Giving money to Beggars

[Signalian]

Standing on red light driving your car...walking in a street or bazaar....beggars(handicapped, healthy, eunuch, hermaphrodite, old, young, kid, fake bandaged etc) approach you asking for money.

Would you give money to any beggar who approaches you?would you give money only to those whom you judge as deserving? You don't give money to Beggars.You give charity to organizations only?


Please choose and tell why?

 

[The Sandman]

Standing on red light driving your car...walking in a street or bazaar....beggars(handicapped, healthy, eunuch, hermaphrodite, old, young, kid, fake bandaged etc) approach you asking for money.

Would you give money to any beggar who approaches you?Please choose and tell why?

Find it really hard to refuse them i know many of the times there are some frauds too but don't know can't refuse my family members most of the time esp in Pakistan recognizes who's faking it or not (maybe because they now have experience to ID them) but i find it hard to refuse. So yea i give money to them like 99% of the time.

 

[Nilgiri]

You give charity to organizations only?

Generally (after checking for myself they are transparent, end-result oriented and also focus as much they can on teaching the man to fish rather than giving him fish simply...though I make exception for religious charities/individuals/family members/friends etc... I personally know and can trust .... who have helped for a long time the truly destitute/unfortunate)....when it comes to South Asia general level and scale.

Why I don't give to any beggar on street generally (in region but also more broadly in world) is the proliferation of beggar scams and also dependency chains that grow the problem rather than work to reduce it. However they have the right to beg and people have their free will to help them. It is still far superior to govt essentially pointing gun at people (and crushing free will aspect) to "help" those it says are less well off....by govt programs (with the level of govt corruption found in region broadly).

I do give some beggars/homeless charity if I can judge quickly they truly need it. But say here in Canada, it will have to be me buying them a meal/coffee (or whatever they say they need it for) directly rather than me giving them money for it...given too many spend it on booze and drugs and other shit....and too many (that I ignore right away to begin with) are wearing 500+ dollar coats when they could have sold it for a cheaper one that does the job and use the money to improve themselves and get out of their vagrancy (which is often a scam they do to add to govt dole). Canada govt and society has good number of homeless shelters and soup kitchens too...so really lot of people begging/vagrant need different kind of help altogether (i.e why is the horse not drinking when you have lead it to water? etc).

 

[American Pakistani]

In US I don't see much beggars. So I try to give to cancer research organizations because I lost one of my loved one due to cancer. Else I give it to mosque.

 

[Zulfiqar]

I primarily donate to edhi foundation or shaukat khanam hospital on monthly basis.

I usually don't donate to those who are on the road side because I see most of the repeat faces every day while going to work.

If they can come as far as main Islamabad Jinnah avenue on daily basis with that small baby then they are just taking the easy way out and raking in enough for sustenance from begging and don't want to do hard work.

 

[Mentee]

We must discourage giving money to beggars. A single group of 3-5 earn somewhat equal to an upper middle class family. They mark their territories and beat up any one alien found begging in their place of jurisdiction

Always prioritize your family and poor neighbours - - - - - - - and don't give lift to anyone even if its an infant lying in wilderness.

 

[Theparadox]

In India, most beggars are not poor. We never give money; food, clothes are ok.

 

[313ghazi]

I don't give money to beggars anymore. I know for a fact in the towns and cities near me in AJK it is organised rings of beggars.

I will donate to charity, give money to madrasas or poor people we know but not to street beggars. Also i will buy things from kids who sell on the streets and i don't negociate prices will fruit/veg stalls or other small retailers at grocery stores.

 

[Signalian]

We must discourage giving money to beggars. A single group of 3-5 earn somewhat equal to an upper middle class family. They mark their territories and beat up any one alien found begging in their place of jurisdiction

Always prioritize your family and poor neighbours - - - - - - - and don't give lift to anyone even if its an infant lying in wilderness.

What do you think about this

 

[insight-out]

What do you think about this
View attachment 537147

There was a time when I tried to give money only to people who, in my assessment, were deserving. But after having discussed this with a number of people, I came to the realization that there is no way for you to judge whether the person asking for help really deserves it or not. Besides, your intentions are actually selfish, in the sense that you are giving money for yourself and your relationship with God, not really for the person who is asking. So now, I try not to judge, and give as much as (and if) I can to whoever asks.

The quote from Ashfaq Ahmad, I have read something similar before, and it makes perfect sense. We are quick to judge others, but are not too keen on being judged ourselves. In a way, we do not "deserve" anything. We are not entitled to anything. What we have is a favour from God. So being too concerned about who deserves what does not really make sense.

 

[Pakistani E]

If God did not discriminate between humanity when he gave out his bounty, then who am I to do so? I give to those beg, and those who don't beg. Those who ask, and those who don't ask. Both charities and individuals, for both humans and animals.

As a matter of habit, I usually keep some change in my pocket whilst I'm walking up to work, and during this 20 minute walk, I always aim to have the pocket of change empty before I reach my destination.

 

[Mentee]

What do you think about this
View attachment 537147

I also know about the charity practice of Allam Iqbal's parents but most of them beggars are gangsta and thugs so no thank you. I'd rather buy my hometown kids candies and toys.

If God did not discriminate between humanity when he gave out his bounty, then who am I to do so? I give to those beg, and those who don't beg. Those who ask, and those who don't ask. Both charities and individuals, for both humans and animals.

As a matter of habit, I usually keep some change in my pocket whilst I'm walking up to work, and during this 20 minute walk, I always aim to have the pocket of change empty before I reach my destination.

Did you know these beggars take part in auctions and the highest bidder gets the most profitable areas wrt pan handling on lease?

In India, most beggars are not poor. We never give money; food, clothes are ok.

This ^^^

 

[Nilgiri]

Did you know these beggars take part in auctions and the highest bidder gets the most profitable areas wrt pan handling on lease?

The good thing in Singapore is the govt stepped in early and took control of this process (rather than try to defeat it)....and turned the beggars more into buskers (music perform etc). They need permission and good organisation etc.

 

[Mentee]

The good thing in Singapore is the govt stepped in early and took control of this process (rather than try to defeat it)....and turned the beggars more into buskers (music perform etc). They need permission and good organisation etc.

Tax em ? How about that?

 

[Nilgiri]

Tax em ? How about that?

They are formalised industry basically....so yes tax applies

Actually I made friends with one well known busker where I lived in singapore to better understand how they work. Its a good role model for rest of world, but it needs very good transparent government as you can imagine.