Buying food for homeless

[crazy canuck]

Food banks and soup kitchens are the ones most likely to be run by volunteers and religious organizations.

Not every charity is Susan G Komen.

Besides, this way Meri is paying the overhead costs of the restaurant.  Oatmeal doesn't cost $2 per bowl.

It's a food co-op, not a restaurant.

Ok, this way Meri is paying the overhead costs of the co-op restaurant.  Oatmeal doesnt cost $2 per bowl.

[Admiral Yi]

Yeah?  Five years.  That's all they've got.

You talking about tenure? 

[Richard Hakluyt]

Some of the most heartless people I have ever met were socialists. They didn't give to charities or to beggars because, by their lights, the state should provide. I think there is a lot to be said for helping people on the personal level; and, if someone asks you for a petty sum of money, have some compassion and think about why they may have been driven to that extremity.


(disclaimer........of course when I last lived in London I had to restrict my good Samaritan act to one person per day)

[Barrister]

Some of the most heartless people I have ever met were socialists. They didn't give to charities or to beggars because, by their lights, the state should provide. I think there is a lot to be said for helping people on the personal level; and, if someone asks you for a petty some of money, have some compassion and think about why they may have been driven to that extremity.


(disclaimer........of course when I last lived in London I had to restrict my good Samaritan act to one person per day)

There are a lot of problems with giving money to apparently homeless people (which I freely note is not what Meri did).  Panhandling, if you look pathetic enough, and are aggressive enough about it, can be very lucrative.  That can then feed into drug and alcohol addictions, and create a disincentive for the person to make any lifestyle changes.  Plus panhandlers tend to turn other people off from attending an area, which decreases property values and foot traffic.

Big believer in charity, but not in giving money on the street.

[garbon]

From what I recall, this is illegal to do in Chicago. Someone was giving food to homeless people with poison in it.

[garbon]

Actually a quick google search reveals that it illegal in many places.

[CountDeMoney]

There are a lot of problems with giving money to apparently homeless people (which I freely note is not what Meri did).  Panhandling, if you look pathetic enough, and are aggressive enough about it, can be very lucrative.  That can then feed into drug and alcohol addictions, and create a disincentive for the person to make any lifestyle changes.  Plus panhandlers tend to turn other people off from attending an area, which decreases property values and foot traffic.

Big believer in charity, but not in giving money on the street.

Socialist Nanny-stater.

[OttoVonBismarck]

It's illegal in many places for any random joe (or even random organization) to just start passing out food. That's because even a charity is supposed to have people with food handler permits, submit to some level of inspection and such. There was a charity in North Carolina that got into a bit of trouble because they were cooking biscuits/other breakfast food every Saturday morning or something then hauling it all out to a local park and giving it away to free to homeless people. [Talking about prepared food here, I don't think there are laws anywhere against giving away packaged food or that would make Trick-or-Treat illegal.]

But what's happened here is someone paid for food at a business (or co-op, which is just a type of business organization BTW), and instructed said business to give the food to another person. So the entity that prepared/handled the food is probably legit and wouldn't get in trouble for serving the food as they are a properly licensed food vendor.

[Richard Hakluyt]

@barrister

Yes, I know what you are saying and at least partially agree, but when people ask I feel obliged to at least consider and feel like shit if I don't.

BTW the number of beggars on the streets of Preston has fallen to zero (unless one counts the accordion playing dwarf and the big issue seller outside M&S), it is different in major cities where begging can be a lucrative career but, really, I think very few people choose to do it.

[OttoVonBismarck]

Ok, this way Meri is paying the overhead costs of the co-op restaurant.  Oatmeal doesnt cost $2 per bowl.

Raw materials wise, correct. But if they pay staff or overhead then you can't sell oatmeal at product cost.

FWIW I just checked and I can get a one serving of oatmeal for about $0.16 cents (a 10 pound bag from Amazon for $18.69 yields about 113 single bowl servings of oatmeal.)

[Barrister]

@barrister

Yes, I know what you are saying and at least partially agree, but when people ask I feel obliged to at least consider and feel like shit if I don't.

BTW the number of beggars on the streets of Preston has fallen to zero (unless one counts the accordion playing dwarf and the big issue seller outside M&S), it is different in major cities where begging can be a lucrative career but, really, I think very few people choose to do it.

You don't have enough first nations people.

More homeless, not so many beggars.  A few years ago so-called "aggressive panhandlers" were a big problem - they'd approach cars stopped at a red light, creating quite the hazard.

[garbon]

@barrister

Yes, I know what you are saying and at least partially agree, but when people ask I feel obliged to at least consider and feel like shit if I don't.

BTW the number of beggars on the streets of Preston has fallen to zero (unless one counts the accordion playing dwarf and the big issue seller outside M&S), it is different in major cities where begging can be a lucrative career but, really, I think very few people choose to do it.

Yeah it seems like you'd be quite broke and/or depressed in a larger city with that mindset.

[Richard Hakluyt]

IIRC London had a problem with "squeegee merchants" a few years back, belligerent buggers who would wipe your windscreen at traffic lights and try and charge you a fiver 

I also recall a plague of begging women with cute babies on the London Underground while the Yugoslav civil wars were going on. By rights i suspect that those women should probably have been paying the top rate of tax.

Giving money is certainly a complicated business 

[Admiral Yi]

A fiver for a squeegee?? 

[Richard Hakluyt]

@barrister

Yes, I know what you are saying and at least partially agree, but when people ask I feel obliged to at least consider and feel like shit if I don't.

BTW the number of beggars on the streets of Preston has fallen to zero (unless one counts the accordion playing dwarf and the big issue seller outside M&S), it is different in major cities where begging can be a lucrative career but, really, I think very few people choose to do it.

Yeah it seems like you'd be quite broke and/or depressed in a larger city with that mindset.

Oh I just had my one beggar a day rule when I lived in London and Brighton. But yes, the disparity in incomes and wealth in places like London can be distressing; the North of England is poorer but the incidence of utter failure and misery seems to be less.