In one of my former life-segments I was a pastor. In one town where I served (just off of I-10 at the TX/NM border), the local churches created a community fund for helping these beggers. One day a fellow came in to the church, explaining how he and his family were on their way to his mother's funeral, but the transmission had blown out on their car a couple of towns back and used up all their cash getting it repaired, and now they had no money left for food or gas. Well, the way we handled that was to call the DQ (Dairy Queen) and tell them how many people we were sending over for a meal, call the local gas station and tell him what car was coming in for fuel, then send them on their way. This is what I did. About 6 months later the SAME GUY came into the church office, explaining that they were on their way to his mother's funeral, but the transmission had blown out on their car a couple of towns back and used up all their cash getting it repaired, and now they had no money left for food or gas. I looked him dead in the eye and said, "Your mother ought to be getting pretty ripe by now." He gave me a weird look and said something along the line of "huh?" I told him that he had been in with exactly the same story a few months back, and that I remembered him and his story, and that he might as well move on to another town because I would let the DQ and gas station know that he was a professional moocher and not to give him anything as well as warn the other churches in town. He gave me a dirty look and said something about a lack of charity (and probably something about my mother as well) as he loaded up and left town. Fact is these people do wander around and get along on handouts from good people. They are not above trying to guilt you into giving them what they want, either.
In another town we had a food bank run by the local churches. If you came in asking for food we'd pretty much give you 3 days worth of assistance for the whole family but it wasn't a sure thing. I got a reputation of being pretty tough on my days to volunteer. If you came in asking when I was there, and I saw a pack of cigarettes in your pocket or your purse, I cut the hand-out to 1 days worth of assistance. My rule of thumb was if you were still spending money on smokes, you hadn't done all that you could do to help yourself yet and so you shouldn't get as much help as someone who was truly doing all they could. I sent up to the pantry a requisition for one days worth one time and heard the workers upstairs laugh and say "Must be a smoker, 'cause Rev. So&So cut 'em down to 1 day."
I've bought meals for guys who were hungry, and provided help in many and various ways on many occasions, but I'm much less likely to respond to a tin-cup and a demand for help. As one of my friends likes to tell beggers, "At least do something for it. Wash my car. Do a dance. Put some effort into it. Just don't expect me to feel obligated to give you something just because you want it."
Oh, and I never pass a Shriner collecting for their programs without emptying all my change (and usually then some more, too) into their container. My daughter was a "Shrine Kid" and there is not enough I can do in gratitude for their gift to her (and she wasn't one of the really "tough" cases they take on every day! What a great group!) If you see Shriners collecting, give as much as you can.
Doug
