As others have said, in many cases the request for food is a bluff hoping for money. There is a guy in my Brooklyn neighborhood who stands on the corner every day asking everyone, "Hey, can I get $3 to get something to eat?" We call him $3 guy. In large cities, there is not a lack of food for the homeless. (Although, to be honest, maybe it's not so easy to get to the right place at the right time, if you are strung out.)
I used to call the bluff, and have bought many sandwiches and slices of pizza (except for that guy begging in the pizza place who said he didn't like pizza [cash only, please]). At this point, I almost prefer giving out cigarettes.
This is case of "give a man a fish / teach him to fish" on a grand scale. I'm far from an expert on homelessness, but I really like things like The Doe Fund: http://www.doe.org/
Getting people out of drug/alcohol/crime/convict-status-induced homelessness is not an easy task. Helping people get their shit together, finding a purpose, and getting a job they can do is exhausting, soul-crushing work. The people who do this work are saints. Buying a guy a sandwich is no big deal.
I used to call the bluff, and have bought many sandwiches and slices of pizza (except for that guy begging in the pizza place who said he didn't like pizza [cash only, please]). At this point, I almost prefer giving out cigarettes.
This is case of "give a man a fish / teach him to fish" on a grand scale. I'm far from an expert on homelessness, but I really like things like The Doe Fund: http://www.doe.org/
Getting people out of drug/alcohol/crime/convict-status-induced homelessness is not an easy task. Helping people get their shit together, finding a purpose, and getting a job they can do is exhausting, soul-crushing work. The people who do this work are saints. Buying a guy a sandwich is no big deal.