You can't help everyone, but we help where we can. Family of three, Venezuelan mum & two kids who've been out begging on the highway all day in a muggy heat.
Took them to the discount store. $15 Canadian stocked their household for at least a week.
It is staggering how little can help so many. I'll be in ayunos most of May (for writing clarity; it helps with focus), but it's super hard to watch kids go without. (The older brother was such a sweetheart with his little sister the whole while.)
@MLClark You're a more trusting person than I am; I see panhandlers around here all the time claiming to be homeless, no job, etc.. There may be one or two that may actually need the help, but I'm positive that all the others are just scamming people.
@ProjectShadow I live in Colombia, a country that has handled with considerable dignity the millions of Venezuelans who have fled a country that as of this year has a monthly minimum salary of $6 US. The need is real.
That said, the US saw huge upticks in people driven from their homes in pandemic; precarity runs deep around the world. I understand the urge to assume the worst when the need is *constant*. I hope there are foundations you trust enough to support instead of offering direct aid.
We do what we can, where we feel it's safest. That's what matters.
I'm sure others might argue over specifics, but I know that feeling safe is super important to long term readiness to help.
There's a false attribution bias all humans fall prey to; when we first see someone suffering, we feel awful for them - but when the suffering continues, we start to blame them for it. It's a coping mechanism & trauma response. It's normal.
So thank you for helping where you feel is safe.
@MLClark I do occasionally, yes. I understand that in some cases the need is very real, and I honestly feel for those people, but it's the scammers that ruin it because I can't tell the difference between who actually needs the help and who is just lying to try and make easy money through sympathy from others.