Quote Originally Posted by Glenn Sunshine View Post
What about the possibility of more creative responses. For example, if someone asks for money for food, give them gift certificates at a local eatery, or better yet, take them there yourself. This avoids the potential of giving someone the means to do themselves in. Remember, it was Cain who said he wasn't his brother's keeper--right after he murdered him.
About 15 years ago, this is what they did in Santa Barbara, CA. The city frowned upon folks giving money to a rising homeless populace... So what they did instead was issue a kind of voucher, or ticket that would enable the receiver to a meal at one of the homeless shelters, or contributing eateries in the area... The locals would buy the "tickets," and give them out instead of change (or whatever)... Got rid of any doubt about usage, filled the charitable with, well, charity, those that were hungry ate, and those that wanted something else went somewhere else... Maybe not a perfect solution, but at least it was a workable one...