Buying food for homeless

[merithyn]

There's a gentleman who hangs out in the mall that I work at. He's disheveled and carries a battered bag with him wherever he goes. Every morning, when I go upstairs to get my oatmeal at the food Co-Op, he's sitting at one of their tables, nursing a coffee, huddled over old newspapers that he's reading.

This morning, I bought him oatmeal for breakfast. He didn't know that I'd done it. I asked the cashier to tell him when he came back in for a refill that someone had gotten it, and then didn't end up buying it. It wasn't a big deal - $2 - but it would mean hot food for him. I don't know that the guy is homeless, but he's clearly somewhat destitute, and when I went up for lunch, the cashier said that he was grateful for the meal.

I don't generally give money to beggars. I'd rather buy them lunch or a hot coffee. But how does one do that without potentially insulting the person? I'd set up an account for the man and pay it each week if it meant that he got coffee and breakfast every day, but how does one go about doing that not knowing the person's situation?

[The Brain]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2up7su7CeMU

[CountDeMoney]

The fuck you messing with the 47% for?  Woman's lost her mind.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Some day someone will do this for me and then I'll have to go clothes shopping 

[The Brain]

Club hopping?

[merithyn]

Some day someone will do this for me and then I'll have to go clothes shopping 

That's actually part of why this is so delicate. I know plenty of men who go out looking a bit... disheveled.

[Barrister]

There's a gentleman who hangs out in the mall that I work at. He's disheveled and carries a battered bag with him wherever he goes. Every morning, when I go upstairs to get my oatmeal at the food Co-Op, he's sitting at one of their tables, nursing a coffee, huddled over old newspapers that he's reading.

This morning, I bought him oatmeal for breakfast. He didn't know that I'd done it. I asked the cashier to tell him when he came back in for a refill that someone had gotten it, and then didn't end up buying it. It wasn't a big deal - $2 - but it would mean hot food for him. I don't know that the guy is homeless, but he's clearly somewhat destitute, and when I went up for lunch, the cashier said that he was grateful for the meal.

I don't generally give money to beggars. I'd rather buy them lunch or a hot coffee. But how does one do that without potentially insulting the person? I'd set up an account for the man and pay it each week if it meant that he got coffee and breakfast every day, but how does one go about doing that not knowing the person's situation?

I know it's personally more satisfying to give a hot meal to a specific person, it's generally much more socially beneficial to give the money to your local food bank / homeless shelter.

[CountDeMoney]

If he didn't want to be poor or destitute, he'd make more money.  That's the American Way(tm).
Some people just need to mind their own business.

[merithyn]

I know it's personally more satisfying to give a hot meal to a specific person, it's generally much more socially beneficial to give the money to your local food bank / homeless shelter.

What makes you think that I don't do that, too?

[Richard Hakluyt]

Some day someone will do this for me and then I'll have to go clothes shopping 

That's actually part of why this is so delicate. I know plenty of men who go out looking a bit... disheveled.

Yeah, I was partly joking but many of my friends would meet his description, there seems to be a strong correlation with excellent degrees in maths or physics and a certain disregard for sartorial standards..........or maybe it's just my friends 

[Syt]

Some day someone will do this for me and then I'll have to go clothes shopping 

That's actually part of why this is so delicate. I know plenty of men who go out looking a bit... disheveled.

Yeah, I was partly joking but many of my friends would meet his description, there seems to be a strong correlation with excellent degrees in maths or physics and a certain disregard for sartorial standards..........or maybe it's just my friends 

There's a quiz for that:

Prof or hobo?

[merithyn]

Yeah, I was partly joking but many of my friends would meet his description, there seems to be a strong correlation with excellent degrees in maths or physics and a certain disregard for sartorial standards..........or maybe it's just my friends 

And we live near a campus of some of the top engineers in the country.... you see my quandary.

[derspiess]

Not too difficult to tell them apart downtown here.

[Admiral Yi]

I've never seen a professor sleeping on a grate covered in newspaper.

[lustindarkness]

Ask?