As someone who's been homeless (and didn't have a drink or drug problem thanks) please fuck off. A night in a shelter costs money. Clothes which regularly get stolen cost money. Going to the bathroom costs money. Having a shower costs money. Travel to find jobs costs money. Medication costs money. Toothpaste costs money.
I just want to counter the hate you're getting here a bit. "Fuck off" is an entirely appropriate response to someone recommending that people not give an amount of money they're not going to notice to someone to whom it could be life changing.
The "but they might spend it on drugs" argument is just an easy get out from giving some money to people who need it. Funny how no one ever argues that Wall Street bankers should be paid in food vouchers, despite the decades of history showing that they're going to spend their money on drugs.
No, because beggars can't be choosers right? And the best thing to do to a person when they are at their absolute worst is to take away their last scrap of autonomy. I'm sorry, in future I will humbly accept the advice of the self righteous with a doff of my cap and a mumbled thank you.
I presume you guys are in the US. In Europe, at least the parts where I live(d), most homeless indeed have drugs problems. There are social places where they can sleep, get clean, they help them with first steps of integration back, but its often tied to being clean from drugs. Many choose not to accept this.
Then for those who reject there is free drug dispensary & usage place, we talk about proper opiates like heroin, not some weak substitutes.
In our situation and location, the money isn't a solution for a beggar. Meal can be, ideally hot in the cold. Also, since we talk about Switzerland, people come from rest of Europe seasonally to beg and then go home to live off social services. Again, no reason to give money.
Nope I'm from the UK but we have a system that is closer to the American then the Swiss. There are services out there but they're incredibly poorly funded.
Telling me bluntly to "fuck off" tells me a little bit about your personality. I'm guessing you have psychological issues that you struggle with. Be careful so you don't end up on the street again buddy.
There's a thriving black economy of squats where you can pay a couple of pounds to share a room with 40 other people. Totally illegal, but given the choice between sleeping in the snow or in an unregistered shelter, I'd take the latter.
