He used to sit out in front of the Walmart in Roswell, NM with his dog and a sign. At that time he really did live under the bridge.
He could make $300.00 on a monday afternoon, more on the weekend, just a couple hours and then he was off to the dealer.
Thankfully he has been clean for almost 10 years now.
If you want to truly help someone, find a person you know or a program you trust and work that way. Anything else is like throwing money out the window, literally.
In the mid-90s a DFW TV station did a report on panhandlers — those who ‘sell’ roses or wash windows, hold up ‘work for food’ signs, etc., at major intersections.
Reporter interviewed one panhandler and asked why he did it. He responded that it was better than working for a boss, as he could ‘work’ whenever he wanted. He went on to say that he collected around $25,000 (tax free) per year from his panhandling.