Can You Spare Some Change Brotha/Sista?

I went through all of that to put "if" instead of "us". 

Looks like I need to CHANGE my Brain.

Shut Up Andrea......

Honestly, if I can afford it at the time and have cash on me, yes... I do.  It doesn't matter what the person's station is in life (hustler or honestly hard up), I'm a firm believer in the quote "You never know when you're entertaining angels".  If that person is lying about their true need, that's between them and God.  My conscience is clear.

the FEW times I have given - it's women ONLY!!! I have a SERIOUS problem being a single WOMAN parent handing an ABLE bodied MAN my change!!!!!

I know times are hard but no, I don't give money to people begging on the street.  When I choose to contribute to a charity I like to some accounting of where my $ will go. 

Hell I juggle more than one job and most fast food places are paying up to $10 per hr these days.

I have gave money on occasion. if i have it to spare. My thoughts are i cant worry about if you are lying or not.If you are telling me you need food or gas then turn around and spend it on a 40 or not.  In the end YOU will have to account for that. All i can do is pray that my little dollar was used in the way it was given for. As long as I do my duty then I'm good.

My answer is that it depends on the vibe I get from the person.  I live in L.A., and we are rife with hustlers.

I once offered (and did) buy a hamburger for a man standing outside of the neighborhood burger joint.  As I made my purchase, the counterperson even warned me against it saying that he usually tries to return the food for a cash refund (WTH) as soon as his benefactor leaves!!! 

I guess I understand the "entertaining angels" bit, but I hate to feel taken advantage of.  So I instructed her not to refund for ANY reason.  Further, although I had planned to take my food home,
I ate there instead.  Sure enough, the guy came back TWICE to return the food, but stopped short when he saw that I was still there...it was sad, but kinda funny...

People look at me all the time like I'm crazy, but I do give both money and food if I have it. I figure God knows what they are in need of and if it isn't right He'll take care of it. Just a couple of days ago early in the morning I gave a guy $5 who said he ran out of gas. When I came out of the store he was gone, so he either went to get a $5 piece of crack or he really went to get gas.

I saw a guy with a sign that said he was hungry. I pulled over and gave him the to go plate I had made at my moms. I came back by and saw him sitting over in a corner eating. I've taken people inside of restaurants and paid for meals.

I just don't think that the Lord will ever let me need or want for anything, because I'm always giving when I can. He's blessed me in so many ways the least I can do is bless someone else.

ETA: I think it was here in Sacramento where a woman was asking someone for money and they told her to get a job. The woman pulled out a gun and shot him.

No I dont for a few reasons
 1. Most (but not all ) of the beggars around my way are looking for drug/alcohol money and I dont feel right giving someone money for something that has the potential to put another nail in their coffin
 2. If you got time to stand on the corner and beg you got time to at least put in a few hours at a part-time job legal or under the table
 3. Sometimes if you give one change they be looking for you and exspect something every time they see you........I dont want to be the victim of a robbery by them ......you never know if they took their meds that day ...you saying no that particular day may make them want to hit you over the head and take your whole purse
 With that being said I do contribute to charitys like the red cross, rescue mission holiday drive etc etc. on a regular basis

One time I bought a cheeseburger, fries, and drink for this man who *swore* he was hungry and just wanted food.... When I gave it to him, he looked in the bag and said, "I hope that burger has mayo because I don't eat mustard..." Although I laugh about that now, I felt like a complete idiot for doing that.

I usually don't give to people anymore because it is supporting a drug habit. One thing that is easy to get if you are homeless is food. People don't want to go to shelters for various reasons and get it.... and if they are exploiting their children, I get indignant about giving to them.... kids, at the very least, are their meal tickets.... I must say that in the past, yes, I have given money to those standing on corners or elsewhere asking for change. Now, I give it to the homeless shelters or a charity that benefits the food pantry and said causes....

I will give money, food and other things.  You never know who that might be and where your next blessing may come from.  I can't worry about the one person that might be a fraud in the big picture of things.  People have helped me in times of need and I will do the same.

I often and am getting ready to again take 2-3 paper grocery sacks filled to the brim with soap, tampons, deoderant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc. to the woman's shelter.  I pick them up on clearance at various stores with coupons and then pass them on.  I struggle to write a check for $100 to a charity but can easily give them $100 worth of toiletries I got for less than $20. 

I added last weekend to the pile for them deoderant for $.25, toothbrushes for $.09 and toothpaste for $.19.  (and not just one of each)  It didn't cost me much but it will help someone else tremendously.