Before I first started out as a delivery driver I felt like I needed to give money to the people on the street corners who were less fortunate than I was.  That was until I started going to the same areas every day.  I started to see the same people holding the same signs every single day.  And not just signs that said need food or looking for help, but signs that said I need 20 bucks for gas to get home to my family or money for a bus ticket.

That was when I stopped giving any of the pan handlers on the side of the road any money at all.  I really felt like I needed to help those who needed it, but didn’t believe that most of these pan handlers actually needed it.  When I made that decision I still had some guilt after seeing these people constantly on a daily basis so I began to watch them when I would get to their corners.

What I saw removed all of that guilt.

I saw new fancy phones that I couldn’t possibly dream of affording.  I saw plenty of money end up in their hands from the cars both before and after me and what I saw most of all was lies.  Some of these people had new clothes and expensive shoes but were still holding signs for a living.

Even after seeing this on a daily basis I still wanted to help those who needed it, but clearly I knew that giving to pan handlers wasn’t helping those who could use it the most.

That’s when I started to look around and found worthwhile charities to give my money to.  In the process, I found many great places that could use my money to help.  That eased my mind in numerous ways.  The first was that I knew my money was going to be used for good so I never had to wonder where it was going.  Secondly, they had the ability to stretch a dollar more than I ever could.  That may have been the best news for me.  Not only do they have deals with companies to get good and services for much cheaper than I could, but they also have companies in places that will match your donations so your giving is multiplied by a huge amount.

Last year during the Christmas season my donation was matched by 12 companies.  That made me feel like what I gave was a whole lot more meaningful.  12 dollars for every dollar was impressive to say the least.

I know that there are plenty of good people around here who are more than willing to give, but after seeing what I saw, I strongly recommend that you don’t give money to those holding signs on street corners.  I am not saying that all of those people use the money you give them in an inappropriate way, but it’s not even worth the risk.

If you want to give where it counts, go and find a charity that suits you best, and then give all the money that would have gone to pan handlers. That way you are giving to a place where you know it can do the most good in the lives of those who really need your help.