do you feel sorry enough to give money? there are these guys who stand at the traffic light that leads from the biggest shopping mall in the state and have those big handpainted "please help--hungry.God Bless You" signs. if you just spent $300 at the mall on luxury items, would it hurt to give a down on his luck fella a coupla of pennies? the funny thing is..i never do
i guess i'm cynnical that if you can stand at a traffic light for 12 hours with a sign, then maybe you could be offering your services to something more productive that will allow you to better yourself-like a church, a shelter or something...
what do you guys think?

I will happily buy them a meal or an item of clothing but i wont give money because more often than not it supports a habit of some type

They're ungrateful.

I rarely if ever give money to people on the street, mainly cause I give in other ways. I budget my charity, just like everything else. But if someone really touches me, or the mood strikes just right I will.

As for what truly helps them? Who's to say. I think solving the homeless problem lies in prevention, education and (mental) healthcare. None of which are impacted whether I give someone a dollar or not.