You ever do something like this? What's your story?

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It happens.

Here's a happier tale to balance the vibe.

When traveling with my family, we often stop for a light meal midway to break up the monotony of the trip.

One time we stopped at a place we don't care for the food, and bought a particularly light meal to settle our stomachs for the remaining minutes on the way to our favorite food stop.

Toward the end of our quick stop, a stranger offered my oldest an unopened burger from his own meal that he wasn't going to finish.

I think he probably noticed our order was on the small side and maybe worried whether my oldest got enough to eat.

My kid was fine, of course, he got as much as he wanted and knew we were stopping soon somewhere he liked better.

But that guy's compassion stuck with me.

So now there's a line item in my budget for donations to a local food shelter. My intent is to always maintain that recurring donation, in honor of that guy's compassion.

Clay_pidgin

That's very sweet of you.

Clay_pidgin

When I was a teenager I used to hang out with the beggars at the major train station in town when I was travelling around to kill time. I bought hot dogs from the cart for a few of them and they thanked me and ate with me, but said they had plenty to eat. Apparently they rented an apartment together in cash with the proceeds of their begging. They weren't living large, they just didn't want to or couldn't work a regular job. I don't regret spending time with them and hearing their stories, and they wouldn't take my money because I was just a kid.

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Most soup kitchens will take packs of socks, sleeping bags, tampons, dog food/etc and make care packages for people that come in.

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Yes, I've painted bicycles a few times. The first one, a '90s rigid MTB I was building up to be my "daily driver" utility bike, I took the frame to be professionally powder coated, which obviously worked great. The second one, a tandem, I spray-painted myself, which also worked fine but I haven't really ridden it so can't speak to the durability over time. Most recently, I tried spraying a frame with plasti-dip because I wanted it to be removable, but it turned out a little too removable: it didn't hold up to being clamped in my work stand, so now I've got to re-do that tube.

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In my city the homeless run a newspaper. Good on-the-street reporting and homeless people can also sell the paper to get money.

Anyways, got to talking to a paper-seller. His story was rough; had a job, a house… and then a major medical event that took his house and all of his savings away in bills. His job fired him for ‘poor attendance’. At least the people at the paper were helping him get back on his feet.

Bought his last few papers so he could go home, but figured he was probably cold and hungry after standing around all day, so I bought him dinner and some new warm socks too.

Hope that guy is doing all right.

Chainweasel

There was a guy outside of Taco Bell in Columbus Ohio who was begging for money so he could get himself a burrito.
So I went inside and bought the man several burritos and soft tacos and a large drink. I walked back out and handed it to him, and he promptly threw it straight in the trash and looked in the eye and reminded me that he had asked for money.

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I semi-routinely get food for beggars. Gift cards, even. I don't carry cash, but if someone says they're trying to get enough money for food, I offer to just buy them what they need. They almost always say yes, and, especially in winter, you can tell it means a lot, at least in the moment.

On my first payday, post graduation, I did this for some kid who seemed clean by really skinny. He picked out frozen chicken nuggets, and seemed just so happy and grateful. That's stuck with me.

Owl

I don't get it

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I'm not upset at your story, I'm upset at you being judgemental toward unhoused persons. There are a lot of people out there when an unhoused person asks for money just refuse to give it because they think they are going by drugs with it (which, yeah, they might), so many unhoused persons have to resort to giving an excuse they think you might be responsive to. You have no idea what they need the money for. Maybe its to get a cheap phone so thry haveva way to contact someone if thry need help. Msybe they need a hair cut for a job interview. Maybe its for drugs. The thing is, you should give a person the help they ask for and not what you think they need, in my opinion. You are not their parent and what they do with what they ask for is not your business.