6.06.2009

Here You Go

Photo by Tabitha

It's been raining all day, I feel sorry for the street kids and their moms, and those other beggars for not having a home and anything to eat. I remember driving at 3am from my shift at the radio station, with a free box of Krispy Kreme. It was raining and I was at a stoplight, when this kid, shivering from the cold comes up to my window and begs for money. I didn't really have any with me so I decided to wrap some donuts with a napkin for him to have. He said his thank you and ran for shelter.

The common perception of Filipinos toward beggars is "Don't give them anything. Don't even give them money, they'll just use it for drugs". And this actually saddens me. The way you think, affects the way you act . If you think right away that these homeless people are nothing but bad news, you brush off whatever concern or sympathy you might actually have for them, and end up ignoring them forever, instead of trying to help in any way you can for them to survive that day. I have a friend who has a pack of crackers in his car, so that every time they beg at his window, he just hands out the crackers because he knows that what they need is something that could get them through the day.

I don't think Jesus ever said 'no' to those who needed help. He didn't say, "Hmm.. nahh, I'm not giving you bread, you don't seem like such a great person". The next time someone comes up to your car or you pass by someone sitting on the sidewalk begging, I encourage you to give even just a little, doesn't even have to be money! How about those left overs from the restaurant or a sandwich you forgot to eat at work?

7 comments:

  1. I used to give out food to homeless people when I lived in minneapolis, mn because it seems I saw them there alot. I'd also buy them something at a restaurant if that's where I was going, or give them something other than food that they needed. Personally I have limited funds and I don't want it to go towards an addiction- I won't even lend money to my friends for a pack of cigarettes- and many homeless people unfortunately have some kind of mental disorder and are forced to self medicate with illegal drugs.

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  2. wow, i love this blog. i'm originally from chicago, and the typical treatment towards the homeless is just to blow them off.

    me and my friends used to get all the stuff in our pantries that we didn't remember the reason for buying in the first place and just handing it out.

    no need to be stingy.

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  3. That's very kind of you Valerie! And it's true, I think it would be much better to offer them food instead of money. Most teens who live on the street here use an inhalant found in households called 'Rugby'. And once they are “high” they forget the painful hunger they have been battling for days.

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  4. Thanks for stopping by NSRose :) That's actually a good idea, handing out unwanted food at home to those who really need it.

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  5. You are an amazing person! (That applies to you too, NRose and Valerie) If everyone were as generous and compassionate, I'm sure we could find a way to solve most of the world's humanitarian problems.

    I can't say I've had that many encounters with the stereotypical "homeless person", as I live in a pretty small community and there are awesome support services here. Those I know who don't have homes of their own to live in are usually broke students (like me!) who can't pay the rent but can stay temporarily with friends (like me). It's not a lot, but at least it means they have somewhere safe to hang out for a bit while they work through their problems.

    Much love to you!

    xo

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  6. Thanks for sharing! Appreciate it :)

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  7. I have friends and family back home in SA who only give beggars food instead of money... But some actually threw the food back and demanded money. I know it's a small number and most people are grateful for anything but it's a little bit of a negative reality check

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