homeless person, spare change, canada, giving, philanthropySharing with others , when you have abundance goes way back in history. Giving back in any form is the simplest act of human kindness. Money, food, positive words and even something simple as a smile are just some ways of giving. Despite numerous avenues to give and a number of opportunities throughout each day, not everyone is willing to give. Afterall, it’s a choice to give or not to give.

However, I’m not here to discuss giving as a whole, but rather giving your spare change to a homeless person when you walk by one in the street. We often pass someone in our daily commute who is begging on the corner and patiently hoping for some of our spare change. Growing up in Toronto, I had numerous encounters of running into homeless people en route to sporting events or even just a simple stroll in the downtown core.

And I would give my spare change to a homeless person 8/10 times if I had spare change.

Giving is my personal choice. No one can force me do it, but rather I believe in helping those less fortunate. If you’re ever in doubt about giving, have a glance at these quick statistics:

  • About 150,000 – 300,000 people in Canada are homeless, living in shelters or on the streets 
  • On any given night across Canada, there are 40,000 people in homeless shelters
  • In 2001 census, 702,600 Canadians were considered at risk for homelessness

Aside from obvious humanitarian reasons to give, I give for more for personal benefits, simply due to the way I was brought up in our household. I was raised with a simple belief: “never walk by someone in need, because tomorrow you may be in need and you never know who will jump in to help you”. Somehow this stuck with me through my teenage years and well into my early adulthood.

Giving is not a matter of money. It doesn’t matter if you give a quarter or five dollars.Rather, it’s about giving some love back and showing that we care.

Keep in mind: Giving your spare change to a homeless person is a personal choice.

Homelessness is a complicated subject. People become homeless for different reasons. Sometimes life throws a hard curve-ball and other times it’s by the poor choices they made.  There are a lot of people who give away their spare change freely, yet there are even more people who choose not to give simply because they believe that their donated spare change is going towards booze or drugs.

I don’t choose to think about where my spare change goes, but rather focus more on the giving part. Homeless people can make the choice between what’s more important to them, a loaf of bread or a bottle of booze. No one said we are a perfect society. After all, we’re all human.

Despite not allowing my self to think about where the money is going to go, I give for many other reasons, than just putting a smile on a homeless person’s face. I give my spare change, because of personal reasons, such as these:

Self Esteem

Giving to others makes me feel good. It lifts my self self esteem and builds value in my self worth. I am thankful to have the opportunity and resources to give back to someone less fortunate.

You get, what you give

It’s a centuries old saying. Keeping all the good fortune that comes your way for your self, will only make you miss a world of opportunities.

Karma

Remember the saying; What goes around, comes around. It’s a vicious circle.  You help others in need and others will help you when you’re in need.

There are numerous ways to give to a homeless person. Money doesn’t have to be the only way. A smile and some positive words will do. Every homeless person deserves some very basic human connection. Instead of turning away, smile, nod or say hello and if you have spare change, give some, trust me it will make you feel good.

Do you give your spare change to a homeless person or do you turn the other way?

Eddie