Should I give money to help a homeless person?
Did you donate to a political party or candidate this past election cycle? $6.9 BILLION was the cost of the US elections for the 2016 cycle. If you did donate, keep that in mind when you read on. How many people could we have housed, found employment and medical care for $6.9 billion?
Let's discuss fears a donor may have and why they may prefer to donate financially to an agency instead. There are several varying views on donating directly to individuals. We are discussing direct financial donations here, and not in-kind ones. Our suggestion is to do both.
Some donors are concerned the money they donate will go to support a drug habit or be wasted. The number one reason a person is homeless is not due to a drug, mental health, or medical issue. Despite what the media and social services agencies keep telling us. The number one reason they are homeless, is because they are living in poverty. The other issues are symptoms, which may or may not have helped lead them down that path. Millions of people who have mental health issues, addiction issues and medical issues do not end up homeless. That is because they have financial resources available to them, that the homeless didn't get or didn't get in time.
When you think of homelessness, think of it as an economic issue and your outlook may expand.
Donors may also feel an agency can provide a tax deduction they don't get when donating directly. This is true in most cases.
Then there is the belief that agencies/churches can better serve the homeless with that donation. In our experience, that hasn't been the case. Churches can do a good job providing food, sometimes clothing, and occassionally bus passes. You can provide those things directly too. Bus passes are a great thing to donate, along with gift cards, phone cards, phones with minutes loaded, etc. Especially since smart phones on prepaid plans are as low as $10 now and can be used by a homeless person to access wifi.
With every agency and social service organization, there is bureaucracy attached and often in person in need doesn't have the time or resources to wade through that bureaucracy. We hope to share more real life stories here, from homeless people on what it is like to try to get help to restore their lives. We are going to expand this website to allow homeless to openly share their experiences.
The homelessness in Tucson is growing, in all sections of the city, and the bureaucracy and inability to adapt to the individual needs of homeless people is part of the problem. The hours that social service agencies operate are a major barrier. Always Mondays - Fridays or less than that. Never early morning hours before 8 am or after 5 pm. Rarely weekends. Even public libraries have cut their operating hours, while expanding on programs that are not even frequently utilized. It says something about the priorities of our county and city.
Speaking of the city, 4,000 city employees received a one time bonus for $4 million with the city still having a $5.4 million surplus. While we are happy for the lower paid employees who received the bonus, let us reflect on those numbers and consider how little is being done for the city's homeless in times of even large surpluses.
The media is another problem. Whenever you read articles in the paper or see news segments on homelessness, they profile one type of homelessness, that in no way represent the actual huge numbers of homeless people, or the hidden homeless. Nor do they address the real economic causes of that homelessness. For women in particular, rarely do you hear of the trauma, economic oppression, and violence they endured that set them up to be homeless. Too many women today who are not currently homeless, are living in abusive situations to simply have a roof over their heads. That is absolutely NOT acceptable.
If you are concerned that a homeless person would abuse your donation, ask them what they want the money for. Maybe they want to get an item not covered by SNAP, like a special meal. A HOT meal. In the frigid Tucson winters. Buy them a gift card. Maybe they need to pay for a bill, say storing their belongings. Offer to pay their bill directly to the business they owe. Maybe they would just like to get a little gift for someone, or for themselves.
There are all kinds of scenarios where a homeless person needs immediate monies and can't wait for the bureaucracy that going through agencies entails (often to be turned away anyway because they have no more funds in their budget).
If you are really unsure, think of it this way. If you aren't going to dramatically hurt your own situation by donating, how about just giving and not being concerned with where it goes? Yes, someone may abuse it. But you also might just be saving someone's life.
In summary, continue to donate to agencies that you have researched well and see are run effectively and efficiently. If you are unsure, ask around when you see homeless people. You will find if you ask enough homeless people, certain organizations stand out as really trying and others may actually be jeporadizing the community they are in place to help. Also keep in mind, many organizations whether agencies or churches are getting funds directly from the government. Your funds.
In addition to donating to your favorite organizations, consider donating direclty to people you see in need. One day, you could be in their shoes.
~ Susan Smith, author
Let's discuss fears a donor may have and why they may prefer to donate financially to an agency instead. There are several varying views on donating directly to individuals. We are discussing direct financial donations here, and not in-kind ones. Our suggestion is to do both.
Some donors are concerned the money they donate will go to support a drug habit or be wasted. The number one reason a person is homeless is not due to a drug, mental health, or medical issue. Despite what the media and social services agencies keep telling us. The number one reason they are homeless, is because they are living in poverty. The other issues are symptoms, which may or may not have helped lead them down that path. Millions of people who have mental health issues, addiction issues and medical issues do not end up homeless. That is because they have financial resources available to them, that the homeless didn't get or didn't get in time.
When you think of homelessness, think of it as an economic issue and your outlook may expand.
Donors may also feel an agency can provide a tax deduction they don't get when donating directly. This is true in most cases.
Then there is the belief that agencies/churches can better serve the homeless with that donation. In our experience, that hasn't been the case. Churches can do a good job providing food, sometimes clothing, and occassionally bus passes. You can provide those things directly too. Bus passes are a great thing to donate, along with gift cards, phone cards, phones with minutes loaded, etc. Especially since smart phones on prepaid plans are as low as $10 now and can be used by a homeless person to access wifi.
With every agency and social service organization, there is bureaucracy attached and often in person in need doesn't have the time or resources to wade through that bureaucracy. We hope to share more real life stories here, from homeless people on what it is like to try to get help to restore their lives. We are going to expand this website to allow homeless to openly share their experiences.
The homelessness in Tucson is growing, in all sections of the city, and the bureaucracy and inability to adapt to the individual needs of homeless people is part of the problem. The hours that social service agencies operate are a major barrier. Always Mondays - Fridays or less than that. Never early morning hours before 8 am or after 5 pm. Rarely weekends. Even public libraries have cut their operating hours, while expanding on programs that are not even frequently utilized. It says something about the priorities of our county and city.
Speaking of the city, 4,000 city employees received a one time bonus for $4 million with the city still having a $5.4 million surplus. While we are happy for the lower paid employees who received the bonus, let us reflect on those numbers and consider how little is being done for the city's homeless in times of even large surpluses.
The media is another problem. Whenever you read articles in the paper or see news segments on homelessness, they profile one type of homelessness, that in no way represent the actual huge numbers of homeless people, or the hidden homeless. Nor do they address the real economic causes of that homelessness. For women in particular, rarely do you hear of the trauma, economic oppression, and violence they endured that set them up to be homeless. Too many women today who are not currently homeless, are living in abusive situations to simply have a roof over their heads. That is absolutely NOT acceptable.
If you are concerned that a homeless person would abuse your donation, ask them what they want the money for. Maybe they want to get an item not covered by SNAP, like a special meal. A HOT meal. In the frigid Tucson winters. Buy them a gift card. Maybe they need to pay for a bill, say storing their belongings. Offer to pay their bill directly to the business they owe. Maybe they would just like to get a little gift for someone, or for themselves.
There are all kinds of scenarios where a homeless person needs immediate monies and can't wait for the bureaucracy that going through agencies entails (often to be turned away anyway because they have no more funds in their budget).
If you are really unsure, think of it this way. If you aren't going to dramatically hurt your own situation by donating, how about just giving and not being concerned with where it goes? Yes, someone may abuse it. But you also might just be saving someone's life.
In summary, continue to donate to agencies that you have researched well and see are run effectively and efficiently. If you are unsure, ask around when you see homeless people. You will find if you ask enough homeless people, certain organizations stand out as really trying and others may actually be jeporadizing the community they are in place to help. Also keep in mind, many organizations whether agencies or churches are getting funds directly from the government. Your funds.
In addition to donating to your favorite organizations, consider donating direclty to people you see in need. One day, you could be in their shoes.
~ Susan Smith, author
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