Love it! Thank you. I too can carry $5 to honor the Prophet Joseph Smith and my Savior. I learned to crochet from a friend’s mom as a early teen and I love giving back to those who need tropical sore bandages.
I’m glad I found your site, adding you to my favs.
GIlbert- Arizona

[Welcome again, Christine!]

On a personal note, my husband and I went to dinner yesterday for my birthday. We took trax to SLC and when we got off at our stop a gentleman needed help getting off with all his stuff. (Trust me it was a alot. It looked like all he owned in the world.) He missed his stop previously because he couldn’t get his things around someone that had a bicycle blocking his belongings. After we walked to the establishment we were going to eat ate. He stopped to chat while he caught his breath before going on. He asked if we had some spare change to give him for a new bus ticket because his ran out of time by missing his last stop. We gave him what little change we had. It wasn’t much, but we could tell he needed it, and felt horrible in that asking. Moments later someone else that was just going down the street asking anyone he say for money. We had nothing more to give. Perhaps we should have had more change, but it was nice to beable to give what little we could at the time.

I don’t KNOW that person, or their situation. I could tell myself that they were undeserving and therefore not assist them (my judgment based on NO hard information) or I could give them some money and hopefully help them.

It makes me feel better to help them. I feel terrible that I don’t help them more than I do (and usually I give them at least a $10.00 bill, more often than not, a $20.00.)

My husband used to protest, because we live from paycheck to paycheck, and they might not be truly needy. But even if they aren’t poor, or I’m contributing to their habit, well, heck, the fact that they’re willing to stand out in the weather, and endure the jibes and jeers and bad attitudes they receive, is worth some payment, if only for the entertainment they provide.

My husband is coming around. Yesterday he saw a man with a “I’m hungry” sign. He drove to McDonald’s and got two double cheeseburgers and an ice water (not knowing what type of soda the man might like) and brought it back to him, along with a few dollars. He says the man immediately stepped back from the street entrance area to eat.

The man was not there when we drove by a few hours later. But the ice water cup was still there…which piqued my husband who is a staunch supporter of the death penalty for litterbugs… = ) My husband was curious, where did he go, to another area to beg, since he had already gotten food here and it would look silly to stay there with an “I’m hungry” sign? But I told him it was quite possible that now that he’d eaten, he wasn’t hungry anymore and went home…(if he had a place) so why assume the worst?

Téa, I like the idea of the little gift cards from the fast food places, those are really ideal in these situations and easy to obtain/carry/use.

I’ll probably still give cash along with the cards, though, because they usually have other needs than food.

Some of you know that I’m an atheist who was a former convert to the church…but I do these things because I’ve never stopped believing in the teachings of Jesus. His story is of the ultimate non-judgmental, charitable, and caring individual.

Part of the ‘do not give cash to beggars’ theme is based upon literal security, part is based upon the fear that their success will embolden others who will throng to the area and drive away the paying tourists (etc) and part is the underlying stereotype that they just probably aren’t worthy of the help.

I disagree with the worthiness portion. We are all worthy of receiving help. Some of us just have other ways to obtain that assistance, or other skills we can use to assist ourselves. If I had the time and the money and the skills, I could take each of the beggars under my wing and nurture them and teach them self subsistance techniques. Since I don’t, I try to give them the little help I can.

I’m probably just doing this out of guilt, not out of any christ-like personality trait. The old saying goes, “There, but for the grace of God, go I” and I’d like to think if it was me out there, someone would help.

“What goes around, comes around”.

“There is a destiny that makes us brothers;
No one goes his way alone.
For that which you send into the lives of others
Comes back into your own”.

“And it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works; and if their works were good in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good. And if their works are evil they shall be restored unto them for evil. Therefore, all things shall be restored to their proper order, every thing to its natural frame—mortality raised to immortality, corruption to incorruption—raised to endless happiness to inherit the kingdom of God, or to endless misery to inherit the kingdom of the devil, the one on one hand, the other on the other— The one raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness, or good according to his desires of good; and the other to evil according to his desires of evil; for as he has desired to do evil all the day long even so shall he have his reward of evil when the night cometh. And so it is on the other hand. If he hath repented of his sins, and desired righteousness until the end of his days, even so he shall be rewarded unto righteousness. […] Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness. And now, my son, all men that are in a state of nature or I would say, in a carnal state, are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; they are without God in the world, and they have gone contrary to the nature of God; therefore, they are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness. And now behold, is the meaning of the word restoration to take a thing of a natural state and place it in an unnatural state, or to place it in a state opposite to its nature? O, my son, this is not the case; but the meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again evil for evil, or carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish—good for that which is good; righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful. Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again. For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all”.
– Alma 41:3-6, 10-15

As we have lived in different places around the world we have tried to think about how to respond to requests from beggars who came to our house, those we met in the street, or who came up to our car at traffic lights. There can also be difficult situations if ward members start approaching other members for loans or handouts. We made some mistakes, but we learned from them, and we tried to follow the advice that many of those commenting have given–seek the guidance of the Spirit. That usually meant different responses in different situations.

We have also discussed this issue with friends who work in large cities, and use public transport. None of them are wealthy enough to every beggar they see every work day, so they try to be sensitive to spiritual promptings.

The idea about having little packets of food is one we started practicing in Latin America when Sister S, the mission president’s wife (who attended our ward) told us that is what she did for those who approached her car at traffic lights. I had been buying cheap individually wrapped hard candies from older children, or mothers with small children strapped on their backs. But by giving crackers I knew I was giving nourishment.

Sister S also explained that the mission policy was for missionaries not to give money to people. There were at least two reasons for that policy: 1)The funds for missionary support had been taken from donations and then essentially consecrated for that specific purpose, and 2) If missionaries had given out money, they would be mobbed continually by beggars, and people would begin to see them as a source of material food, rather than spiritual nourishment. Since most people in the countries we have lived in know about that policy, we understand that the missionaries are usually not approached. In another very poor country, a missionary told me that on a rare occasion when he was asked for money, the words of Peter to a suppliant came into his mind, “Silver and gold have I none: but such as I have give I thee. . . .” (Acts 3:6)The Elder then repeated that thought (in modern Spanish), explained who he was, and offered to teach the man the Gospel. The man then took the Elders back to his hut, and received the first discussion.

When feeling almost overwhelmed by the great suffering in the world, I have tried to remember that solace is available to all who seek it from the Lord; and, as Tanya pointed out, “You many not make a difference to all, but you make a difference to the one.”

This topic keeps me thinking, and I remembered an experience that Michael and I had when we moved to Wisconsin. We drove out a few weeks before the move to find an apartment, look for jobs and check into the University. We had planned on staying in motels for a couple of days and then head back home. We were blessed to meet the branch President and he arranged for us to stay in the home of some members that were on vacation. When we tried to pay for the use of the home we were told, “To pass it on”. That is what we have tried to do, pass on the blessings we have been given. I think Satan wants us to feel guilty for not “doing more”. If you do what you can that is so important, and I think there is much to say “I would if I could”. Jen, if you feel guilty about not being able to give money because of the trafficing issue, perhaps you could save more of what you would give and donate to other humanitarian causes, or other church donations. In that way you can know the benefit you are doing. If those you are trying to help are refusing the food, you then know that the money would be going to something other than food on the table. At least that is how I would like to think of it. I’m not where you are so I don’t see the suffering you see. I imagine it is horrible. On the same token, I often feel the same guilt when I don’t give to people I don’t know. I have only done that myself a few times. The rest of the time I’m content to know my donations to various charities are helping someone somewhere that are truly in need. Always remember of the analogy that the starfish thrown back in the sea. You may not make a difference to all, but you make a difference to the one.

It breaks my heart and I hate to be a bad example to my kids who see me turning them away. I often try and keep fruit or individual packages of crackers or juice boxes in my car and there are many times I give them the sandwich or bottle of water in my hand half eaten or drunk. But it is not always the case.

I have to remind myself constantly about the advise given by the Ambassador that giving money only promotes traficking of people and children which is a great great evil in this world. I also remind myself that I give a generous fast offering, which I know goes directly to people who need help.

In the mean time I try when I can to give food, but there are times (once every ten times almost) that they refuse the food and ask for money. In any case I feel rotten.

Do you keep it stored in an area close to the main food storage?

I saw a few years ago a news story on a church downtown SLC that makes Sandwhiches a few days a week and just hand them out to who ever comes to their window for food. It was such a great story.

I also want to mention what I have done in my home. We buy an extra can or bag of dry food to put in what we call our “food storage box”. We then give the food in that box to various food drives that come around during the year. We will also add extra to it from our food storage but in this way we always have something to give even if we have been living on what is stored.

I also try to live by the guidance of the spirit and give when I feel the prompting that someone is indeed in need. I think what is amazing about this thread are all the people that think about charity and how do we make our time and dollars go the farthest. That is what concerns me the most. Not that I don’t think someone is worthy or not because I know blessing come from the giving. I want to be sure that I’m following the promtings so I am always capable to give when the need arises. I do believe the more you give the more you receive back in turn.