Street Beggars/homeless

[givemeaspell]

Do you give to street beggars?  We have had a woman in the past week sitting outside our local supermarket with a sign (I need help, homeless, please donate your spare change).  She had her head down with a cap on, quite thin, I don't usually give to street beggars but for some reason I felt the need, however when she lifted her head after I had placed the money in the container I could see she was clearly suffering the effects of drugs..very sad indeed.  I would have rather gone buy her a drink or some food than perhaps donating to her habit. 

[lionrose.7]

Margo they will only allow you to bring in two packets of cigs into Australia now.

They just want you to buy Cigs in Aus so the goverment get higher their cut.

[*mrgrizz*]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt2mbGP6vFI

[freakiness]

No, I don't give them a cent.  In Australia we have a government that provides assistance.  If you truly are homeless there is help out there.  

AND I have never had someone (in Australia) ask me for money that I haven't believed was on drugs.

I'm not going to support some junkies drug habit.  Not now, not tomorrow NOT EVER.

There is no reason to be homeless and starving in Australia apart from drug use / alcohol abuse.

I support neither.

Mental Illness also causes people to be homeless.

[katydidthat]

Another reason is being illiterate.  Some people will go to  incredible lengths to disguise the fact that they can't read and write.  

[freakiness]

you sound like my daughter ele..  she can take it or leave it with no mental or physical problems.

One of my other daughters had a serious drug problem years ago......she's still alive by some miracle.. drug counsellors told me that addicts of this drug  rarely reach 30.....so I do know what I'm talking about.  

Not necessarily.

I don't know if your daughter was homeless but homelessness is usually not caused by drugs or alcohol. It is more often caused by illness, job loss and poverty.

Many addicts need to reach rock bottom, which in itself is different in different people.

Other addicts just decide they need to change things and do, with or without the support of a program.

I remember a beggar in Sydney one time that was begging to buy a house.  I'm guessing she got there.  She begged while the kids were at school.