Homeless people, give or ignore? Options

[AyeVickaye]

Everytime I drive by Target Walmart, Food max, etc. theres always a homeless person asking for money or food. I used to always give change but Now I have second thoughts about them. Because they look young enough to still get a job, they either have a bike or dog with them & some even smoke cigs. Where do they get the markers and supplies to make their "have any spare change" "war veteran, needs help" or "anything will help" signs? I always wonder what they will do with the spare change that I give them because of chances of them spending it on food is '????' Cos some of those homeless people are/were drug addicts

I feel bad for them especially the ones that have a child with them but sometimes I don't.

[Gigi]

Valid point, but I don't think that a stranger giving a toonie is really going to help matters. If I let my guilt take over, then I wouldn't be comfortable with just doing that. So what am I supposed to do, offer shelter for every crazy person on Hastings? I would be out of floor space pretty fast.

So I don't really think that individuals can help people who are actually needy, or people with psychological disorders, but that the government should do something about it. I'm not shunting the responsibility and guilt to someone else, but that individuals don't even have the capacity to help, as much as they want to.