Giving to a person begging on the Underground

I remember going to Ireland (Eire) in the 1960s and being accosted by children begging in the streets.
They were asking for 'a penny for me dad's porter, missus'

In our town there is a soup run every night for the homeless. Apart from making soup for about 70 people we also collect unsold sandwiches and pies from shops as they are closing and can't sell the items the following day. Some people donate hats and scarfs to give out. The soup runs are coordinated by the Salvation Army, and carried out by various groups such as churches, Rotary, Lions etc.
We arrive at the meeting point and its heart rending to see these poor people lining up for their soup. These are genuinely needy people who are sleeping rough and no sign of any BMW cars parked round the corner.
We do not give them money.

Jalima, during my first visit to Dublin in the early 1980's, the friends I stayed with, who lived there, warned me there would be traveller children begging in the city. They said the accepted wisdom was don't give to them. Any money they got simply went to their parents for alcohol, which usually led to physical assaults on the children.

It was quite unnerving, I had never encountered anything like it before Iam64, but was with an Irish friend who warned me not to give anything. We were not in Dublin, in a rural town somewhere.
However, if they went home with nothing for 'Dad's porter' presumably they would have got a cuff round the ear anyway

Am I virtue signalling if I say I co-run a charity for homeless people? (I'm not really sure what that's about.)

I do not ever give money to rough sleepers, but I do give out socks (believe me that's a very welcome gift) and I'm always happy to chat and/or buy a sandwich or hot drink. Since last spring my friend and I have assisted a dozen homeless people (rough sleepers) and we have managed to get two elderly people off the street and into homes. We currently support one of the newly housed people with weekly visits.

The homeless person who was recently housed now has a bed, sofa, table and chairs, cooker, fridge, carpets, curtains, bedding etc. and every bit of it was donated by kind supporters of our charity. People have been very, very kind.

For me the news that two senior citizens will no longer be in danger of dying on the streets is better than winning the lottery. I cried when we heard we'd been successful in getting the most recent one housed because I am convinced that another year on the streets would have led to death. (Two street sleepers have already died here in the last year.)

No, you're not virtue signalling at all.

Referring to earlier posts, just because we feel reluctant to give money to beggars doesn't mean that most of us are hard-hearted; many of us are giving in different ways even if not actively involved like you are grannyactivist - well done indeed!
Making clothing, blankets, etc, supporting charities financially here and overseas.
I did look for somewhere to donate a suite, curtains, good bedding etc etc but in the end gave them to the Red Cross, so I hope they can sell them for a profit to enable them to help refugees and/or other people in need.

As far as I'm concerned you're giving me hope to hear of the achievements of the charity. I wonder whether you saw 'Famous, Rich and Homeless' on tv last night. Revealing both of the 4 'celebs' and of the people they encountered.

Jalima - I believe that both the Salvation Army and some congregations of the Society of Friends help to set people up with the basics when they are found accommodation.

I saw it, Elrel. Shows that even the rich and famous are not far from being homeless in reality.

I have just read this and it makes me feel even more despair for the homeless.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/mar/10/nastiness-crime-homeless-homelessness-local-authorities-public-spaces-protection-orders

I have some sympathy for the SW, though she should have been more discreet. There was a time when I regularly gave money to a supposedly homeless man always asking for money in the same place (for years) locally. It later turned out (splashed all over the local paper) that he not only owned his own flat, but had many thousands in the bank.

On a cold night daughter bought a BigMac for a man begging in central London with a 'Homeless and Hungry' sign. He told her to f*ck off.

I give money to several homeless charities now but I won't give to people on the street any more.

I think the social worker was being unprofessional.

Many years ago I gave a pound coin to a "beggar" and an hour later saw him blind drunk reeling about down the road. It did worry me and made me think.

When I was a child a woman came up to my mother and asked for sixpence for a cup of tea. Mum told her to shove off and earn a living as she did.

I was upset by mum's lack of charity and do give to "beggars" I just use my instinct and remember the words "there but for the grace of God go I."

Anyone of us can slip through the net.