Some days are great, others are not...but no matter what twists and turns I encounter, you can be sure I'm going to write about it!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Will Work For Food?

I don't get it. I don't get people who feel so low and desperate to earn a buck that they need to sit at the corner of freeway off ramps with a sign stating how much help they need.

I've been the good Samaritan and given money, or ran through a drive-thru and bought them breakfast...only to be scorned by friends and family after.

Today, however, I am annoyed by these people..even though my heart still goes out to them. Has life really gotten THAT BAD that they feel the need to beg on the corner to score their next meal? I'll be the first to tell you, although I've experienced MANY setbacks, life has never gotten that bad for me. Maybe that's something I should be thankful for.

Are these people who REALLY need help, or are they just scamming for a free ticket?

What are your thoughts on panhandlers/beggars/"will work for food" (but really want you to throw them a 20 and be on with your day) folks on the corner?

P.S. "Will work for food" does not mean sit on a corner with your dog, looking dirty and sad. Will work for food entails cleaning up, and applying yourself, be it through assistance or WHATEVER (there are many programs peeps...many many programs). (insert where I sound like an arse here).

2 comments:

  1. a lot of those "will work for food" or "anything you can spare helps" type people are actually making more money than most of us. There was a news special a few years ago on a guy like that who went home to his million dollar house. Sure, some of those people are legitimately in need, but some of them aren't. There's no real way to tell the difference.

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  2. I do not think that giving them a handout qualifies one as being a good citizen. It doesn't do anything to solve the situation, and it enables this sort of behavior. If we were genuinely concerned about their welfare, more people would be involved with the organizations that help to educate people and empower them so that they are able to get themselves off the streets. Instead of judging and wondering why they are asking for money or if they really need it, we should ask ourselves what we have done on a regular basis to empower the less fortunate.

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