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The difference between giving a dollar to a panhandler vs buying them a meal
Last week I walked past a guy on the corner near 5th and Main holding a sign. I usually just drop a buck in his cup and keep walking. But this time I had just grabbed a burrito from that food truck across the street... so I doubled back and handed it to him instead. He lit up in a way I never see with spare change. It made me wonder if the way we give matters more than what we give. Has anyone else tried switching up how they offer help on the street? Do you think the method of giving changes the impact?
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viola_butler14d ago
Yeah, totally agree. I used to just hand out cash too but a few years back I started keeping granola bars and water bottles in my car. Handed a guy a bottle of water on a 95 degree day and he just closed his eyes and held it to his forehead for a second before drinking it. Made me realize sometimes the thought behind it hits way harder than the actual thing. I still give cash sometimes but now I try to match what they might actually need in that moment.
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