Greedy vs Needy -

[sjmjax]

I frequently go to the range on Saturday mornings.
I typically drive by a church that sponsors a “free food & school supplies” event those mornings.

You’d be amazed at how many “needy” people can afford late model Cadillacs, Mercedes, BMWs, Porches and even an occasional Maserati!

 

[wood714]

I frequently go to the range on Saturday mornings.
I typically drive by a church that sponsors a “free food & school supplies” event those mornings.

You’d be amazed at how many “needy” people can afford late model Cadillacs, Mercedes, BMWs, Porches and even an occasional Maserati!

I was driving down US1 today with a friend, and we got caught by a light. There was a long line of cars turning right. He said they were going to the food bank.

All nice looking late model cars.

 

[steelslaver]

But, then I have seen several nice cars parked in front of some low rent houses. Some peoples have a "need" to project through their vehicle and will happily sleep on the floor sharing a shack with others so they can have that ride.

I am the only normal one

 

[SMSgt]

Never could figure out why so many people driving Mercedes had to go to the food banks. The insurance must be atrocious.

 

[Ματθιας]

Enough of my taxes go to support the homeless - I'm done.

 

[dmn57]

Never underestimate the depths to which some will stoop.

 

[quikdraw67]

We donate food and money to those who truly need it and appreciate it.

2 local animal shelters/rescues.

I will not say anything else about the topic, since I cannot without violating forum rules.

 

[dockmurgw]

I am very careful with my donations. I fill a few fuel oil and propane tanks in the winter for people that genuinely pinch pennies to make ends meet, and to a youth center. The youth center provides stable temporary housing to youth whose only crime is to have rotten parents that never should have had children. I refuse to give to soup kitchens for all the reasons mentioned in this thread.

 

[ladder13]

Would anyone hand over a 20 to a guy holding a crack pipe? We are just stewards of His money, use it wisely.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Yes, kids whose sole function is to be "meal tickets" for their mothers get my sympathy. On another board I visit a Canadian member noted that in the Dominion the so-called "distressed" families always have money for beer and weed and the kids have to be enrolled in school nutrition programs. Then there's the inner city schools who watch the kids to keep
them from sneaking food out of the lunch room.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Never could figure out why so many people driving Mercedes had to go to the food banks. The insurance must be atrocious.

They lease them. At least in my town they do. Can't seem to count the black Mercedes and BMW's driving around town and parked in front of shantys-used to bother me but at my age, it's Meh so what-if they can write the monthly check who am I to tell them how to spend whatever money they have.

 

[taz666]

If I can help, I do. No strings, no judgement.
Sometimes people just get overwhelmed and aren't as emotionally strong as we need to be these days.

 

[llowry61]

Back in my working days, I was on a biz trip to India for a week. I was unfamiliar with the country, so read up in advance so that I would have some situational awareness. One of the things I read was the advice not to give money to beggars because if you did you would soon be overwhelmed by a crowd of beggars eager for money.

While there, New Delhi, I think, I was, by myself, in the back of an air conditioned limousine on a very hot day waiting for the light at an intersection. An emaciated woman with an emaciated baby approached my window with her hand out.

I ignored her. That was a long light. She stayed by the window, hand out, until the light changed and we drove off.

I still feel ashamed about it. I could have slipped a couple of bucks through a crack in the window. If a crowd of beggars had showed up I was protected by the car and would leave shortly anyway. As others have said, if she was a con artist, so what?

I feel I was a poor excuse for a man that day.

It takes a lot of self-reflection and strength to share this.

Thank you.

I have often thought to myself what if the person standing in front of you was sent to test you and you never knew it. I have failed more than I have passed.

Not going to be comfortable come judgement day.

 

[Cities n Dust]

I live in a typical neighborhood with it's ups and downs and found that even though the school district is just ok financially we have some families that struggle. Most all do to the Covid bs that has really killed small business jobs alike. When my wife reached out in support for a family that had kids stealing food from the cafeteria just to have something to eat it really broke our hearts.

The school said they were getting aid but we could not do anything directly as we were not allow to know who it was in the 1st place. Total ****! We had planned to give and help as much we could afford till they were back on their feet. Some people lose jobs for all the wrong reasons and when people try to help it's the same system that keeps us from doing so! We only help those who are really in need that we can physically do in person.

Just a side note my friend is a chef and has worked in high end restaurants. He was nearly fired for taking food that was day old and trying to give it to a shelter. He was told they can't take it as its a liability if someone gets sick. This occurred in Kalifornia.

Cities
Just a couple Pennies worth.

 

[Smoke]

My mother had an upright shopping cart, when she died, I inherited it.

I was driving to the gym one day and I saw a homeless guy moving down the street. He had 20 or 30 bags with him. He would carry five or 10 of them 30 yards down the street, leave them and go back and get the others.

I went home and talked to my wife and got the cart and I took it to give it to him.

He turned me down. Hetold me It wasn't up to his standards and he was wanting some Samsonite I still see him around the neighborhood He's still begs for money from me.

Not. One. Dime.

I've bought people food before I've never run into one that doesn't appreciate it.

When I work for KFC right after I got out of the Army I asked the owner why he didn't donate food. He said he couldn't it was a corporate rule and for the same reason as another poster said it was a liability issue. I did notice that he had no problem letting his workers take home as much food as they can carry at the end of the night.

If somebody came into the restaurant asking for food he would have them empty the trash cans in the parking lot or sweep up the dining room or something so it wasn't a handout and then he would feed them, well.

When I worked downtown at the Palmer Center I frequently "caught" people scavenging food out of the hotel trash cans. I never messed with them.

 

[CH4]

I've been approached by people begging for money for gas or for something to eat. I don't want to be a skinflint but I don't want to be an enabler for bad behavior either. If somebody says they need money for gas, I tell them to pull up to the pump and I fill their tank. If they said they need money for food, I buy them food for immediate consumption. Nobody ever turned me down and I didn't have to worry about where the money might have gone.

^^^^^^^^^^
This
Won’t fill their tank or buy em surf and turf, but will give em a few gallons or a burger.

 

[Bekeart]

UNSOLD products from Panera.

Snipped

Just a side note my friend is a chef and has worked in high end restaurants. He was nearly fired for taking food that was day old and trying to give it to a shelter. He was told they can't take it as its a liability if someone gets sick. This occurred in Kalifornia.

Cities
Just a couple Pennies worth.

Local Soup Kitchen often gets UNSOLD products from Panera.

Here is Panera's information

Day-End Dough-Nation® Program

At Panera, we embrace the opportunity to spread generosity to our communities. Generosity is at the forefront of everything we do. We care for our communities by donating to charities dedicated to feeding our neighbors in need. That’s why our bakery-cafes donate their unsold bread, bagels, and baked goods to local non-profits at the end of the night through our Day-End Dough-Nation program.

Day-End Dough-Nation | Panera Bread

Three Cheers for Panera.

Bekeart

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

I have seen a number of videos on YouTube about "food deserts", inner city neighborhoods where supermarket chains have left due to shoplifting, thievery, break-ins, concern for employee safety. In one in Chicago some local investors were going to open a Sav-a-Lot, had a soft opening, the locals complained it didn't meet their persnickety standards, "wasn't fresh", etc. So now they have travel for miles, change busses several times, etc.
I was in 8th Grade in 1963, one day in the lunchroom someone said to me:
"Hey, Blackhawk, is this food World War Two surplus ?"
"World War Two ? World War ONE !"

 

[steelslaver]

Just because the lazy and greedy take advantage of of generosity, is no reason to deprive everyone.

While my mom always managed to feed us, I went hungry a few times when I went out on my own. Mostly of that was due to my own youthful stupidity. I once ate drilling rig corn starch for 2 days because I was to proud to ask anyone for either food nor money.

 

[Autonomous]

Rant incoming:

The working or trying to find work poor are where my charity goes.
Big, well known charity names are almost all top-heavy frauds with a small fraction of donations making it to the streets.
Political too. E.g. the Salvation Army was caught pushing woke, CRT esque policy in house.

Opportunities to help young, poor families are there, weeding out the grasping, irresponsible professional breeders is the trick.

A short time ago a young mom gave me cuts in line at Safeway as I only had one item. I noticed her and her child had worn but clean clothes, the groceries were all healthy, basic food. No junk, processed or expensive items to be seen.
Basically, it looked like my family when the kids were very young. I gave the checker enough to pay her bill.
The same $100 given to the name brand charities would likely equate to $90 for 'expenses' and $10 going to someone that knows how to work the system rather than someone in need through no fault of their own.