am not giving that person money for drugs or alcohol" I be like dam... I wonder what turn of

event got this person to this point in their lives... as I know traumatic events happen to

people daily, and sometimes we as people are not mentally capable of overcoming them. My

father is a drug addict so I say this in light of him... He was never in my life, but I never

hated him. My mother taught me to look at life on every aspect, and not to judge others until

you have walked in someone's shoes...so I stay giving without prejudges.. not worried what

the money is being spent on... being my place was to give... not dictate !!!

It's written somewhere that we are suppose to give in charity

Does anyone here practice a sincere giving of your earnings

monthly to a charity or to needy people... Including Family !

maybe help out the one's who raised you granny mom ect ?

No but seriously I help who I can when I can. After all that's what life's all about. (Helping others)

NvH

One place I like to do the most is with our youth, our future.. If one knocks at my door with a school fundraiser, I buy even when I don't need. When approached out at the front of stores, I purchase. When hit up to by a new groups cd trying to get their name out there I buy no matter what style of music it is.

I try to stop at carwash fundraisers, they have been for schools, sports, churches, and even to raise money for a funeral for a loved one that was murdered.. I don't always get my carwashed because I am in a hurry, but I still donate..

One of my proudist memories of beeing a mom is the heart that my children have developed for helping out the less fortunate or someone in need.. They learned this by example, because I have done it all of their life..

My kids have said no to christmas and we sponsered a family and they got the presents instead, this was their suggestion not mine. When a fellow school mate lost all his toys in a fire, my then 8 year old son gave him his toys and some clothes. My kids have worked in foodlines for the homeless serving them on thanksgiving and christmas...

Oh well you get the picture giving means a lot to me, and I do it with love in my heart...

xoxo's

Victoria

I also support a family member and have been for quite some time now. He is basically unable to care for himself and my family has left me with the task.... funny how those things work. The same family that was never there for me is now expecting me to be there for them.... well even when it is hard, i know that it is easiest for me to do it considering what I do so I continue to help.

Caution: Known to be habit forming

One of my favorite songs says it all...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG7NU7L92b0

Kath

NvH

Kath

I did give in to one the other night in the parking lot at the Walmart on Watt and El Camino. She had her young kid with her at 10:45 at night. I made her a deal that I would buy her a bag full of food from Del Taco and give her $20 if she promised to take her kid home and get him to bed. She had a bad "meth mouth" and I don't doubt she dropped the $20 on drugs but if she fed the kid and took him home then it was a fair deal IMO.

Bottom line is I don't know how they got there and do not want to walk through life assuming the worst in everyone, I would rather try to see the good in them, everyone has some good in them.

Posting this tread showed some good in CarrotTop, encourage that good rather than assume the worst in him and help him to say "fukk It, Why Try".

Never say Never my friends, life will test that theory in one way or another.

“It always seems impossible until its done.”

Heather
Your Pleasure is my pleasure!

"There but for the grace of God - go I."

I remember one time when my family had taken a trip to the SF Wharf and a woman came up to me who was probably very beautiful in her younger years.

She reached out to me as I was begining to pass, grasped my hand (she was shaking - going through alcoholic withdrawals),
smiled the sweetest smile and said,

"Support your local, friendly, alcoholic; it keeps us warm at night, Luv!"

Higher Power, God, Great Spirit or whatever you call the energy that connects us all -

speaks to us in many forms and wears many faces.

One of the things I try to keep in the forefront of this OCD/ADD brain of mine -

- is that I go about my daily business -

am both a student and teacher at all times.

To some I can only teach by providing an example of what
NOT to do.

Make sincere amends - and -

"DO OVER (if you are lucky enough to get the chance)!" -

Some people I learn new lessons from.

Some inspire me to take another step toward the goals I've set for myself.

Yes - my grown sons have taught me many lessons.

But in my daughter, I see myself - and even better...

I learn along with her as SHE learns.

Just in case I missed the same lessons the first time around.

It's always Summer at my place! xoxo

I remember a few years ago there was an older woman who had the face of the bitter beer man. She would stand on the center island at major intersections dressed in shabby clothes holding a sign asking for money. Then one day I was stopped at an intersection in a different part of town and saw her coming out of a Quick Stop. She was nicely dressed in a pair of designer jeans, clean crisp white blouse and nice white tennis shoes. She got into a late model car and drove away. A few days later I saw her again panhandling at her favorite intersection and looked around and spotted her car parked nearby.

Some years ago a major study on panhandling found that a surprisingly large percentage of panhandlers are like this woman. Good ones can easily make $100 to $200 a day.

If you talk to people who run charities who deal directly with the homeless they will often discourage you from giving money directly to panhandlers. When the homeless can't get money that way it forces them to go to these charities who in addition to feeding them can attempt to help them with their underlying problems. They also can provide them with clean clothes or wash the clothes they have improving their health and in some cases can help them get medical care if needed.

That's why I never give money to panhandlers. I give to charities that try and help them instead.