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I have a lot of personal conflict with this issue. Although I've never lived on the street, I've had enough experience with self-destructive addictive behaviour to be very wary of helping others kill themselves. Not all street people are addicts/alcoholics, but enough are that I feel I may be aiding their addiction. I have literally had to pull back and watch a close relative almost kill himself because of an addictive, self-destructive lifestyle (we were called in to the hospital to make some decisions about resuscitating him). He's now recovering, and we're forcing him into a programme to deal with his situation (he's not fighting this time). Tough love is hard on both sides.
Most people don't realise that sometimes giving money to the homeless is actually hurting them. You almost have to have lived it to really understand it.
And the problem with that is you end up judging people, often negatively. I have no way of knowing if they are an addict or a victim of circumstance. It does make it a hard choice for me.
That being said, I almost always DO give something if I have any loose change (in Canada, change goes up to $2, our bills only start at $5, which is a little high for a street handout IMO). My preferred alternative if they say it's for coffee or a bite to eat is, if I have the time, to go into a coffee shop and grab them a coffee & muffin. It just makes me feel I haven't contributed directly to their problem.
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The secret to great marksmanship is deciding what the target was AFTER you've shot.
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