1. You never know.
Everyone has their own story that you cannot know within only seconds of seeing someone with a sign on the corner of the highway. The reason of how and why they got to that corner is and probably always will be a mystery for you. This problem leads us to assume, and we all know what happens when you assume things. So, what I have to say to that is …
2. Don’t be a cynic.
Have a little bit of faith in humanity. If you can’t bring yourself to find a reason to have faith in the homeless person on the corner, have faith in yourself as a good human being. While yes, there may some people out there on that corner asking for food, work or money who do not need it as badly as they claim to or are advertising for false reasons, it is not all of them. There are some men, women, and even children, who really are in a life or death situation and need your charity to turn it around and give them a second chance at life. If your reason for not helping these people is honestly because you are worried they will use your money for drugs or alcohol, then you can still help. The chances that they are standing on a corner of somewhere popular is high; therefore, the nearest gas station or grocery store should not be very far away. Buy them food or water with the money you would like to give to them. Then there is no worrying that it is going to the wrong place. If you’re tired of thinking about the person on the corner …
3. Think about yourself.
How is stopping for literally two seconds to put even just one dollar in this person’s hand going to affect you negatively? The answer is pretty simple: it will not. What were you going to do with that dollar that was more important than feeding this man, woman or child who has possibly not eaten in days? Lastly, what if it were you? God forbid that, for whatever uncontrollable reason, you have no choice but to be the person who has to stand on the corner and beg people all day long for any bit of money or food they have to spare. Watching people with wallets in their pockets, purses on their shoulders, and food in their hands walk by you saying no or just plainly pretending you’re not there while you are starving and wondering where you are going to sleep that night doesn’t seem too easy or fun. You would hope that someone would not generalize and clump you in with those who are false advertising for the money, but instead trust that you were just seriously in need of some help. Remember the change that accidentally fell out of your car or wallet last month that you didn’t bother picking up off the road because it wasn’t worth the effort? The homeless starving person on the corner would have bent down one hundred times for those three dimes and a a quarter.
Simply ask yourself: If you had the chance to turn someone’s life, week or even day around, why wouldn’t you?
