Should I give money to beggars? This is what experts in Berlin advise

In Berlin you come across beggars every day. But how should we react to this? Are monetary or in-kind donations better? The most important questions and answers.

Berlin – the city of beggars. As a resident, hardly a day goes by without encountering someone in need of help. People beg in the federal capital – on public transport, in front of supermarkets, in cafés. Some passers-by are happy to give a small donation, others now just react with annoyance. The question of conscience remains: Should I give money to beggars?

Caritas has a clear answer to this: Yes, you should. Because “those who have to beg or even live on the streets know best what they need and how the little money they have available to them should be spent.” At the same time, the Catholic Church’s welfare organization also gives Berlin citizens some tips.

Many passers-by wonder whether it makes more sense to give people begging a donation in kind. A sandwich, for example. Or a hot coffee. Donated money could ultimately also be spent on unnecessary things such as alcohol or cigarettes. The problem according to Caritas: “What if it is the tenth coffee and the sixth roll that day that the begging person is given as a gift and therefore they end up in the trash?”

According to Caritas, donations in kind are only acceptable “if the person I want to help has expressly asked for them. It’s similar to vouchers. They patronize people who are begging and deny them the right to decide freely.” However, donations in kind to organizations that collect them specifically and in accordance with the needs of those in need are very welcome.

But then the question remains: How much money should I give to people in need? A few cents? Two Euro? Ten euros? Ultimately, of course, that’s up to each individual. Caritas on this: “The question is, what can and want to afford? Most of the time I give so much that it doesn’t hurt me. But I can ask myself whether I couldn’t be more generous, considering everything I do for myself I could invest in humanity and solidarity with someone begging. Not bad investments.”