Do You Help the Homeless?
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When passing homeless people in the street do you ever give money or food to them?
Whenever I carry cash I do but I only carry cash occasionally as since covid I've been using debit card/contactless. I try and donate clothes when they've gathered up.
Most of the so-called "homeless' people are professionals who have perfectly good houses to go to but would rather sit on their bums all day asking for money so no, I never give anything
TractorGirl327 is that right? Just curious how you know that most are what you claim?
TractorGirl327 this is not always the case, don't tar them all with the same brush. I've been homeless. A lot of people don't realise the true meaning of 'homeless'
We had a chap outside our local Waitrose for ages, months, rather than give him money most would buy ready made sandwiches. Then on our local FB page someone filmed him throwing it away. He wasn’t even local! Now we just give to registered charities. There was an appeal for coats which I gave to.
I wonder what will happen when we become a cashless society ?
How can you give money to the homeless, buskers , even pocket money to children ??
Although i did see one busker from the USA on you tube a while back that did accept a credit card using a portable machine , but i don't think many would risk doing that with skimming scams etc
telmel I've seen a few buskers and people selling the big issue with machines to accept card payments.
Midnightflower I think those are supplied by the charity M, probably anticipating the lack of cash about with cards
telmel very true, I don't think covid helped the situation with cash which is a shame as I really am not keen on living in a cashless society.
Nope I use too buy them some food but not since I seen the local homeless man chase down older people because they can't help him
Some are definitely scammers but some are not. I may offer snacks like a banana/bottle of water - they can choose to say yes or no to that. I usually ask if anyone from the charity StreetLink has been to see them (StreetLink exists to help end rough sleeping by enabling members of the public to connect people sleeping rough with the local services that can support them) www.streetlink.org.uk/
Not anymore. I stopped along time ago because the person I gave money to went In a Tesco Express and bought Alcohol with It so I said that was the last time. I dont carry cash around anymore anyways.
Unfortunately there's a lot of scammers out there, in our town there's different people dropped off in the mornings but they all have the same sign and picked up later in the day.
I would like to but I'm always concerned they are just scamming people and aren't genuinely struggling.
Due to mobility issues, I mostly work from home, but I used to routinely ask a homeless young women, who was begging if I could buy her lunch, when I was going to buy mine in Tescos.
Never given them money but don't mind going to get them food or a drink the reason I don't give them cash isi don't want them buying drugs or alcohol with it
jdible You can never be sure they are genuine and it is worrying if you hand over cash and it spent the wrong way.
We have done in the past but not anymore. I am barely in the town centre anymore and I don't tend to carry cash on me. Saying that I've only ever seen one person begging on our local high street.
No, because I do not have a moral conscious to give my hard earned cash to people who chooses to beg and refuse to even look for work. Charity shops in my area are always asking for volunteers to spare a couple of hours of their time.
I buy them food, the genuine ones are really grateful, I also lend a listening ear..
I donate to Homeless Charities..
We have one in Sheffield called Ben's Centre For Vulnerable People, started by a city centre policeman & still going 25 years later..
I called in to Ben's Centre, donated then took leaflets to the homeless & explained where they could get help..
janphoenix51 Wow, you do a lot, well done you for giving up your time. Sometimes that is all they need, time.
I do what I can, it only takes a few kind words sometimes, to know someone cares..
Who knows what's around the corner for anyone, I always try to be kind to people, Mental Health can affect anyone of us...
I never give money but have bought food, hot drinks for some. There was a guy in our local town after covid who's face we got to know. He was often asleep in a doorway near where we'd park. My OH bought him a coffee a couple of times. We've not seen him about for a while tho, so hopefully he's managed to get back on his feet.
I remember years ago being in town with my aunt & her happily talking to a couple of homeless guys, she went & bought them a meal each. She said to me after. "I like too, because if they were one of mine I'd hope someone would be kind enough to get them a bite, hot drink" That's always stuck with me.
I found a 40 year old ex soldier Mark last year on my way home from work, befriended him & and used to buy him food & drink for a few months. Mark grew up locally but lived with his partner in Northamptonshire til they split.After witnessing his mates being blown he had turned to drink & drugs to get him through so his ex had thrown him out & he returned to Sheffield & was homeless sleeping in the local park at night..
I sat with him holding his hand on Armistice Day last year after work as Mark was in tears because of the things he witnessed..I met his ex one Saturday after going to to buy Mark a potion of Fish & Chips, she was lovely, still cared about him & had travelled all the way from Northampton to sort things out with him..
When I went & bought Fish & Chips, the staff at the Chippy were giving me a massive portion, I said it's for the homeless guy & will probably be too much food & he can't save it. The staff were nasty making comments about homeless & one even has the cheek to say to me..Do YOU work, YES I said, I 'm a Support Worker for Autism & Learning Disabilities, I work at a few different places..
I walked out & gave a humble Mark his Fish & Chips saying there was enough for his partner who thanked me for looking out for Mark & for the Fish & Chips..I told her to look after him & she said she had come to sort things out & take him home with her..
I never saw Mark afterwards so hopefully he's home with his partner..
I NEVER went to that Chippy again & never will, my partner & daughter were disgusted with the comments when I told them.
Chips & Scales staff at Sheffield Lane Top, up the main road from Northern General Hospital, you should be ashamed of yourselves!!
It's shocking that guys like Mark are looked down upon. He should be applauded for his service & should have been given the help he needed. I truly hope he got back on his feet. I'm sure he'll look back on that dark time in his life & appreciate you.
Thank you, I hope Mark's back with his partner & their children who's names he had tattooed on him.
No, ex soldiers aren't given enough help & it's disgusting after they've risked their lives..
I made a point of naming the Chippy as I & my family are absolutely disgusted by their behaviour & will NEVER give them our custom again!
Good on you for naming and shaming the chippy, I am from High Wincobank originally..... I know the chippy you mean....I truly hope he and partner did resolve their issues....
We all are only a couple of months' salaries away from being homeless.... Unless we have big amounts of savings... So we should all show some positive attention to those we see on the streets....xx
Lolly1967 ...I presume you're the same age as my sister cos of your user name!
Mark was younger, 40 & a Shiregreen lad who probably went to either Ecclesfield,Firth Park or Hinde House.
He had fallen on bad times & yes it could happen to ANYONE of us,Mark NEVER asked for money & was just grateful for the food,drink & someone to sit ,listen & talk with him,he was always humble, very polite & NEVER threatening..
janphoenix51 Hi... Yes you are correct about my age and why, too...
.... I went to Hinde House School, but before Mark's time, if he did attend that one...
Tbh, it was pretty unsettling having geography lessons on the top floor when there was a funeral taking place....xx
Lolly1967....My sister is your age,we went to Catholic school at Ecclesfield & hung around on Flower Estate for a while, a few characters there!!
We are friends with Burditt sisters D & L who lived on Bracken.
Yes a bit unnerving doing Geography lessons with a Funeral taking place, a bit like St Patrick's, kids had to stay indoors when church was being used for Funerals as school & church are in same grounds..
I don't know them.... But I was a year below Glen Gregory who fronted the band Heaven 17 in the 80's ..... My claim to fame is that he picked on me at school....... He lived with his parents on Heather Road and his Granddad lived on Windmill Lane, just passed St Hilda's.....Also Glen had Twin girl cousins who lived on the next road....Lilac Road, they went on to be BlueBell dancers in Paris....Also the actress Sharon Glass went to school with my eldest sister, Sharon Glass Also lived on Heather Road.... Up the top end just before the school.... xx
Lolly1967 ..Glen Gregory is my mate Lisa Roe's husband' John Roe's best mate from school.
Naughty Glen picking on you!
My close mate Sharon cleaned for one of Heaven 17' band members s parents on Lower Shiregreen, she saw all the Gold Discs on wall..
When I worked on Agency at The Lees Nursing Home, Norton I worked with Pulp's Nick Bank's Mum Jackie, she was nice..x
Lolly1967 ...We gave you the Bayliss family on Honeysuckle!
They were from our road near NGH til they moved up there!
Do you still live locally??
Sadly no... I moved to Northamptonshire in 2000, and to Stoke in 2021.....xx
janphoenix51 Yes, Glen gave his granddad his 1st gold disc....Is Lisa Roe, one of the Roe family from the flower estate?....
I wonder if the mis-spelling of 'Jasmine Road' is still there?.... I remember asking my Mum why there was a 'Jessamine Road' on the estate?.........
I use a very similar avatar on FB, along with a photo of my black and white cat, look me up....xx
Lolly1967 ...Couldn't find you on FB, Surname please..
You might have been Sharon Nolan nee Wall's year, had a brother Michael & sisters Donna & Gillian,I grew up with their family, our families are friends from childhood..x
Lolly1967 ..Still can't find you...I few letters of your first name might help if you don't mind giving it out! x
It's Lolly Johnston... I will add a screengrab of my profile.... As I have strong privacy settings...I don't mind doing that on here....xx
janphoenix51 for some reason, it has gone to the very bottom of this chat page....
...xx
I gave new sleeping bag and also bits of money and some old clothes that I don't use cigarettes and a bit of food in the past but they remember and kept on asking for more all the time
I do donate food to my local charity that go out several times a week to give out free meals to those who want one. They also have a amazon page if you wish to buy anything. I don't give out money and a couple of times I bought food only to be told they had thrown the food away after I had walked out of view.
Where I am those homeless hang out in a park outside the local hospital. We've one that hangs outside a carpark. Chooses to be homeless. Harmless and pleasant enough. The rest tend to drink or take drugs and often fight with each other and those that hang out with them. They also leave their needles in the park even though there's a needle box in the loo and in A&E literally across the road. Some of the group hang out outside the hospital and shout abuse at those walking past or coming in and out the hospital. They don't beg.
Never money . About once a month me and my wife will help our local town charity who are helping the homeless . We will go to like a soup kitchen and we help feed them with other volunteers . I also have a direct debit for Shelter which goes out each month .
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