Please stop and help.

You see him when you turn the corner, a block away. He's stretched out on an old mattress, laid up against a store gate; dirty, tattered clothing, unkempt and dazed. His head is bowed down over a tin cup...a sign reading, "Help me, please-Homeless", is in his hand. You're almost up to him in the block, ready to hurry pass. But, hold on...hesitate....DON'T WALK BY! Questions run through your mind. "Do I really know what's going on here?", "Is the sign truthful?", "What will he do with the money I give him?"

Please don't over analyze what you are seeing! HELP. Give a couple of dollars, a sandwich.... In the winter, travel with a couple of pairs of men's socks and gloves in your handbag or briefcase. This is an easy way to always be ready to lend a hand. If you are not comfortable with engaging this person in conversation, just lay the item(s) by them and keep it moving.

It doesn't take much to be the change.  Any gesture of love makes a difference. Small things mean the most. Do something...don't walk by.