The Homeless Are People Too Blog

“ I know many people, me included, are reluctant to help a homeless person with a money handout. The reasons being that the city frowns upon it, or the thought that the person receiving the money walks away with it to buy drugs or liquor. That’s often my thought, and why I often try to contribute in other ways. But the other day, I was in Walmart and a young man, about the age of my sons, approached me and asked if I could give him money for food. Because he brought out my mother instinct, I didn’t hesitate to reach into my purse for a few dollars. Before I got it out, he asked if I also had money for a blanket, that he’d slept in the cold the night before. At that point, I was a little leery of giving him the money, but I did anyway. I gave him a $20 and said, “You can get a blanket here for $10.” He thanked me, asked for a hug, and walked away. I was 90 percent sure he’d disappear and be drinking somewhere with my $20. After I’d paid for my items, I was walking out of the store and I saw him sitting at a table in the Subway, enjoying a meal, with his new blanket in a bag on the table beside him. ” -Kelli