Please be sure to go see the movie "The Public" which presents a compassionate depiction of the homeless.

In theaters soon...

I often give a buck or two to the panhandlers downtown. It creeps out one of my friends. I tell her the friendly conversation I get in return is worth the money.
One instance struck me, though. My daughter and I were heading into a place for a Jazz concert. There was a fellow sitting on the side of the bridge, not panhandling. He looked up as we huffed up the hill. I said hi, my daughter said hi.
He stood up and said, "Thank you."
I was startled.
He said, "You treated me like a human being. Looked me in the eye, talked to me. Thank you."
I asked him if he wanted to go to the concert with us. It was free and we'd brought food.
He declined. He was worried he smelled bad.
I really wish he'd come. The music was always great. There were folks who would come to say hi to my daughter and me and anyone with us. And, frankly, there were folks in there who smelled much worse than he did.

I agree with you. I was in Newcastle UK when I saw a young nan sitting on the sidewalk. He said: ‘could you ‘elp us, mum?’
There was just something about him. I knelt down and gave him all the cash in my pocket. His eyes filled with tears, and he took my hand, and said ‘god bless ee, mum’. I hope he ate, and slept indoors that night. If not, that was his choice.
In Asheville I carried snacks and dog treats: many of the homeless have dogs.
I had a nephew ask my brother once: why give them money, won’t they just buy drugs? My brother was a Xtian, but a very kind man. He told my nephew: ‘maybe so, son. I’m led to give...what they do next is their business. My blessing is received when I give to someone in need.’
I agree with that, too.

I give. If someone thinks that is an easy job, you come down here in 100 heat and stand out there for hours. When they have a dog, I feel sorry for the dog. The dog has to be thinking, "I really don't need you to live this lifestyle".

the other day i saw a guy outside a store holding a sign. on the way in i asked him if he wanted a coffee or a beer. he said coffee... i went inside and got him a hot chocolate (i don't drink coffee and wasn't sure of the flavors so i got hot chocolate thinking everybody likes hot chocolate), pocket pie and a lottery ticket. when i handed it to him i told him to look me up if he won the big one.
everybody i've asked so far didn't take the beer (i've done this more than once).

Sometimes, being judgmental is being right.

That said, the situation in Ireland is like this - if you are legally entitled to live in Ireland, you are legally entitled to benefits that cover accommodation and sustenance. But you always needed an address, which of course homeless people do not have. The government has recently agreed to accept homeless shelter addresses as proof of residence. I really hope it helps.

Atheists are always attacked because they have almost no organized charity. It's a cheap shot coming from religionists who expect divine reward in exchange for their good-deeds, and who expect those receiving charity to give adopt their propaganda.

Non-believers should act charitably, giving to the less fortunate if they appear they will benefit (and not use it for addiction). This is real, honest charity, and not dependent on psychological threats. Having empathy for others is part of the intrinsic sense of justice and fairness, said trait being observed in reptiles on-up; religion plays zero-part in real empathy, and can only be a mind-job/delusion.

I don’t give money to panhandlers. I would give food to someone hungry. I have given gloves to someone cold. I would rather donate to the homeless shelter than hand a dollar to someone on the street.

I often encounter this situation in downtown Cincinnati, which is really just South Dayton. It’s usually while I’m going to lunch, so at times I’ll do something that leaves no doubt what the money is used for.

The motivation, nature and result of kindness is a subject that I could go on and on about really.

Nope. I have given a guy money who pointed at the McDonald's right up the street and said he was hungry and watched him cross the street and go right into a liquor store. In that same spot another day as I was leaving from a buffet another man came out of the trees behind the building and said he was hungry so I took him back inside and paid for his buffet. I will feed the person, not their addictions.

A couple months ago. I saw a young woman standing beside her van holding a sign saying she needed money for gas. Being the skeptic that I am, I drove to a friend's house and borrowed a 5 gallon gas can. I filled it up and poured it in her tank. I don't want to feed anyone's habits either, and I had time to kill. She thanked me, but also said in broken English that she was hungry and had no food. I didn't have cash on me, but I had a $10 Visa gift card with $7 or so left on it, and I gave her that.

In my city, were I to give every homeless person that asked me money on a daily basis I would be broke. But sometimes I will give someone some change if I have any and if there story is compelling. For example when we had a cold blast here and a woman was walking around without a jacket. I am generally a cold body temp person and looking at her walking in snow and heavy gusts in her tank top broke my heart. I gave her money because even if she used it for booze or drugs, the substances would keep her body warm-ish.

I have done both. but I don't give to people who stand at the same place for days at a time

I think about this alot. I never used to give . But I have means now. I give them 5 $ . If i see them twice i try to help them . Me and several neighbors helped a homeless woman and child get restarted. It wasnt much but we got her a burner phone and she got a job. Our neighborhood got her a security deposit. She was not a druggie . Just no back up system.

I think it's a good thing to do for someone that truly is in a very bad situation. Just a few Saturdays ago I gave a guy a couple of bucks , he said he was out of gas, but I didn't see him with a Car, so I felt well whatever, if hes lying it's his buisness. I think it's great to help those in need when we see people begging for money on a street corner . What I don't like is people that do that and really don't need too. It happens in Chicago I've heard , but those are my thoughts on it