there is such a strong incidence of drug and alcohol use by the homeless is desperate self medication.
I don't mean to be chiding. You are doing God's work. But while "choices" may be the cause of homelessness for many, for just as many, it is not.
I only work with women and I’ve not met any with traumatic brain injuries. Much trauma but mostly molestation (about 98%). Family destruction in America is very high with many of the women I’ve worked with coming from broken homes. I’m not trying to place blame. When someone truly finds Jesus, I see a change happen in their focus. After 19 years of serving, I know only Christ changes any of us. Sorry if your studies don’t support my experience in Reno, NV.
Once we spotted an obvious alcoholic begging outside the corner of the downtown mall. We drove out of the garage, pulled up to the corner, and I hopped out and gave him $20. What was interesting was about fifteen teens had walked out and now stood behind him—and the shocked looks on their faces said they’d not considered giving him anything! He ran across the street right into the Steak n Shake.
Another time I carried packs of peanut butter crackers. The angered man nearly spit in my face. “I don’t want no food!”
It’s too crazy here now with carjacking so we only donate to a local shelter.
I usually carry dollars, or even a $5 with tracts. Sometimes I don't have the opportunity to access. Those along a road at a traffic light. I use to be unwilling to give knowing most don't use it wisely. I was convicted when I thought of the 'good Samaritan'. I'm accountable for my response when I see the 'poor'. They are accountable with what they do for it. That's why I always share tracts too. Ray Comfort tracts are very good.
Thank you for this perspective from your experience. It makes sense to me.
Support trusted charities that are in a position to vet the homeless. Support those organizations who can do it best.
Let us pray so as not to fall into the condescension of those who allow themselves to judge without knowing.
I do speak with street beggars.
And I wonder if I would support what they endure in the so-called "shelters": theft, violence, promiscuity ...
And if I would not fall into alcohol or drugs myself to bear the contempt or the indifference of those who lack nothing towards those who have lost everything.
Because me too, one day, I could lose everything.
Oh, my. Well, here's my story:
When I was seven, I barely survived a mass murder. I have two severe injuries, the worst of which by far is a traumatic brain injury. By the time I was of college age, I was far too sick to be a student. I was never able to work. I lived with my parents until their deaths when I was fifty.
I was homeless for nine horrible weeks. ( That is a redundancy. Keep this image in mind if you want an image of a homeless person: a man in his early twenties, sobbing his eyes out. I saw him at a homeless shelter during my own homelessness. ) Eventually, I had enough money scraped together to rent an apartment in a house built in 1905. That was in December, 2002. I am still in that apartment. It's good enough, but for twelve years, I had to sleep on the floor.
Some bureaucrats are truly dear people. Others are sociopaths. A federal administrative law judge lied successfully to me to keep me from receiving disability money I was legally entitled to.
Many workers in medical officers are equally dear. Some are sociopaths. One sociopath, a woman whom I would not go to bed with because I am a Christian, sabotaged a disability hearing of mine. I think it's around $250,000 in income I have lost because of her action and that of the unjust judge.
Sociopaths overrun America in our evil time. One other is a first cousin of mine. In the 1980s he was on the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ. He married the only daughter of an extremely wealthy man, and for thirty five years has lived in Franklin, TN, a Top 1% town. He himself is of limited ability. He could never have earned his way in.
Ten years ago, after the death of a widowed, childless aunt in her late eighties FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE FAMILY, I learned that my cousin had persuaded my aunt to disinherit me in favor of a wealthy friend. I had been looking forward to the inheritance because I was going to need it. I had always felt funny about my cousin's "Christianity," and this turned out to be yet another example of gut wisdom. My godly cousin is in reality an evil man. He had hoped to murder me indirectly. But he is a fool. He's still something of a big shot in his huge church in Franklin, but a few months after he convinced my aunt to disinherit me, my cousin was caught in a political scandal which he could not have dealt with more incompetently. Word of my cousin's awfulness took a few years to spread, but spread it did. He had been handling the public relations of about seventy five small, Christian owned businesses in the South and Southeast. Five years after I learned I had been disinherited, the man whose defamation of me brought it about had lost all of his clients.
God means what He says about our trusting Him to take vengeance on our behalf.
In late 2015, the president signed a bill which permits people to contribute money to special accounts for disabled people on highly restricted amounts of Social Security. I asked my church to contribute. They have and they do, every month. It has made the difference for me between desperate, probably unsurvivable poverty and a total income which I do quite well on.
Ten years after the woman in my doctor's office sabotaged my disability hearing, something she got by with for several reasons, she, too, tried to kill me. ( That makes three people altogether who have tried to murder me, four if you count the administrative law judge. ) She has the I.Q. of an avocado, and thought she could get away with keeping medical test results on me from my doctor. She ended up going to federal prison. The vengeance of the Lord again.
Every word of the foregoing is true. I've excluded much and compressed much because I'm getting hungry and you're getting tired of reading me! I do urge you to err on the side of foolishness, not of stinginess. At The Judgment Seat of Christ you won't have to answer for a knave's taking advantage of your kindness.
I hand out Gideon Bibles and bottles of water.
We were in ministry to the homeless in the 1990s. Very different world then. In my smaller midwest city now, if a homeless person asks for help, I'll offer to buy him/her a meal. Then we go to a nearby food outlet, and I purchase a meal. That's worked fine. I also periodically put together a bag of easy food items, plus some other things I know they can use - paper, envelope, pen, bandaids, washcloth, plastic utensils, and offer homeless folks that. They are always grateful. I also offer a Bible and rarely do they not want that. They are glad to get one. I buy those at a dollar store, $1.25 a piece. Usually, also, just having a short chat with them means a lot too. They are terribly lonely and it helps them to unload some of their grief. Of course, the people I encounter and engage are not high or drunk. With those I do minimally. But never give money. If you offer clothing items, make sure they are out of the original package. Brand new can be hocked for money. It's tough. We were homeless ourselves at one point and my husband was very ill. I would offer to buy medicine if someone asked too. And ask their name! That's means you really do care. And then pray for them.
God bless you for helping and wanting to help. You could not be more mistaken about the clothing, however.
Do you know what the primary cause of death was in the West End of London at the time of Jack the Ripper, 1888?
Suicide.
Does any idea of the why of it pop into your head? It wasn't the desperate poverty, the malnutrition, four people to a bed, or the lack of a moment's privacy.
The chief reason people committed suicide or attempted it was they could no longer stand the physical filth of their circumstances. Isn't that heartbreaking?
I don't doubt that any clothing items you give to the homeless are immaculate. Still, what man or woman wants a hand - me - down, the exception being possibly a vintage item of clothing?
The homeless are the least respected people in our country. People tend to consider them scum, to laugh at them, in some instances, to target them. Being homeless is a condition which however the person got there is a constant whipsaw at the person's ability to maintain any sense of dignity.
I can't come up with a more Christian way to express to a homeless person that the person matters than to give new clothing in unopened packages to them. And no, obviously, I am not suggesting that these items must be in the chi chi category. Over a decade ago, I bought a half dozen men's dress shirts at WalMart for under twenty dollars a piece. I'm still wearing them. A package of male briefs or T shirts or socks is not expensive.
You would know far more about women's clothing than I would, but I know that either sex can dress neatly but inexpensively, and I believe that such gifts to the homeless please God very much.
Where we ministered, the homeless (and some of them were one step above that, had a temp place to live), got their clothing at second hand stores. Often they used a voucher they got from an agency serving them, like a shelter.
They never did laundry. Ever. They’d wear something for a time, then throw it out. There are some people I would offer to get something new. But those who live on the street, sleep in dumpsters, do not care about their appearance. They have zero hygiene. It takes discernment to know when to help a person up. You are right in this sense though. I once worked for a doctor who went to prisons periodically to do dermatology on the felons. He said that did more for their morale than anything. I get that. But the folks we dealt with would immediately take anything new to a hock shop. They’d get free commodities and sell those 50cents on the dollar, at bars. Money is what they’re after, not self-esteem.
It's a hard call. Years ago, 60 Minutes did a documentary on an actual university in North Carolina that taught you how to be a pan handler!
In my area there are a more than a few people in hard times. If I see someone hitch hiking up to town or out of town, I'll give them a ride. There are people with signs asking for money for gas, etc. I say a prayer and ask for some guidance. Some I feel urged to help and some it feels like a con that they are maybe pro or for drugs.
Thanks, Jim, for this article. It does seem to be a growing problem. I've been in a number of bible studies, classes, etc., where this question comes up and it always generates discussion around a variety of approaches/solutions. In my experience, most Christians land where you did, but it still seems somehow dissatisfying. I almost never give cash to street-corner beggars as I've decided that is the wisest choice. But every time I don't it leaves me a bit of a sense of wondering if I'm making the right decision. Thank you again for your balanced perspective.
It's not the wisest choice. Doesn't the Lord say that if someone asks us for our coat, we should give him that and our cloak, too. We are expected to understand what He meant: it certainly includes the possibility of direct financial help.
What the person does with what you give him he'll have to answer for. And yes, you'll have to answer for your decision to give or not to give.
Being homeless assaults a person's dignity in the best of circumstances. Everything in our "culture" seems to conspire to make a homeless person feel as if he is a nothing. Homelessness takes everything away from someone. We all know that, and that is why the possibility that it might happen to us terrifies us.
Why wouldn't you give money to a homeless person? It's hard enough for someone to beg. Being given something for one's begging at least confers a little dignity upon the beggar. I realize that you have to use your gut. There are some people you shouldn't give to because it's obvious that they're going to use it to buy drugs or alcohol. But the homeless need to eat, too. They may need clothing. God knows, they need a place to live. Very probably, they need medical care.
I think the town in Canada is Guelph. It's probably in Ontario. I read about what I am about to say years ago, so I can't be sure. I do know that for a period of two years in the mid seventies, the government, probably provincial, not national, tried an experiment. There was an income cutoff for it, and there may have been a graduated level of money distribution, with middle class persons receiving less than people with lower income, but during that two years, the government gave a modest amount of money to each eligible person, no strings attached. They wanted one thing in return, that the recipients keep receipts for what they did with their stipends.
When the experiment ended, the great majority of participants turned in their receipts. A small percentage had been foolish. A small percentage is guaranteed always to be foolish. But the vast majority had used to money to buy a used car to get to work, to buy good and necessary things for their children, to pay college tuition, and so on.
I've been homeless. I was homeless for nine weeks in the autumn of 2002, and in the upper Midwest, at that. I was not homeless because of laziness or drug use. I've been physically severely disabled since I was seven. I'm one of those people who is usually written off as having fallen through the cracks. I survived it, barely, though I had to humiliate myself in ways I will not talk about ( bureaucracies and extended family, not selling sex ).
For twelve years after that, I had to live on less than $1,000 per month. I have the same apartment I have had since December, 2002. It's one of three apartments which is in a house which was built in 1905 ( down-market Addams family ). My landlord is a good and godly man, but between 2002 - 2014, I had to sleep on the floor.
The life of the poor in the United States is brutal, and I urge you to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Thanks for the thoughtful reply. It’s a tough issue. In my view, and in my experience, there are many reasons not to give to everyone who asks you. And, of course, there are many reasons to give to some who ask you. I do not think it’s wise as a steward of God’s resources to give indiscriminately to anyone who asks. How do I know someone is homeless? How do I know they are needy? Appearances are (often intentionally) deceiving. That’s why I believe it’s better to give through an organization closer to the facts of a person’s circumstances. I’m open to becoming a better steward, but I will continue following my conscience before the Lord.
When my children were little, we were leaving a Costco parking lot, we had purchased some pizza and my 14-year-old daughter at the time said let’s give our pizza to the guy on the corner, which we all agreed we would do, as we were driving away my daughter yells at me “he just threw our pizza in the bushes!!!”
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I have struggled with the problem you describe. You are correct when you say many street-corner beggars are looking for money to support an addiction. There's another dimension to those who beg on the street - illegal aliens beg also. Charities are absolutely the best option. Scripture warns against enabling sin. Proverbs 29:24 says
“The partner of a thief hates his own life; he hears the curse but discloses nothing.” So providing the ability to continue in sin is a sin itself. I don't give money to street beggars. I do give to charities with a proven track record.
You are 100 percent correct that most of the ones begging are doing so because of drug or alcohol addictions. I remember back in the early 70s when I was in college and didn't have much money, I was approached by a person begging. I asked him what he needed money for as it was early morning and I thought perhaps he was wanting some kind of breakfast. His response was "Do you want the truth or a lie". I said I preferred the truth. He said "I got the habit". I didn't ask him what his habit was and I think I gave him a dollar at the time and told him that I would rather he got something to eat. What he did was up to him. Did I help further his "habit'? Perhaps, but at the time I thought it was my duty to help as a Christian. But there are other ways to help. Today I occasionally donate to food banks if I have any extra, which is rare these days as well.
What to do is stop looking for others to blame because we feel helpless about the circumstances that are going to get worst. Instead, just do whatever God will have you to do, me included. We like to talk about the government and at the same time ask, "what would Jesus do?" He did what God had Him to do; He did not lean on the government because it is on His shoulders. Thanks for this message, I know your heart is in it.
Hi Jim, thanks for this article. I am a Christian. I am struggling. I am disabled from a car accident and a stroke. I have been trying to get housing for 12 years. I live in rooms, in houses where landlords are not vetted. Very abusive. I have been to court several times. Local counties give me a hard time. The state gives me a hard time due to being in a disaster (hurricane Sandy). I am fighting fema with a senator for the disaster money I never received. Fema has deterred my housing for some reason, and I am not the only one on the state of NJ.
As far as the local counties, they say there is no place for the disabled, yet, there are apts going up everywhere! I am trying to get a proposal out to interview disabled people who are able to live together. Still no luck. I live in fear everyday, living in my car. I pray so hard, and I am still waiting on an answer.
My current landlord is horrible, I have been to court several times in 2 years. Not due to eviction , due to uninhabitability. I win, he doesn’t do the repairs, I keep getting sick and it’s so upsetting. I wish I had an out. Or even an attorney. I keep fighting the good fight and I hold my belief very dear! Please pray.
Thanks again for the article. I left Cali in 1995. Before my accident. I agree, I got out when it started with the tents. That has to change. There are so many empty bldgs in Los Angeles. And that’s my point, house the responsible homeless.
Personally, I think that money should not be handed out. Homeless, should be vetted and put together to help one another. There are no programs like this. I am determined not to be on the street. I can’t I am in too much pain, but I am willing to help someone who needs more help than I do. I think Jesus would be happy to see people helping each other this way, than money. I hope this helps with a different perspective. I would just love to have a roof over my head, so I can paint again. If the Lord wants it, He will provide. Amen! 🙏🏻
Lisa, I have a story which isn't dissimilar to yours, except that I don't have the leadership instincts which you have. But I have been severely disabled since childhood. For nearly fifteen years I lived on less than $1,000 per month. For twelve years I slept on the floor of my apartment.
Thank God for my church. You don't mention a fellowship. Do you have one? You need one, as everyone does, but the poor need one desperately. You need allies, healthy people, and you need financial help.
Churches which please God have strong Diaconates, whose duty it is to help people such as us. If it weren't for the Diaconate of my church, I would have had to kill myself. I know how hard it can be for people in our situation to approach a church, but there are churches which strive to please God, and I urge you to seek one out.
Thank you, Bobby. I have been looking. It’s very hard. I have had bad experiences with churches. I ask if you could please pray. There are a lot of global churches here. And I am confused where to go! Thank you for your kind words 🥰
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Lisa, try https://tms.edu/find-a-church/. They are not all perfect, but it is a start. Let me know if you have any luck...
I run a Christ centered transitional home for homeless women. We offer 9 months of living, teaching job skills and offer help finding housing after they’ve saved while in the program. Addiction causes mental illness, mental illness causes criminal activity. Giving them cash without them having a willingness to change something is damaging them more. Give to programs that help them make better choices. I sometimes buy food (McDonalds, etc) if the Holy Spirit directs that. I NEVER give cash.
Linda, within the last twenty years, two studies of homeless men, the first in Toronto, the second in Dallas, were done. The studies were independent. Each study found the same thing: 50% of homeless men have had traumatic brain injuries.
Your talk of "better choices" is hollow against such a terrible thing. I am convinced that one reason there is such a strong incidence of drug and alcohol use by the homeless is desperate self medication.
I don't mean to be chiding. You are doing God's work. But while "choices" may be the cause of homelessness for many, for just as many, it is not.
I only work with women and I’ve not met any with traumatic brain injuries. Much trauma but mostly molestation (about 98%). Family destruction in America is very high with many of the women I’ve worked with coming from broken homes. I’m not trying to place blame. When someone truly finds Jesus, I see a change happen in their focus. After 19 years of serving, I know only Christ changes any of us. Sorry if your studies don’t support my experience in Reno, NV.