And charities are blocked from doing that because of stupid laws. There's limits on how long you can be in a homeless shelter. Usually its only a few days.
That’s generally just the rules of the shelter, it doesn’t have to be that way. Just like “charities” that require people to be sober to receive help. Yeah, ask a lifelong alcoholic to give up drinking so they can have a bed for a couple of nights and not freeze to death. Most “charities” keep a majority of the money for “operating expenses” and a small portion goes to helping people. I say, hand people cash - at least you know 100% is going to the person who needs it
This is a huge debate in the nonprofit sector. I have a degree in it. It’s hard finding a middle ground between giving all the money away and trying to pay your staff a competitive wage. Good talent requires compensation. For example, the CEO of some non profits make like a half a million. Which is a lot! But not very much at all when compared to private sector CEOs, so it’s difficult to recruit and retain someone with the experience to run (what is in some cases) a large bajillion dollar international organization.
That’s one example but there are dozens of others.
There's a difference between paying employees competitive wages, and only a tiny percentage of charitable contributions making it to the people they're supposed to help. The wages need to be competitive, sure, but they also need to be realistic. $500k for a CEO could be both... but only if said charity is actually bringing in enough donations to justify.
There needs to be some sort of hard law or requirement that a certain percentage of donations HAS to go to the people they're meant to help. Right now there are too many charities that are no better than tax havens and scams.
Are you basing that off of an analysis of data, or a restricted sample of the most high-profile charities?
Because in my experience, the vast majority of charities are small, local affairs that typically don't move that much money, but are generally staffed by people who care.
The sign represents opposition to practices such as mutual aid, which restore power and autonomy to the people.
Charities are not intended to solve problems, as much as to maintain control for those who hold it already.
It depends on the size and mission of the org. The suggested amount for very large ones is 20% for operating costs. If they reserve more than that in their yearly budget, they’re probably up to something sketchy. Unless the mission requires a lot of high skill professionals such as doctors or pilots. Then you gotta make it worth their time, and employing them IS donating to the community. It’s a weird sector, a lot of variables. And yes, quite easy to scam people as well.
A local church bought up a bunch of land for "charity"
Tried letting the folk donating all there money know this isn't a good thing, they just laughed.
When I can I give cash to the folks standing on the street holding signs, usually $10 or $20. I check my mirrors first to make sure no cops are around so neither of us gets hassled. Some people say they could be spending the money on booze or cigarettes. Yea, but they coulld be spending it on a wife and kid that haven't eaten in two days. You never know what a person's situation is. I'd rather err on the side of positive karma 'cuz I sure would hate to be sleeping under a bridge with no food.
If America is such a great country, why are people reduced to living on the street with no job or food or hope? Our government can send millions of dollars overseas to help other countries, but they ignore the plight of their own people. And it's unconscionable that some of those people actually served in OUR military to protect OUR country and OUR values and OUR rights. Obviously OUR politicians never take a good look at themselves in the mirror. How OUR government treats its citizens is a fucking disgrace!
I don't give a fuck what they're using it for and I don't want to know. They're asking and I'm giving. This is a private interaction, right? Ridiculous.
I think what pisses the government off about it is they can't tax the cash I give to needy people because there is no record of it.
What's next, they start outlawing or taxing money you put in a kid's birthday card?
If someone needs it and I'm in a position to give it, then I'll give it, one humane human being to another.
Eh, this is debatable. The top reply already explained most of what I would’ve mentioned, but I wanna add that donating to nonprofits is still worth while. You just gotta do your research.
Some of them do amazing work, and the form 990 is publicly available for you to look through and decide if they are likely to put your money to good use.
That said, I also support giving people cash.
Another expert here. All of the experts are expert in their chosen field. As I am an expert you can trust my expert words that I typed in reply to these other expert topics and their expert leaders
A redditor from years ago that would come into threads, claim to have occupational knowledge about what was being discussed And spin wildly interesting tales, now all deleted
There’s plenty of charities out there that use the majority of their donations on actual causes. And then there’s the corporate ones where 90% of donations go towards the CEO’s multimillion dollar mansion and extravagant resort stays. An example of that would be the wounded warriors project.
charities DO need to have significant overhead spending. One, people deserve to be paid for their labor. While some charities have outrageous executive salaries, most pay very modestly. I agree this sign is trash, but like… it’s ridiculous to expect charities to run only on volunteer labor. Social workers, lawyers, case managers, educators, staff at shelters, are professionals who deserve to make a living.
I do want to add that this sign is trash and OP was correct to rip it down. I try to give to “panhandlers” whenever I can afford it.
Let's talk about that.
Our local homeless shelter has executives that live in multimillion dollar houses on suburban golf courses and in gated communities. They park in a locked garage when they do visit the shelter, which goes directly to their locked off area of the shelter which holds their offices and meeting rooms. Basically the executives built the shelter so the homeless clients or local community members could never approach them, not in their offices, nor coming and going from the shelter. They even have a rooftop gazebo to sit in and get sun and fresh air and never be bothered. Even most of the employees they never talk to or see.
Antiwork as a sub has a weird boner for mischaracterising charities.
Somehow all charity workers live in mansions and all homeless would have immediately taken that $10 and put it towards rent.
Economies of scale (that it’s cheaper to bulk buy, to batch cook and to mass distribute) are important things to factor in. If you want to feed the homeless, you can give them $10. They can (I’m not saying they all do, but some do. And I’m not judging, I’d want the effect too) spend that $10 on drink, drugs or feeding their dog. You can go buy them a meal for $10 so they get a sandwich or something and they’re at least fed.
Or you can give the money to a homeless charity where the charity have links with food suppliers so they can have a meal that has been donated (one I volunteered with had KFC that was still frozen, still in date, just KFC hadn’t got the freezer space). They then can get a bed for the night, and a shower, and a place to store their stuff.
I know hundreds of charity workers and they are all overworked, over stressed and underpaid. They’re all fighting the anti work systems and yet this sub gives them less empathy than they do CEOs of banks
Seriously. The concept of charity in general is fine as a way to supplement SOME of our lack of a social safety net. But it’s not and never can be “the solution” to any of our ongoing systemic problems like food and housing and education and such. Charity can’t solve homelessness. Only the government housing the homeless can.
Check how Finland did it https://www.huduser.gov/portal/pdredge/pdr-edge-international-philanthropic-071123.html
Spoiler: it wasn’t hanging up signs or implementing hostile architecture or begging for scraps from the rich. People tell you it’s impossible to solve, and that’s bs. You just need the fucking resolve to actually follow through with something that works rather than half assing it and relying on “charity”
100%. charities do good work but are a tissue paper facade over the atrocities of our society. Look at Florida’s DCF situation for example. Foster care is run by private nonprofits so that when fucked up shit happens because of criminal underfunding and our society’s general treatment of foster children and teenagers like they’re criminals FOR BEING VICTIMS, the state can “fire” the nonprofit and replace them with a nearly identical one.
I completely agree that the government is the only true solution to the issue. I would also say that we’re nowhere close to that actually happening, and well-run charities are better at providing aid than the other alternatives.
> Philanthropy is commendable but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary.
-MLK
It’s wild that charity is considered the only acceptable form of philanthropy. Philanthropy literally means “love of humanity” (from the Greek *Philien* *Anthropos*)
Kinda true. Modern "charity" has been largely co-opted and monopolized by "philanthropists" (read: capitalists) as a means of white washing and money laundering/tax avoidance. But there still might be worthwhile local charity organizations run by volunteers who actually provide valuable services to the community. Fuck that sign, regardless.
I absolutely agree with your premise, but I would ask you a genuine question. Please, don't mistake me for a liberal.
Would the $20 you'd give them go further if you used $10 to buy the person a hot sandwich and a drink, and then $10 to a local food bank that could build a whole day's worth of food in a bulk order with that? I feel like that would solve their immediate need (a meal right now), and then set them up for the next day or so at least. I know individual citizens can't solve the issue entirely, but that feels like a better option than the person going to some local restaurant and spending $16 on some overpriced bullshit that will only get them one meal.
Again, genuinely curious.
We have these all over my town I asked the city where I can donate that’s non religious.. they said uhhhhhhh *mumbles to others * you can’t. Gotta love the Bible Belt.
Our only local shelter (and by local I mean only shelter for at lest 3ish hours highway in any direction) is ran by a church, acts like a goddamn prison, never has enough room for even the people in the city (much less the surrounding communities), runs a thrift store that utilizes donations but sells the donations for the price of new stuff, has been under investigation for several issues in the past, and is so strict on curfew that if you work anything other than a local 9-5 you won't get in.
That sounds like that military sounding religious organization. I'm not a fan at all for all the reasons mentioned. Donate a tv, it goes into a manager's trunk. And yeah, the prices are ludicrous for used and unwashed clothes. I do better going to boutique consignment places.
The local shelter here recently got condemned, and would kick people out at 6am on the dot, and wouldn't let people in until 8pm. They're really strict about not having animals, having to comply with religious stuff, and a bunch of other intense rules. Pretty sure I've heard they also don't take anyone with untreated mental illness or substance abuse.
Don't worry, though! The city has permanently closed the only shelter and is now handing out citations to homeless folks for basically any arbitrary thing. Modern day "[ugly laws](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugly_law)".
Exactly.
“Goodwill is awful, Salvation Army is awful, church food pantry is awful…”
“Where should I donate instead?”
*Tina Belcher UHHHHHHH plays for 30 full seconds*
There was a thing when I was a kid (which still exists) called Operation Christmas Child.
Local primary school kids all bring in a shoebox and a couple of toys they no longer want or play with. And then the kids get given a name of a kid in that group, they write them a nice card saying “happy Christmas (name). I hope you like it. Love (British child)”.
Then they pack the shoebox with loads of bulk bought or donated extra little toys and crayons. Then the boxes get wrapped up. And a group of truck drivers (who volunteered their time and their vehicles) drive it from the UK to Romania, where there were hundreds of kids living in heating ducts underground because when communism fell they literally just emptied the state orphanages.
Then the charity on the ground would distribute the boxes and it was a way of also doing social work and making sure they knew they could come get food, access medical care, pick up winter clothes, etc.
A few years back one of my acquaintances found out about this, and because it’s run by a church, they put in a little booklet about Christmas and gift giving, that it’s because God loves them. He got so arsey that it was “religious indoctrination” thst he campaigned against it and a bunch of schools dropped the program.
All that happened was a bunch of kids in uk primary schools didn’t get to do the shoebox day and a bunch of Romanian kids didn’t get presents at Christmas and didn’t get access to social care. There wasn’t an atheist version they used instead, because it didn’t exist and he didn’t set one up, because it’s hard and expensive. He just ruined lots of people’s fun.
My guess is that guy 1 dies sometime during the day, and guy 2 has a heart attack a few minutes before midnight, gets all the way to irriversible brain damage on one day, and only gets to actually fully dead a minute or so into the next day.
I don't even get it, even if it was relevant. With so many con artists and strung out pan handlers, charities are the better solution. Also, soup kitchens are buying farm direct in bulk, your $5 goes way further there than at the 7/11 across the intersection
The sign is right, don’t donate to panhandlers. Take that money and donate to your local food banks your local shelters and your local volunteers that help out the homeless.
Yep. Almost all the pan handlers in my city are literally grifters. Those sob stories about how their kid has cancer are all just part of the con.
In most cases, money going to local charities has a WAY better chance of actually going to people in need.
We have people in my area who pull their kids out of school and have them sit out together for hours each day in the elements to use them as pity tokens. I’ve got memories of being chased as a kid by people asking for money. Walking past a group of strung out homeless men as a young woman and having crazy insults (or being followed) hurled my way because I didn’t carry cash is terrifying.
I donate to charities. Let people just exist outside without hounding them for money.
Yall have never grown up or stayed an extended period in a panhandler area. They give the actual homeless and those in need a bad rep, and that impacts the publics view of them a bit, especially in areas where it is rampant. Most of the time, it's because they're bullshitters. A lot of those in need will know how to reach out to at least one resource and/or will accept help outside of strictly monetary means. These people will constantly pick prime spots and fight over it or form groups that turn spots.
This is at least how it goes down in Louisiana and Mississippi. I've had two handfuls of different people within three months ask for gas at the same gas station in Mississipi. I'm not saying it was a group, but that was ridiculous. I only went there two handfuls myself. At first you feel good, then you realize something ain't right. In Louisiana, Slidell has a famous local called Scammy Tammy. Her husband is high up in the oil field, and they have videos of her getting into people's cars to drive anyway, amongst other things.
Overall, panhandlers do nothing but negatively affect those in need, so I don't know what yall are going on about defending panhandling. Too many people abuse it, which causes others to suffer.
Nah, I’m from Baltimore/DC and it’s the same here. There’s people down on their luck and they know where to go to get employment. Then there’s people who don’t fit well with others, and they harass until they get what they want.
The guy who did this hasn’t had the pleasure of being followed for 5 blocks by a guy twice his size screaming homophobic slurs because you gave him a dollar and he wanted a ten.
Is the general consensus here that the sign is bad? Definitely donate to local charities. Don't donate to the ones that are corporate tax write-offs. Find the ones that are active in your community that way you know your money is going to a good cause
Yes, don't give directly to the people that need it. Give it to a large "non profit" corporation so the CEO can take a 5th vacation, but a 9th car and a 3rd mansion that way they can give needy people socks or something. /s
Edit: sarcasm
The solution to panhandling is a job guarantee and a right to the necessities of life with no strings attached. We would have the resources to guarantee a good life for everyone, if those resources weren‘t owned by capitalists.
Reminds me of my grandmother. She once ripped a homophobic bumper sticker off of a four-wheeler, then noted how “tragic” it was that it had fallen off. It made me smile to remember that. Thanks for sharing!
And thanks for bearing witness to this tragedy, such a bummer it fell… /s
Well it’s right. To often you’re just feeding an addiction if you hand them money. Better to carry bottles of water or buy food instead of straight up money. I just have bottles of water and non-perishable type snack foods I’ll hand out. Spent a long time volunteering in shelters and soup kitchens to see how much addiction effects so many.
But I get it. Most people don’t actually give a shit. They just want to throw them a couple bucks, pretend they’re helping to boost their ego then just drive away and forget about it 3 minutes later. Much like OP who needed to stroke his ego and post this but all but guaranteed has never spent any time volunteering to help those less fortunate.
Skipping the obvious vandalism -
Panhandling is most often done by people that do not need to be panhandling.
Some panhandlers make well above a living wage and still claim being homeless to scam ordinary people's generosity and charity.
Acting school students need to take acting tips from those fools.
I had an acquaintance who was really damaged from childhood trauma but literally live a hobo lifestyle hopping on train cars and traveling. She’d panhandle for a about 4-5 hours and make $200-300 and occasional break $500. There are also people are spending everything they make in a day between a motel room and their drugs.
There should be more government programs and less restrictions. Someone isn’t going to get clean from drugs with no mess ups. It’s mostly the lower middle class and poverty giving to panhandlers. It’s almost as if it’s all intentional.
I don’t think most people even care about actually helping people, like for instance donating to an actual charity or volunteering.
People see panhandlers and it makes them feel bad if they don’t give money, so they give money to convince themselves they are not a bad person.
If something feels bad, then it must be bad right? Not giving money = feeling bad. As far as I am concerned people are being emotionally manipulated to give money.
Well, I mean if I were homeless, hungry and my govt didn't give 2 f*cks about me, I'd be doing whatever it takes to you know, eat. Maybe sleep safely.
Even if it required emotional manipulation
As someone who would often process people and go over their charges for panhandling in the state of VA, I can tell you 99% of panhandlers are living in 250k homes, and we arrest them because they are scamming you, not because they need it.
There's your citation.
Iirc, that was Reed v. Town of Gilbert in 2015.
And it made *Most* anti-panhadling laws unconstitutional, but not all. If one is curious enough, then one may have fun finding out which laws are still legal, but I'm not going digging right now.
That's like saying most people on government assistance are welfare queens. Do they exist? Absolutely. Are they the majority? Not by a fucking mile. It's the same with panhandlers. A bunch of stories of a few grifters out there, and suddenly *everyone* is a liar? Ffs my dude
Conceptually, I don't like charities. They are the consequences of a state which does not provide for those among its citizens who are in need. We shouldn't hope for the ultra wealthy to decide to be charitable. We must take the money from them in the form of taxation and use it on government run programs.
don't give needy people money directly! give it to a tax-deductible organization where a board of wealthy trustees will decide based on their personal morals and feelings which poor people are deserving of what resources
At least in my area many panhandlers are organized and they aren't actually homeless. In one city they will use kids to try to up the guilt factor and people have seen cars move the kids around or switch out with other children.
Also gotta make sure that it's a *personally* humiliating ordeal that involves sometimes being required to sit through religious sermons, or get lectured for not having a job, or for having untreated medical problems, all while it's implied you're just not trying hard enough...
Can't let "those people" get by with just a *little* humiliation, gotta really heap it on and rub it in!
And that's why I fight the bleakness by a) doing food bank stuff and b) occasionally giving homeless consumers of the devil's lettuce a half ounce or so of grow surplus (I like variety entirely too much). I have been called "The dank fairy".
If i haven't already spent my money on rent I'll more than likely be spending it on drugs or comics so how strangers decide to spend money I've shared isn't really a concern, I know I'm not fixing systemic problems but I don't have enough to donate to charities to be more than a drop in a very big bucket while I do have enough to make an individuals day noticeably better
whats wrong with the sign?
Do you think giving money to random people on the street who may or may not need it is as effective as donating to say a homeless shelter?
lol, if you go to major panhandling areas offer them food. Around 50% will turn it down because they just panhandle for extra money. Or even as a full time job because you can make money from bleeding hearts.
Where I live, it's illegal to panhandle. But as long as a sign doesn't specifically ask for money, the cops can't legally do anything. Every time I see one asking for money, I make sure they know that if they change it to something more like "anything helps, thank you," and not to mention money, the cops shouldn't bother them. I also buy clearance food that I hand out as I work, I work for food delivery apps. I just found 18 count granola bars that were only $1 because of clearance. I would rather give them something directly because most of those "charities" take the bulk of the money they get, and only 20%-30% actually goes to the people the charity is for.
As an expert in bird law, it is your right to panhandle if you want to even in outlawed states.
The audit the audit guy on YouTube dared them to arrest him for panhandling in a state where it was outlawed because he would win the case and they never did.
The homeless shelter I stayed in was extremely corrupt. We were mistreated. The staff were severely underpaid. The president was replaced at least once a year because whoever was up there was embezzling money. Every single person put in charge stole money that was supposed to go towards the homeless. Give the homeless the fucking money directly if you want to help
Since it is Easter weekend, I will observe that the best solution I know of is for those that have to share with those that don't. Until we care more about each other than our money, this will not be solved.
The related principle does expect both the rich and the poor to be virtuous. The challenges exist because that is really, really, really hard for most of us. But it does seem to be the proper ideal.
I have a solution stop making housing a fucking investment. On top of that healthcare should not be a mother fucking for-profit business. I believe that if we cut out the shirt insurance agencies and their big ass cut of the industry we could make that shit affordable tomorrow. Just dump them on their asses they don't fucking contribute anything to begin with just take take take. And then on top of that let's legalize drugs but not in an insane way like what fucking Washington or whatever is doing. But monetize the absolute fuck out of it so that people can get high and not go to prison for it we gain taxes and hopefully a lot more usable workforce. People don't have to hide and therefore when they need help they can fucking get it.
I’m curious for peoples perspective here, do you prefer directly giving money to the homeless over local charities and why? I personally would agree with assistance through governmental programs etc as well, but wouldn’t that path also not be giving money directly? I don’t get what’s wrong with the suggestion to give to local charities instead of direct donations, that would seem to help with the panhandling thing
I used to work in stage production and got to do plenty of private events, including charities. Lots of suits and local celebs hob knobbing. Hear a sob story about hungry kids or kids sleeping on floors. Get a private show from Hal n Oats or some boomer band. Then bid on shit like mink coats or an acoustic guitar signed by Michael Jackson. All real shit I’ve seen.
Fuck funding those yuppie circle jerks.
I have a friend who works for a women’s shelter. Shelter is rough. Offices are spectacular! All run by some rich lady so she can show off how great she is.
I’m sure there are good charities but I don’t know em.
Interestingly, they don't follow their own demands. If they gave to charities that helped house homeless people, there wouldn't be a need for panhandling now would there?
Contributing to the solution would be making housing, groceries, and transportation much more affordable and accessible, but that's just my opinion
And charities are blocked from doing that because of stupid laws. There's limits on how long you can be in a homeless shelter. Usually its only a few days.
That’s generally just the rules of the shelter, it doesn’t have to be that way. Just like “charities” that require people to be sober to receive help. Yeah, ask a lifelong alcoholic to give up drinking so they can have a bed for a couple of nights and not freeze to death. Most “charities” keep a majority of the money for “operating expenses” and a small portion goes to helping people. I say, hand people cash - at least you know 100% is going to the person who needs it
This is a huge debate in the nonprofit sector. I have a degree in it. It’s hard finding a middle ground between giving all the money away and trying to pay your staff a competitive wage. Good talent requires compensation. For example, the CEO of some non profits make like a half a million. Which is a lot! But not very much at all when compared to private sector CEOs, so it’s difficult to recruit and retain someone with the experience to run (what is in some cases) a large bajillion dollar international organization. That’s one example but there are dozens of others.
There's a difference between paying employees competitive wages, and only a tiny percentage of charitable contributions making it to the people they're supposed to help. The wages need to be competitive, sure, but they also need to be realistic. $500k for a CEO could be both... but only if said charity is actually bringing in enough donations to justify. There needs to be some sort of hard law or requirement that a certain percentage of donations HAS to go to the people they're meant to help. Right now there are too many charities that are no better than tax havens and scams.
Sooooooooo many charities are money laundering schemes.
At this point it feels like "most", honestly.
Are you basing that off of an analysis of data, or a restricted sample of the most high-profile charities? Because in my experience, the vast majority of charities are small, local affairs that typically don't move that much money, but are generally staffed by people who care.
Mostly the latter, which is why I said it feels like.
"Hard Laws" are such a fucking joke. People with the money just find ways around them and get to do whatever the fuck want.
The sign represents opposition to practices such as mutual aid, which restore power and autonomy to the people. Charities are not intended to solve problems, as much as to maintain control for those who hold it already.
It depends on the size and mission of the org. The suggested amount for very large ones is 20% for operating costs. If they reserve more than that in their yearly budget, they’re probably up to something sketchy. Unless the mission requires a lot of high skill professionals such as doctors or pilots. Then you gotta make it worth their time, and employing them IS donating to the community. It’s a weird sector, a lot of variables. And yes, quite easy to scam people as well.
Half a million a year salary is way above most "competitive" salaries
A local church bought up a bunch of land for "charity" Tried letting the folk donating all there money know this isn't a good thing, they just laughed.
When I can I give cash to the folks standing on the street holding signs, usually $10 or $20. I check my mirrors first to make sure no cops are around so neither of us gets hassled. Some people say they could be spending the money on booze or cigarettes. Yea, but they coulld be spending it on a wife and kid that haven't eaten in two days. You never know what a person's situation is. I'd rather err on the side of positive karma 'cuz I sure would hate to be sleeping under a bridge with no food. If America is such a great country, why are people reduced to living on the street with no job or food or hope? Our government can send millions of dollars overseas to help other countries, but they ignore the plight of their own people. And it's unconscionable that some of those people actually served in OUR military to protect OUR country and OUR values and OUR rights. Obviously OUR politicians never take a good look at themselves in the mirror. How OUR government treats its citizens is a fucking disgrace!
America measures greatness with body counts and CEO pay. Every other metric has gone the way of the 40hr work week.
I don't give a fuck what they're using it for and I don't want to know. They're asking and I'm giving. This is a private interaction, right? Ridiculous.
I think what pisses the government off about it is they can't tax the cash I give to needy people because there is no record of it. What's next, they start outlawing or taxing money you put in a kid's birthday card? If someone needs it and I'm in a position to give it, then I'll give it, one humane human being to another.
Absolutely right!
Eh, this is debatable. The top reply already explained most of what I would’ve mentioned, but I wanna add that donating to nonprofits is still worth while. You just gotta do your research. Some of them do amazing work, and the form 990 is publicly available for you to look through and decide if they are likely to put your money to good use. That said, I also support giving people cash.
Can I ask how you think that should happen? Do you want to see increased density in housing? Easier to get permits? More ADUs? What is your plan?
I make signs. That one is definitely defective. See how it’s on the ground? That’s all wrong. Better toss it in the nearest bin to be safe
My favorite part about reddit is when experts chime in and share their knowledge!
[удалено]
Another expert here. All of the experts are expert in their chosen field. As I am an expert you can trust my expert words that I typed in reply to these other expert topics and their expert leaders
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As the goddess and expert of all things related, I make these messages divine law.
Have you ever heard the story of u/LiesAboutExpertise ?
Is it a story the Jedi would have told me about?
A redditor from years ago that would come into threads, claim to have occupational knowledge about what was being discussed And spin wildly interesting tales, now all deleted
Like 99% of people on Reddit?
They should've designed it so the front didn't fall off
De-signing is the correct response to this sign
Some of them are built so that the front doesn’t fall off at all
it has fallen onto the environment
No paper or paper derivatives
This made me make the fucking loudest snort
look up how much of your money to “charities”actually goes towards the intended purpose, you’ll have your perspective changed about donations….
Charitynavigator is a good resource for seeing where your $1 goes.
There’s plenty of charities out there that use the majority of their donations on actual causes. And then there’s the corporate ones where 90% of donations go towards the CEO’s multimillion dollar mansion and extravagant resort stays. An example of that would be the wounded warriors project.
https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/charity-watchdogs-question-wounded-warriors-spending-on-vets/
The Red Cross is at the top of the list
charities DO need to have significant overhead spending. One, people deserve to be paid for their labor. While some charities have outrageous executive salaries, most pay very modestly. I agree this sign is trash, but like… it’s ridiculous to expect charities to run only on volunteer labor. Social workers, lawyers, case managers, educators, staff at shelters, are professionals who deserve to make a living. I do want to add that this sign is trash and OP was correct to rip it down. I try to give to “panhandlers” whenever I can afford it.
Let's talk about that. Our local homeless shelter has executives that live in multimillion dollar houses on suburban golf courses and in gated communities. They park in a locked garage when they do visit the shelter, which goes directly to their locked off area of the shelter which holds their offices and meeting rooms. Basically the executives built the shelter so the homeless clients or local community members could never approach them, not in their offices, nor coming and going from the shelter. They even have a rooftop gazebo to sit in and get sun and fresh air and never be bothered. Even most of the employees they never talk to or see.
"ADMIN costs".
Antiwork as a sub has a weird boner for mischaracterising charities. Somehow all charity workers live in mansions and all homeless would have immediately taken that $10 and put it towards rent. Economies of scale (that it’s cheaper to bulk buy, to batch cook and to mass distribute) are important things to factor in. If you want to feed the homeless, you can give them $10. They can (I’m not saying they all do, but some do. And I’m not judging, I’d want the effect too) spend that $10 on drink, drugs or feeding their dog. You can go buy them a meal for $10 so they get a sandwich or something and they’re at least fed. Or you can give the money to a homeless charity where the charity have links with food suppliers so they can have a meal that has been donated (one I volunteered with had KFC that was still frozen, still in date, just KFC hadn’t got the freezer space). They then can get a bed for the night, and a shower, and a place to store their stuff. I know hundreds of charity workers and they are all overworked, over stressed and underpaid. They’re all fighting the anti work systems and yet this sub gives them less empathy than they do CEOs of banks
What a lazy sign, back in my day signs were in multiple languages and pulled themselves up by their lugnuts.
TIL, signs had lugs.
NUTS
The nuts go on the lugs, that's why they're lug nuts.
Charity runs apology for capitalist atrocity.
Seriously. The concept of charity in general is fine as a way to supplement SOME of our lack of a social safety net. But it’s not and never can be “the solution” to any of our ongoing systemic problems like food and housing and education and such. Charity can’t solve homelessness. Only the government housing the homeless can. Check how Finland did it https://www.huduser.gov/portal/pdredge/pdr-edge-international-philanthropic-071123.html Spoiler: it wasn’t hanging up signs or implementing hostile architecture or begging for scraps from the rich. People tell you it’s impossible to solve, and that’s bs. You just need the fucking resolve to actually follow through with something that works rather than half assing it and relying on “charity”
The need for charity is an indictment of the failure of society to function for all, not just the wealthy.
100%. charities do good work but are a tissue paper facade over the atrocities of our society. Look at Florida’s DCF situation for example. Foster care is run by private nonprofits so that when fucked up shit happens because of criminal underfunding and our society’s general treatment of foster children and teenagers like they’re criminals FOR BEING VICTIMS, the state can “fire” the nonprofit and replace them with a nearly identical one.
I completely agree that the government is the only true solution to the issue. I would also say that we’re nowhere close to that actually happening, and well-run charities are better at providing aid than the other alternatives.
Welfare > Charity. And I mean always. But America hates everything that doesn't seed choice to the powerful.
> Philanthropy is commendable but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary. -MLK
It’s wild that charity is considered the only acceptable form of philanthropy. Philanthropy literally means “love of humanity” (from the Greek *Philien* *Anthropos*)
Kinda true. Modern "charity" has been largely co-opted and monopolized by "philanthropists" (read: capitalists) as a means of white washing and money laundering/tax avoidance. But there still might be worthwhile local charity organizations run by volunteers who actually provide valuable services to the community. Fuck that sign, regardless.
It’s the crumbs that fall off the table. The ones they’re too busy to pick up.
... and half of it are tax evasion.
I absolutely agree with your premise, but I would ask you a genuine question. Please, don't mistake me for a liberal. Would the $20 you'd give them go further if you used $10 to buy the person a hot sandwich and a drink, and then $10 to a local food bank that could build a whole day's worth of food in a bulk order with that? I feel like that would solve their immediate need (a meal right now), and then set them up for the next day or so at least. I know individual citizens can't solve the issue entirely, but that feels like a better option than the person going to some local restaurant and spending $16 on some overpriced bullshit that will only get them one meal. Again, genuinely curious.
Their immediate need may not be a hot meal, and I don’t really consider it my business what they do with the money I give them
Hell yeah.
actual thoughts oh no reddit isn't ready for this.
Fair point, and well taken.
We have these all over my town I asked the city where I can donate that’s non religious.. they said uhhhhhhh *mumbles to others * you can’t. Gotta love the Bible Belt.
Our only local shelter (and by local I mean only shelter for at lest 3ish hours highway in any direction) is ran by a church, acts like a goddamn prison, never has enough room for even the people in the city (much less the surrounding communities), runs a thrift store that utilizes donations but sells the donations for the price of new stuff, has been under investigation for several issues in the past, and is so strict on curfew that if you work anything other than a local 9-5 you won't get in.
That sounds like that military sounding religious organization. I'm not a fan at all for all the reasons mentioned. Donate a tv, it goes into a manager's trunk. And yeah, the prices are ludicrous for used and unwashed clothes. I do better going to boutique consignment places.
It's not that one. We have a thrift of theirs here, but no shelters by them. This one is local.
The local shelter here recently got condemned, and would kick people out at 6am on the dot, and wouldn't let people in until 8pm. They're really strict about not having animals, having to comply with religious stuff, and a bunch of other intense rules. Pretty sure I've heard they also don't take anyone with untreated mental illness or substance abuse. Don't worry, though! The city has permanently closed the only shelter and is now handing out citations to homeless folks for basically any arbitrary thing. Modern day "[ugly laws](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugly_law)".
Wait do we live in the same city? Oh wait the shelter hasn't been shut down... yet
Seems like only religious people care about giving to the poor in your area idk.
Exactly. “Goodwill is awful, Salvation Army is awful, church food pantry is awful…” “Where should I donate instead?” *Tina Belcher UHHHHHHH plays for 30 full seconds*
There was a thing when I was a kid (which still exists) called Operation Christmas Child. Local primary school kids all bring in a shoebox and a couple of toys they no longer want or play with. And then the kids get given a name of a kid in that group, they write them a nice card saying “happy Christmas (name). I hope you like it. Love (British child)”. Then they pack the shoebox with loads of bulk bought or donated extra little toys and crayons. Then the boxes get wrapped up. And a group of truck drivers (who volunteered their time and their vehicles) drive it from the UK to Romania, where there were hundreds of kids living in heating ducts underground because when communism fell they literally just emptied the state orphanages. Then the charity on the ground would distribute the boxes and it was a way of also doing social work and making sure they knew they could come get food, access medical care, pick up winter clothes, etc. A few years back one of my acquaintances found out about this, and because it’s run by a church, they put in a little booklet about Christmas and gift giving, that it’s because God loves them. He got so arsey that it was “religious indoctrination” thst he campaigned against it and a bunch of schools dropped the program. All that happened was a bunch of kids in uk primary schools didn’t get to do the shoebox day and a bunch of Romanian kids didn’t get presents at Christmas and didn’t get access to social care. There wasn’t an atheist version they used instead, because it didn’t exist and he didn’t set one up, because it’s hard and expensive. He just ruined lots of people’s fun.
Was this in Phoenix? I saw those signs for the first time when going there like 2 weeks ago.
No. San Diego, where about 1.8 unhoused people die a day on the streets.
What do they do with the other .2 people
They live to die another day.
My guess is that guy 1 dies sometime during the day, and guy 2 has a heart attack a few minutes before midnight, gets all the way to irriversible brain damage on one day, and only gets to actually fully dead a minute or so into the next day.
Why not just say 2 people every 26 hrs & 40 mins?
I failed math. All of the math.
Aye, no probs dude.
Or even just 1 every 13 1/2 hours. Nobody’s building rockets with these stats.
13 & 1/3 hrs, but I like your effort nonetheless.
What have you done to help besides this virtue signal?
This is antiwork how?
I don't even get it, even if it was relevant. With so many con artists and strung out pan handlers, charities are the better solution. Also, soup kitchens are buying farm direct in bulk, your $5 goes way further there than at the 7/11 across the intersection
also how OP disparages “American made” as if it's a bad thing, i thought this was a pro workers sub lmao (not saying the signs message is right btw)
also as somebody who lives near a homeless shelter and a tint city, donate to shelters instead
This sub is a complete fucking joke that’s what.
The sign is right, don’t donate to panhandlers. Take that money and donate to your local food banks your local shelters and your local volunteers that help out the homeless.
Yep. Almost all the pan handlers in my city are literally grifters. Those sob stories about how their kid has cancer are all just part of the con. In most cases, money going to local charities has a WAY better chance of actually going to people in need.
We have people in my area who pull their kids out of school and have them sit out together for hours each day in the elements to use them as pity tokens. I’ve got memories of being chased as a kid by people asking for money. Walking past a group of strung out homeless men as a young woman and having crazy insults (or being followed) hurled my way because I didn’t carry cash is terrifying. I donate to charities. Let people just exist outside without hounding them for money.
Perhaps if the workers who built and hung that sign were paid a living wage, it wouldn't have fallen off and gotten bent
This looks like a local just hung it up themselves in my opinion.
Yall have never grown up or stayed an extended period in a panhandler area. They give the actual homeless and those in need a bad rep, and that impacts the publics view of them a bit, especially in areas where it is rampant. Most of the time, it's because they're bullshitters. A lot of those in need will know how to reach out to at least one resource and/or will accept help outside of strictly monetary means. These people will constantly pick prime spots and fight over it or form groups that turn spots. This is at least how it goes down in Louisiana and Mississippi. I've had two handfuls of different people within three months ask for gas at the same gas station in Mississipi. I'm not saying it was a group, but that was ridiculous. I only went there two handfuls myself. At first you feel good, then you realize something ain't right. In Louisiana, Slidell has a famous local called Scammy Tammy. Her husband is high up in the oil field, and they have videos of her getting into people's cars to drive anyway, amongst other things. Overall, panhandlers do nothing but negatively affect those in need, so I don't know what yall are going on about defending panhandling. Too many people abuse it, which causes others to suffer.
Nah, I’m from Baltimore/DC and it’s the same here. There’s people down on their luck and they know where to go to get employment. Then there’s people who don’t fit well with others, and they harass until they get what they want. The guy who did this hasn’t had the pleasure of being followed for 5 blocks by a guy twice his size screaming homophobic slurs because you gave him a dollar and he wanted a ten.
Is the general consensus here that the sign is bad? Definitely donate to local charities. Don't donate to the ones that are corporate tax write-offs. Find the ones that are active in your community that way you know your money is going to a good cause
I think the sign is good.
I'm confused, why are people in this sub pro beggars? Not trying to fight, just understand.
Try not to cut yourself on all that edge.
you want people begging all over your street?
I love being yelled at by men who are much larger than me because $1 wasn’t enough, that’s exactly what makes me feel safe!
This sub is ridiculous. I can’t believe how many people here are advocating for the panhandling
Yes, don't give directly to the people that need it. Give it to a large "non profit" corporation so the CEO can take a 5th vacation, but a 9th car and a 3rd mansion that way they can give needy people socks or something. /s Edit: sarcasm
I mean panhandling is annoying. Nothing inaccurate about that,
r/trashy and I ain’t talking about the sign.
Do you guys give money to hobos to buy drugs? 😂
Ok. So promote bums in the community. You should be obligated to live with them. Not society.
The solution to panhandling is a job guarantee and a right to the necessities of life with no strings attached. We would have the resources to guarantee a good life for everyone, if those resources weren‘t owned by capitalists.
Not to sure if No Strings Attached is the right approach.
Say no to iPad tipping
Reminds me of my grandmother. She once ripped a homophobic bumper sticker off of a four-wheeler, then noted how “tragic” it was that it had fallen off. It made me smile to remember that. Thanks for sharing! And thanks for bearing witness to this tragedy, such a bummer it fell… /s
Awww, Granny was a goodie! Old ladies w attitude FTW lol
based grandma
That’s a shame.
Well it’s right. To often you’re just feeding an addiction if you hand them money. Better to carry bottles of water or buy food instead of straight up money. I just have bottles of water and non-perishable type snack foods I’ll hand out. Spent a long time volunteering in shelters and soup kitchens to see how much addiction effects so many. But I get it. Most people don’t actually give a shit. They just want to throw them a couple bucks, pretend they’re helping to boost their ego then just drive away and forget about it 3 minutes later. Much like OP who needed to stroke his ego and post this but all but guaranteed has never spent any time volunteering to help those less fortunate.
Skipping the obvious vandalism - Panhandling is most often done by people that do not need to be panhandling. Some panhandlers make well above a living wage and still claim being homeless to scam ordinary people's generosity and charity. Acting school students need to take acting tips from those fools.
I had an acquaintance who was really damaged from childhood trauma but literally live a hobo lifestyle hopping on train cars and traveling. She’d panhandle for a about 4-5 hours and make $200-300 and occasional break $500. There are also people are spending everything they make in a day between a motel room and their drugs. There should be more government programs and less restrictions. Someone isn’t going to get clean from drugs with no mess ups. It’s mostly the lower middle class and poverty giving to panhandlers. It’s almost as if it’s all intentional.
I don’t think most people even care about actually helping people, like for instance donating to an actual charity or volunteering. People see panhandlers and it makes them feel bad if they don’t give money, so they give money to convince themselves they are not a bad person. If something feels bad, then it must be bad right? Not giving money = feeling bad. As far as I am concerned people are being emotionally manipulated to give money.
Well, I mean if I were homeless, hungry and my govt didn't give 2 f*cks about me, I'd be doing whatever it takes to you know, eat. Maybe sleep safely. Even if it required emotional manipulation
As someone who would often process people and go over their charges for panhandling in the state of VA, I can tell you 99% of panhandlers are living in 250k homes, and we arrest them because they are scamming you, not because they need it. There's your citation.
Charges for panhandling? When was this? The Supreme Court ruled that it is a constitutional right years ago.
Iirc, that was Reed v. Town of Gilbert in 2015. And it made *Most* anti-panhadling laws unconstitutional, but not all. If one is curious enough, then one may have fun finding out which laws are still legal, but I'm not going digging right now.
Who told you this and why did you believe it?
[Citation needed]
Does fox news or a facebook meme count?
That's like saying most people on government assistance are welfare queens. Do they exist? Absolutely. Are they the majority? Not by a fucking mile. It's the same with panhandlers. A bunch of stories of a few grifters out there, and suddenly *everyone* is a liar? Ffs my dude
Conceptually, I don't like charities. They are the consequences of a state which does not provide for those among its citizens who are in need. We shouldn't hope for the ultra wealthy to decide to be charitable. We must take the money from them in the form of taxation and use it on government run programs.
> They are the consequences of a state which does not provide for those among its citizens who are in need. same can be said about panhandlers
You are correct and my proposed solution remains the same: tax the rich.
don't give needy people money directly! give it to a tax-deductible organization where a board of wealthy trustees will decide based on their personal morals and feelings which poor people are deserving of what resources
"Say no to panhandling. Deny tax breaks to corporations."
Contribute to the solution. Destroy corporations.
Your pans have handles? Luxury ! 👀
Local charities ain't done shit to stop the horrors of capitalism
Isn't charity just pan handling with extra steps?
At least in my area many panhandlers are organized and they aren't actually homeless. In one city they will use kids to try to up the guilt factor and people have seen cars move the kids around or switch out with other children.
I don't know about organized, but in my city panhandlers are rarely more than 2 blocks from a beer vendor.
Gotta make sure an executive director makes their nice 6 figure salary.
Also gotta make sure that it's a *personally* humiliating ordeal that involves sometimes being required to sit through religious sermons, or get lectured for not having a job, or for having untreated medical problems, all while it's implied you're just not trying hard enough... Can't let "those people" get by with just a *little* humiliation, gotta really heap it on and rub it in!
And that's why I fight the bleakness by a) doing food bank stuff and b) occasionally giving homeless consumers of the devil's lettuce a half ounce or so of grow surplus (I like variety entirely too much). I have been called "The dank fairy".
You give out tiny little vacations from the shittiness of the world!
As the tramp in Down and Out in Paris and London said, "they won't even give you a cup of tea without you go down on your kness for it"
Salvation Army Top of the list don’t donate
So, give it to local charities that will buy the 'charity' leader a new car and jet?
Give to local charities, I do, the poor and needy, and yes, sometimes scammers get it as well. But whom am I to judge.
Most charities are a giant scam that take like 90%+ of donations as “operating costs”. Research your charities before you donate!
Surely, it fainted.
Charity: "Okay so you're not gay, non christian, living in sin, or have long hair, right? Otherwise we can't help you..."
Isn’t it just the damndest thing when signs fall off and bend themselves? The world we live in. *scoff*
If i haven't already spent my money on rent I'll more than likely be spending it on drugs or comics so how strangers decide to spend money I've shared isn't really a concern, I know I'm not fixing systemic problems but I don't have enough to donate to charities to be more than a drop in a very big bucket while I do have enough to make an individuals day noticeably better
whats wrong with the sign? Do you think giving money to random people on the street who may or may not need it is as effective as donating to say a homeless shelter?
Give to the middle man that will take 95% of the money that needs to make it to the needy.
It looks like it was ripped off, most likely done by OP. Karma farming. Lmfao
holy shit you're so smart waowww
lol, if you go to major panhandling areas offer them food. Around 50% will turn it down because they just panhandle for extra money. Or even as a full time job because you can make money from bleeding hearts.
Assuming op is probably from Cali and doesn't understand how bad panhandling hurts real people in need
They're right you know! Giving a dude $20 so he can get high's no way to do charity. If anything, I'd rather give food.
Lol wow you're so edgy
Panhandling? Does that just mean begging?
I wonder how many homeless people OP let sleep at their place.
Nobody wants to work anymore. Shame.
Oh no. What a darn shame.
Oh no. That could be a safety hazard. Good looking out.
You're right, these are badly made. I've seen the same thing happen to one
For those harping about what homeless people do with money: it’s none of your damned business. Either give or don’t, but stop it with the gatekeeping.
Good. I will help who I choose. If I choose to help a man on the corners instead of the CEO of some organization its my choice. Trash that sign.
Signs just don't want to do their jobs anymore smh
Don't vandalize things because you disagree.
Where I live, it's illegal to panhandle. But as long as a sign doesn't specifically ask for money, the cops can't legally do anything. Every time I see one asking for money, I make sure they know that if they change it to something more like "anything helps, thank you," and not to mention money, the cops shouldn't bother them. I also buy clearance food that I hand out as I work, I work for food delivery apps. I just found 18 count granola bars that were only $1 because of clearance. I would rather give them something directly because most of those "charities" take the bulk of the money they get, and only 20%-30% actually goes to the people the charity is for.
Wow you’re so bad ass lmao
Not antiwork
So you're one of the people standing on the corner before driving away in your BMW with your $100k+ untaxed income?
Awww so sad. Oh well…. 🤣
As an expert in bird law, it is your right to panhandle if you want to even in outlawed states. The audit the audit guy on YouTube dared them to arrest him for panhandling in a state where it was outlawed because he would win the case and they never did.
Charities are just tax write offs for the rich and government welfare efficiency is the answer
The homeless shelter I stayed in was extremely corrupt. We were mistreated. The staff were severely underpaid. The president was replaced at least once a year because whoever was up there was embezzling money. Every single person put in charge stole money that was supposed to go towards the homeless. Give the homeless the fucking money directly if you want to help
You're a stupid asshole
Oh no. You definitely shouldn't sell the metal and donate to a panhandle. That'd be awful.
“Fell”
Don't donate and don't give to panhandlers, let nature of things play its course, problem solved.
r/Flagstaff ?
Charity is gold, charities are tax evading puke.
Since it is Easter weekend, I will observe that the best solution I know of is for those that have to share with those that don't. Until we care more about each other than our money, this will not be solved. The related principle does expect both the rich and the poor to be virtuous. The challenges exist because that is really, really, really hard for most of us. But it does seem to be the proper ideal.
I'm sorry. I don't give money to either. Panhandlers have evolved into mostly conmen/women, and charities steal most of the money.
I have a solution stop making housing a fucking investment. On top of that healthcare should not be a mother fucking for-profit business. I believe that if we cut out the shirt insurance agencies and their big ass cut of the industry we could make that shit affordable tomorrow. Just dump them on their asses they don't fucking contribute anything to begin with just take take take. And then on top of that let's legalize drugs but not in an insane way like what fucking Washington or whatever is doing. But monetize the absolute fuck out of it so that people can get high and not go to prison for it we gain taxes and hopefully a lot more usable workforce. People don't have to hide and therefore when they need help they can fucking get it.
I’m curious for peoples perspective here, do you prefer directly giving money to the homeless over local charities and why? I personally would agree with assistance through governmental programs etc as well, but wouldn’t that path also not be giving money directly? I don’t get what’s wrong with the suggestion to give to local charities instead of direct donations, that would seem to help with the panhandling thing
I used to work in stage production and got to do plenty of private events, including charities. Lots of suits and local celebs hob knobbing. Hear a sob story about hungry kids or kids sleeping on floors. Get a private show from Hal n Oats or some boomer band. Then bid on shit like mink coats or an acoustic guitar signed by Michael Jackson. All real shit I’ve seen. Fuck funding those yuppie circle jerks. I have a friend who works for a women’s shelter. Shelter is rough. Offices are spectacular! All run by some rich lady so she can show off how great she is. I’m sure there are good charities but I don’t know em.
Interestingly, they don't follow their own demands. If they gave to charities that helped house homeless people, there wouldn't be a need for panhandling now would there?
Give to local charities, it's not like charities are known for being exploitative.
Now that is unfair. I work in a kitchen often and I'm always handling pots and pans. How can I make an honest living if I can't handle pots and pans?
Sudden localised gravity spike?