He was sitting beside the entrance with a grocery bag and a cup. I wondered if the grocery bag was a way of asking for food. It was one of the few times I actually had cash in my pocket, but I walked by, thinking it was maybe better to look for some appropriate food for him in the grocery store. Once inside, my mind got involved in deciding wether to buy brown sugar mini-wheats or regular mini-wheats. By the time I left the store, I had forgotten all about the man. When I saw him again, I was already walking by and my mind was too lazy to make a decision about whether I should give him something or not, so I went home.
I don’t see why people downvote you and don’t say anything. If you’re feeling guilty about it, send a couple dollars to the local food bank or homeless shelter, it’s usually a better investment bc they can buy in bulk at non-retail prices.
Yeah, it’s my first post on this site. I guess I don’t have the hang of what a dull dad post is supposed to be. My general policy is to not give money. I volunteer at a food bank and give to organizations I trust instead.
Don’t worry too much, we are all here to make the best out of the fediverse for us and everyone Else. thanks for posting, we all strive to be the best possible version of ourselves that we can be. And sometimes it does not work out, that’s life 🤷
Thanks for posting.
Honestly, your post has made me rethink of just giving money to beggars. It may not be a Dull Dad’s Club post (usually the posts are for something mundane and wholesome, like repairing something small or cleaning up your room, etc.) but it did help me rethink my priorities.
I do help out my community in other ways, but I should do some official volunteering, something more structured.
I would generally do this. You can do much more by supporting shelters, addiction recovery services, mental health services than the like than by giving individuals money.
In some cases (depends on where you live), you might actually be doing more harm than good. In many major cities the begging is pretty organized, sometimes with clan leaders who then take a part of the donations they’ve collected. It’s much better to support services that can help people out of those situations, because that will go a lot further to give the people the life they deserve.
I keep a supply of $1 bills in my wallet for extra tips, beggars, and buskers. People light up when I tip them, even a dollar to street performers. The happiness it brings to me and them is much more than a dollar’s worth. If also brings better service if I tip a buck at a take-out restaurant or food truck.