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An employee of mine had a daughter who was a drug addict. She told me never to give money to people on the street. Her daughter begged and used the money for drugs. Most areas have food programs for the homeless - donate to those instead.

I've bought a meal for someone who was counting his change to see if he had enough for a burger. A couple of months ago, I was selling at the flea market when a guy hobbled up and sat in a chair I was selling. He was interested in a pair of men's shoes I had for sale even though they were too big for him. It was a hot day so I moved the chair into the shade for him. When he took off his shoes, he had several open blisters on his feet. I found some socks from another vendor and got some bandaids from another one. I gave him the shoes and a couple of shirts and bought him a bottle of water. I'll help people, but I don't give money directly any more.