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When I was a college student I made the mistake of giving money to a panhandler one day. Of course I'd see him again off campus on the street but this time he'd target me every time. And then he'd curse me out if I ignored him... go figure.
Later I'd carry around fresh fruit or bread for myself - but if I saw a panhandler I'd offer them some food instead.
Years later I got over my "upper class guilt." There are other ways to give back to the community or the poor than tossing a few coins at a stranger. Volunteer work and public service take more dedication and are more effective ways of addressing the situation.
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"I do believe that, where there is only a choice between cowardice and violence, I would advise violence. Thus when my eldest son asked me what he should have done, had he been present when I was almost fatally assaulted in 1908, whether he should have run away and seen me killed or whether he should have used his physical force which he could and wanted to use, and defended me, I told him that it was his duty to defend me even by using violence." - Mahatma Ghandi
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