To the people who beg for a living,

If you are reading this, you have no right to be begging. Hundreds of men and women take to the streets every day pretending to be homeless in the hopes of earning a living on spare change and sympathy. There are people out there who really genuinely don’t have an option other than to beg.

You need an address to get a job. You need a job to afford a mortgage or rent. This cycle of necessities makes it nearly impossible for people in the homeless population to get back up on their feet. Yes, most shelters will allow its residents to use the shelter’s address on job applications. The problem with homeless shelters is that they’re overcrowded and unsafe. Many people feel they have no option but to sleep on park benches and outside abandoned store fronts.

Now before you go blaming these people for their own misfortune, think about the number of people on the streets who really didn’t do it to themselves. The U.S Department of Housing estimates that around 39,471 veterans are homeless every night. It is also estimated that about 25% of the homeless population suffers from mental illness, compared to 6% of the overall American population. So for those people, I’m sorry. They were dealt a hard card, and while I’m sure they fought their best for a more comfortable life, they end up on the streets.

To anyone who does not fall into the category of the 39,471 veterans or the mentally ill this is for you… stop begging. Don’t dirty your face, don’t tell your dog to roll around in the mud. Don’t write on a cardboard box about how you’re expecting, or you have a family to feed. Have some dignity. If you have a home to go to at the end of the night, you have an address to put on the job application. Fill it out and quit using sympathy to pay your bills. No more hustle, no more scams. Go out and make an honest living because as long as you have good health and a place to call home, the system is still working in your favor.