What look would a panhandler need for you to be most likely to give money?

[Matthew Mussolini]

Honestly,

When I have spare change and I'm not hooked on drugs, it might really surprise you how generous I am with it.

When I was a part time janitor I gave 20 bucks to a dude who was drinking alcohol , knowing what he would spend it on.

I have bought people food and volunteered at soup kitchens freely giving my time to make sure people had adequate food , clothing, and housing, and received no pay.

I have written a check for 200 dollars to my church when i wasnt making shit and given far more than 10% of my income to charitable causes.

I don't mean to blow my own horn, and Scripture warns to not let people know your good deeds so your father who sees in secret will reward you, but it would actually surprise you how charitable I would be to beggars of every ethnicity if I actually had the money to give.

For one, they might spend it on meth or heroine, but I know what its like when nothing motivates me at all but drugs , and the only joy I get is from panhandling that 20 bucks to get some euphoria.

Many of these people will be completely joyless without it , and you can leave a huge impression on them by giving them money.

For instance, being a white guy in the slums, I have temptations to be racist because almost all the people I can't stand because of their loud, obnoxious, inarticulate, ignorant, shallow minded behavior happen to be black and talk in Ebonics (I can't stand all that "you finna smoke reefa wit my baby mamma at da crib?" talk or sagging your pants below your butthole like you wanna get boogered in the fanny).

But I remember all those charitable African Americans who handed me money with a smile when I was needy and it purges my heart of resentment towards their ethnicity.

I strongly ,passionately despise Islam with all the bigotry, torture, and amputation of limbs, burning, and crucifixion in the Qur'an, and all the bullshit laws in Muslim-majority countries. But receiving kind offerings from humble Somalian (women primarily) has done much to teach me that most Muslims are probably just as virtuous as other faiths as a general rule.

My point being, if I wasn't a drug addict I would be judgemental and a bigot. Panhandling purged me and healed me of a lot of that.

I would be more likely to give money to a woman who looked like she was genuinely homeless.

But when people beg, I'm just more likely to give to a female, (possibly for selfish reasons on my end.)

[SpaceMan]

oxy addict looking people with signs begging for food money i will pass right by for lies

but an obvious drunk with a sign asking for beer money might get a loon

[6-eyed]

Back at hipforums I wrote about what kind of panhandlers and beggars I give to.

If a panhandler is doing something, anything, I’m more apt to hand a donation over. If they are just able-bodied and sitting there doing nothing, they can piss off

For example, if I see a panhandler doing some juggling, spinning poi, playing an instrument, spinning a sign, washing car windshields, doing backflips, etc. I see that as a form of doing work. When you’re just sitting there begging for money, that’s slacking off.

[Matthew Mussolini]

I did fly a sign saying I need money for my crystal meth addiction. I got two donations, but was only flying the sign for about 40 minutes and it was night time.

[Matthew Mussolini]

Back at hipforums I wrote about what kind of panhandlers and beggars I give to.

If a panhandler is doing something, anything, I’m more apt to hand a donation over. If they are just able-bodied and sitting there doing nothing, they can piss off

For example, if I see a panhandler doing some juggling, spinning poi, playing an instrument, spinning a sign, washing car windshields, doing backflips, etc. I see that as a form of doing work. When you’re just sitting there begging for money, that’s slacking off.

I used to offer work and leave my phone number and name. Does that count. I did get work twice as well.

[PacificDude]

Great topic! I was homeless in Chicago for a year, but I did not have to beg for money: Pacific Garden Mission Home gave me "Three hots and a cot" - as long as I was willing to work four hours each day (changing sheets, mopping floors, scrubbing sinks and toilets, etc.) This I did not mind at all. What I did mind was having to attend Christian church services every day - even after I fessed up that I leaned more towards Buddhism. But it was all good in the end. I used to hang out in the small reading room after I'd finished my work, and that's how I learned about great spirits like Mother Teresa and Thomas Merton.

As far as giving money to homeless folks - I always give them something (even if it's only a dollar). Also, I save all my empty bottles and cans until I have 4-5 dollars worth, and give them to the first homeless person I run into when I'm on my way to the store. They appreciate small acts of kindness big time - even if it's just a sincere smile. Nobody deserves to be made to feel invisible. We are all flesh and blood people...

[Matthew Mussolini]

Great topic! I was homeless in Chicago for a year, but I did not have to beg for money: Pacific Garden Mission Home gave me "Three hots and a cot" - as long as I was willing to work four hours each day (changing sheets, mopping floors, scrubbing sinks and toilets, etc.) This I did not mind at all. What I did mind was having to attend Christian church services every day - even after I fessed up that I leaned more towards Buddhism. But it was all good in the end. I used to hang out in the small reading room after I'd finished my work, and that's how I learned about great spirits like Mother Teresa and Thomas Merton.

As far as giving money to homeless folks - I always give them something (even if it's only a dollar). Also, I save all my empty bottles and cans until I have 4-5 dollars worth, and give them to the first homeless person I run into when I'm on my way to the store. They appreciate small acts of kindness big time - even if it's just a sincere smile. Nobody deserves to be made to feel invisible. We are all flesh and blood people...

Amazing post!

You should consider Shintoism. It is often mixed with Buddhism.

Miyajima-torii-gate.jpg
Shinto has no Dogmas to argue over, no Scriptures, and no founder, so there is nothing to argue and fight over. Those all distract people from devotion to Kami (Spirits).

The only Dogma Shinto has is that after death, Souls (Spirits) become Kami, and influence us and can be contacted.

Shinto has greatly enriched my Spiritually and taught me to keep Hondens (rooms closed to the public and reserved entirely for enshrined Kami) 2c63f0acba2ba71b72045c2be9195889.jpg 1920px-Izumo-shrine_Haiden01.jpg and Kamidana (God cupboard) kamidana06.jpg both of which are for enshrined Kami and places to burn candles and incense and leave flower offerings.

I find that when I bless the loving dead, they return it with much grace, signs, coincidence, and inspirations and sometimes religious ecstasy.

[Din Djarin]

Back at hipforums I wrote about what kind of panhandlers and beggars I give to.

If a panhandler is doing something, anything, I’m more apt to hand a donation over. If they are just able-bodied and sitting there doing nothing, they can piss off

For example, if I see a panhandler doing some juggling, spinning poi, playing an instrument, spinning a sign, washing car windshields, doing backflips, etc. I see that as a form of doing work. When you’re just sitting there begging for money, that’s slacking off.

You want them to see them use energy. No spending of energy, no free (funds for) fuel. Understandable? From a certain jaded perspective. Fair or reasonable? Far from always in reality. Sometimes there is just no work at all to do, and you don't please anybody playing on your flute all day (no didn't mean it that way :P).
I agreee seeing them sitting with their heads between their knees and a cup for money in front of them looks like they're slacking off, but that's just how it looks. Same with if they would be busy with poi or juggling for like 7 hours a day; they look like they're not slacking off to certain people but they're in earnest not being that more productive.

[Undies]

i don't think the look is particularly important. it depends on a bunch of things, some of which have nothing to do with the panhandler.

[Din Djarin]

It's about how the panhandler comes across, and the look can play a superficial role in that. When they juggle their ass off all day it is not primarily to provide entertainment or a service for those passing by, it is to make it apperent to people like 6-eyed that they aren't 'slacking off'.
They know they get that coin they need sooner if they spend energy/do something/make an effort. Even if that practice is only done to convince a certain kind of passer by they're doing something for it.

[rolling]

ive surprised many with weed and hash .....only if they look particularly miserable ,sad or pretty

[Amerijuanican]

You want them to see them use energy. No spending of energy, no free (funds for) fuel. Understandable? From a certain jaded perspective. Fair or reasonable? Far from always in reality. Sometimes there is just no work at all to do, and you don't please anybody playing on your flute all day (no didn't mean it that way :P).
I agreee seeing them sitting with their heads between their knees and a cup for money in front of them looks like they're slacking off, but that's just how it looks. Same with if they would be busy with poi or juggling for like 7 hours a day; they look like they're not slacking off to certain people but they're in earnest not being that more productive.

So, what if they aren't doing anything, but have an arm in a sling or cast but look dumpy like their woman just kicked him out?
Or like, a broken leg and a neck brace on. And their kid sitting out there with them ..
Perhaps he looks lazy but is actually trying to get his lights turned back on after three months. So his family will be warm in January.

[6-eyed]

You want them to see them use energy. No spending of energy, no free (funds for) fuel. Understandable? From a certain jaded perspective. Fair or reasonable? Far from always in reality. Sometimes there is just no work at all to do, and you don't please anybody playing on your flute all day (no didn't mean it that way :P).
I agreee seeing them sitting with their heads between their knees and a cup for money in front of them looks like they're slacking off, but that's just how it looks. Same with if they would be busy with poi or juggling for like 7 hours a day; they look like they're not slacking off to certain people but they're in earnest not being that more productive.

Even if a panhandler is doing work that doesn't produce much productive societal value, it's still work. Someone standing still at the same street corner day after day is not working. Spinning poi isn't productive work, but it entertains some people, and it takes work to do it. I prefer those who play instruments though; that takes talent and there's not enough live music to come around in the modern era.

When I lived in downtown Portland many years ago, there was a woman who'd panhandle outside of Powell's Books from the time I moved in, to the time I moved out 4 years later. She's probably still panhandling right there to this day. The fact that she is still doing that for so long, probably means she's finding a way of living comfortably as she preys on the sympathy of pedestrians going by. If life as a panhandler is that awful, nobody would be doing it for a prolonged period of time; not even her.

When you give to a panhandler who's just sitting there occupying space, you're rewarding bad behavior. There's lots of menial jobs out there that aren't too hard to acquire: like picking berries, cleaning toilets, carrying bricks, and more. These jobs are important and not disgraceful at all.

I've seen panhandlers get hostile and demand money to the point it almost looked like a mugging.

[6-eyed]

I used to offer work and leave my phone number and name. Does that count. I did get work twice as well.

What kind of work did you get hired to do whilst panhandling?

[SpaceMan]

i assumed it was sex work

[Matthew Mussolini]

What kind of work did you get hired to do whilst panhandling?

Remodeling a home. I was offered sex work, but ill cuddle with lonely women, but wont screw too many unless they are very attractive or I'm drunk.

The people offering the sex work were guys.

I don't love drugs enough to sleep with a guy because I know I'd attempt suicide shortly after and It would permanently fuck with my conscience more than anything else I've done.