Frugality and the homeless

On my walk home tonight, a homeless man asked me for a handout. I asked if he was hungry and he said yes.  But when I told him that I had homemade food at home that I’d be glad to bring to him, he politely declined. I’ve found that this is a common response. Yet many of us don’t want to give money to the homeless because we fear that it might be used for alcohol or drugs or something else unsavory. We feel conflicted, guilty … and often just hand over some bills. Yet is there a better response? I have struggled for years as to how to handle this situation and have come up with a solution that feels good to me: I