Helping the Homeless?
So I’m in Denver this week for a pastor’s conference. The temperature right now (in honor of John Elway, I presume) is 7 degrees. Last night I went out on the town with some friends and was surprised how many people were out on the streets of downtown Denver asking for money, even in this extreme cold. I didn’t give anybody any money (or food, or time, or anything but a smile and a “sorry, not tonight”). I almost never give money to people asking for it. If I take the time to do anything, I might buy a sandwich or just try to strike up a conversation - but that dosent’ happen very often. I usually just walk away, last night to a trendy restaurant, feeling a bit like the characters in the Good Samaritan parable who just walk by. This morning as I logged on to my two hours of free wireless, there was a link to a website (http://www.giveabetterway.org/) dedicated to convincing you not to give to panhandlers. The logic is that giving money dosen’t really solve the problems of the people on the street, and likely just keeps them there and possibly feeds their addictions. This site suggests donating to an orginization that provides for the “real needs” of the homeless: job training, mental health care, rehab. This makes sense to me, and is the logic behind my decision to not give out money. It makes sense to me logically, but I am still always left with these feelings of guilt and doubt after I walk by the homeless. Anybody have any suggestions for what you do with these kinds of encounters?
By the way, if you feel compelled to donate to some folks who are working to help homeless people, may I suggest Christ House, a 32 bed facility in Washington, DC that provides 24-hour a day medical care for the homeless (http://www.christhouse.org/).
I’m beginning to think along the same lines as you. I heard a woman who works with the homeless in Pasadena give a very persuasive talk that giving out money is positive reinforcement and may keep people from feeling a need to seek out better and more thorough services. My wife and I used to carry around gift certificates to places like McDonalds that we would give instead of cash. I know those could be traded for cash or alcohol or drugs, but it seemed better than simply handing out dollars or cents. It’s such a brief interaction there seems that so little can be done, but I also have a voice in my head that says just because it’s a brief interaction, that shouldn’t stop us from doing something.
I guess a theological question would be what does it mean to give alms in our society? Jesus was pretty clear that alms giving was an important act of faith. How does the practice of alms giving change when we have many different private, non-profit, and governmental social services?
Comment by Tyler Watson — February 5, 2007 @ 8:14 am
When I lived in Berkeley I worked at a church on Telegraph with a bustling homeless culture. (The drummer on our worship team was homeless.) I was solicited multiple times a day and never gave away any money. One day I went to lunch with a friend and we walked by the same homeless people that I had seen every day for over a year. She casually said, “Hi Ron.” “How’re you doing Jean?” “Hey Paul.” They greeted her by name, too.
Comment by Brittany — February 5, 2007 @ 1:02 pm
Tyler - I gave away some McDonald’s gift certificates I got as a White Elephant gift - now I wish I had kept them to hand out. Of course, according to folks like Eric Schlosser (the guy who wrote Fast Food Nation), a Big Mac might be just as bad for you as a bottle of Wild Turkey.
Comment by James — February 6, 2007 @ 4:14 pm
Brittany - that’s cool about the drummer in Berkeley. Unfortunately, the homeless people I know by name who hang around the church are the “troublemakers”. I know their name because of the problems they have caused, not because I have a positive relationship with them. Bummer.
Comment by James — February 6, 2007 @ 4:17 pm
Well, I’ll speak the minority voice here: I do give money to folks in my neighborhood. Not all the time, and not lots of cash, but often enough. There is one friend in particular who I always help out, either with cash or food (depending on where I see him–Jack in the Box vs. Ralph’s, going in to the store vs. going out).
I certainly understand the concern for wise stewardship, and issues of reinforcement, and a desire to support local ministries better equipped to deal with certain issues. But honestly, as little cash as Doug and I have, I am always struck by how much we have in comparison to so many around us. And I am compelled to show mercy even (and especially to?) the very undeserving.
Bob Lupton wrote so powerfully about our desire to help the “truly worthy poor” as he called them, and he painted a picture of poverty idealized: families in need where no money is being wasted on cigarettes or candy or DVDs, etc. He commented that maybe he had met a “truly worthy” poor person sometime in the 70’s, but he wasn’t sure.
I know this issue is so complex, for individuals and for the church. We have had situations in our own church where people hove disagreed with other folks’ decision to help with money people whose decisions don’t “measure up”. I guess I just can’t shake the need to be present and merciful to the very desperate, regardless of how they measure up in terms of their lifestyle and decisions.
Comment by Erika Haub — February 18, 2007 @ 8:30 pm
Erika -
Thanks for your thoughts. I still feel uncomfortable every time I leave an encounter where someone asks me for money - when I give them money I feel as if I am not giving them what they really need to be released from poverty, and when I do not give money I feel I am being selfish and uncaring. As I sit and think about that, I realize that is perfeclty OK. Is the most important thing finding a way to smooth out my interactions with homeless persons so I can be comfortable? Certainly not. I imagine the feeling of discomfort, or even outrage that this kind of thing is so common in such a wealthy country, is what I need to experience, not “comfort”.
Comment by James — February 22, 2007 @ 11:06 pm