Everyone makes their own decision whether they need to give money to the homeless people or not. Some people might sell all their belongings to save a close relative by providing money for a medical operation. Others may become addicted to drugs or alcohol and give away everything to receive another portion of poison. The question of whether a person should give money to a homeless person or not is a complicated one and cannot have the right answer. This essay argues that everyone should make their own decision based on the homeless people’s backgrounds.
On the one hand, money can help homeless people meet their basic needs. Almost 2% of the world’s population can be called homeless, an incredible number of people worldwide (Mahb Admin, 2019). All these people may lack basic things, such as toiletries, clothes, or shelter for the night. Money could help them buy these things and make their life a little more comfortable. A couple of pennies can change the lives of good people who sometimes lose their property and jobs.
Do not forget that there are people who accidentally got into an unforeseen situation, in addition to people with alcohol and drug addiction. These may be travelers who could have been robbed and left without means of communication and money, and a little money will help them return to real life. When people give a homeless person a few pennies or a dollar, they temporarily alleviate their suffering because money is interchangeable. Homeless people use cash to buy something to ease the pain of cold, dampness, and hunger for a few minutes or hours. It also allows them to spend the night in a cheap motel to shower because hygiene is essential.
On the other hand, money can worsen the recipient’s addiction to alcoholic beverages or drugs. If a homeless person is addicted, they are more likely to spend the money they receive not on healthy food and good clothes but on poisons such as alcohol. When people meet a homeless person on the street and give him money or food, they make a mistake; at best, it will help him, but only for a while; at worst, people support his lifestyle. Thus, people who decide to give money to poor people cannot guarantee to improve their lives. In this situation, these pennies will not change the life of a homeless person, but they can make it even worse.
Human help helps them survive, but they do absolutely nothing to solve the fundamental problems of homelessness, and most people do not think or care about it. If people want to help, it is better to direct their funds to charities and homeless shelters. Sometimes homeless people do not need money, but human attention to their problem makes it easy to buy such a person food or help find a free overnight stay. Providing the necessary medical care, buying medicines, or calling an ambulance will also be a worthy act.
Sometimes it is more important to talk to a person, help him understand how he can change his life, and believe that it is possible. Homeless people feel lonely and unnecessary — no one notices them. If you pay attention to a person, hear and accept him, it can help him change his life. By sending a person to a rehabilitation program, you can help him get back on his feet.
Rehabilitation programs help turn donations into profitable investments in the development of society. A homeless person will start working, pay taxes, and will no longer have to spend money on him from the budget. The comprehensive homeless rehabilitation program was estimated at $10 thousand per person. As part of the program, they are helped to get housing and find a job, provided with food, as well as provide individual assistance to each ward, and support after completing the program.
In the USA, the budget for helping the homeless looks impressive: $35 thousand per person is allocated annually to help people on the street survive. However, these expenses are unlikely to make him live normally. This amount includes payment for rescue, medical services and police, psychological assistance, and food.
Summing up, everyone should make their own decision about giving money to homeless people. However, one should always remember that each person is different and has various reasons for finding themselves in extreme poverty. One cannot predict what a homeless person will spend their money on the satisfaction of basic needs and life-improving things or poisons, such as drugs. My suggestion is to try to talk with this person to know about their life story and then make an individual decision.
Most people on the street want to change their situation, but many find it challenging to do things to help them start living everyday life. It seems evident that you need to wake up and go to work every morning, brush your teeth, and follow social norms regarding drugs and alcohol. However, many people need to make a significant effort to do this and completely change their lifestyle.
For others, it is enough to find a job or even provide housing. Some people living on the street are already working; they don’t have the opportunity to save money for housing. If you provide them with temporary residence, they will fully support themselves and accumulate funds for a new place of living after a certain period.
Reference
Mahb Admin. (2019). Yet another emerging global crisis – Homelessness. MAHM. Web.