SOLICITING at grocery stores??? Where will it end????

Question

Between 45th in west palm beach and p.g.a. blvd in Palm beach gardens, we counted 15 soliciters,beggars, homeless, charity raisers, or whatever story they could come up with. Yes, I am smpathetic to a hardship.Even being a single mother , we try to help as many people as possible. But,everytime we walk into publix on p.g.a. there is someone asking for money right before you walk in. We're asked from the cashier if we'd like to make a donation and even though we go each night, it gets to be aggrivating. Especially when we have to take care of our own children! Feeling bad about not being able to give, I don't know wether to frown or smile as we walk by and can't help. Should we give them some food we just bought. CAN we go anywhere without being asked for money???

Answer 1

Where I live - we have been alerted to rings of theives who are breaking into homes and stealing major things .. many people attribute this to hard times .. and .. many people also think it will get much-much worse as time goes on.

Sometimes, it's hard to tell who REALLY needs help .. and those who do not.  I believe most people want to help when they can do it.

My neighbor and I were talking this week about the people we have gave money to -- who are people we don't know - and who are also people who just walk-up to other people at the grocery store and ask for the money.    The person who she gave money to, discovered where her home was located - and came to her home at 1:00 A.M. in the morning and rang her door bell to get more money .. the neighbor had to call the police.   And -- when this giving money gets started -- the person often gets MAD if you don't give money to them every time.

Answer 2

I completely understand where you are coming from.  I try to help out the community as much as I can but my family and their needs come first.  I feel bad that I cannot help them out but my family needs to eat too.

I've even considered packing little lunch style stuff for when we see people asking for money but I have yet to talk myself into it in fear that some how the person might try to sue me or something if they "get sick."

I've had people claiming to be with church organizations banging on my driver side window for donations.  It's scary.

Answer 3

honey if you want to donate go to  or send something to the charity of your choice, panhandlers come equip ed with all kinds of things and the charity never see the money.don't give at the malls or grocery stores, just say no, did you know gas is 4.30 a gallon and if you pay taxes on a home you are doing your share, so stop.

Answer 4

Say something to the managers of the store.  If they know that paying customers are being aggravated by the pan handling that is going on on their property, they might be more willing to take action against it.  

Please don't feel like you have to give money.  You don't know what they will be using the money for.  We were in a grocery store one night and the guy in front of us was using food stamps to make a purchase (this was about 20 years ago, before the use of the charge cards).  He would use a food stamp coupon to buy something real cheap and then get the change back.  The store employees stopped the guy after two purchases.  After he left, they told us that he was only trying to get enough change so he could go buy booze.  Ever since then, I have refused to give money to anyone unless I knew where the money was going.