Should you give handouts at traffic lights? A view from the street

Chantel Sampson lived on the streets of Cape Town for six years. She now works for Streetscapes, an organisation that works with people living on the street. Photo supplied

My name is Chantel Sampson. I was a homeless person for six years. I lived at the foot of Table Mountain from 2018 onwards. You probably walked past me if you visited Van Riebeeck Park in Vredehoek.

I was part of a community of about 40 other people. We cared and looked after each other. Some of the people there are still my friends and I value our relationships.

During the pandemic, I isolated in Lagoon Beach Hotel because I contracted Covid. Isolation arrangements were part of the provincial government’s pandemic response. That week on my own changed my life. I was provided with a place to sleep, regular meals and care. I had time to think carefully about my life. This was transformative.

I am very proud that I managed to beat my addiction, and I have reunited with my family.

After that I was employed at Streetscapes as a Community Liaison Officer. I now support others who have no shelter.

I was recently asked whether I thought people should give handouts to people at robots, or whether the money should rather go towards organisations who assist people who are unsheltered. What would do the most good?

It is a difficult question. But my view is there’s nothing wrong with people giving handouts when asked by someone for help. People helping do so out of goodwill and with the best intentions.

I relied on these acts of kindness daily — whether it was a plastic bag of food left on top of a bin or a bag of clothes placed nearby, or someone who would put a note in my hand. This was a meaningful way for people to give and for me to be assisted, when I was unable to earn a living.

Some people believe that if you give street people money you enable them to stay on the streets and that you may be doing more harm than good. The City of Cape Town, for example, advises everyone to “Give Dignity”. In the City’s view your money should be donated directly to shelters and services that the City endorses rather than to people on the streets. Seen in this way, a person with money “gives” dignity to someone without money.

This sits uncomfortably with me.

Homeless people have dignity. It is the circumstances in which they have to live that are undignified. And those circumstances can change.

Street people don’t remain on the streets solely because better-off people give them cash — although it does certainly help us survive day-to-day. There are of course hard times when resources are especially scarce. In those moments we often turn to local services like the Diner, Hope Exchange, Streetscapes, and a woman — we call her ma — who distributes food in the Company Gardens on Thursday nights. These services were invaluable to me and many others who still face homelessness. People who run these services help us when we are hungry and cold. They show care, when others look away when we try to make eye contact and ask for help.

But we need other things that these local services don’t provide — toiletries, food, something to keep the rain off our blankets, sanitary pads, and so on. Perhaps also when some of us are in desperate need of a “hit” to keep the dreadfulness of the streets at bay for a bit (perhaps similar to that glass of wine you crave after a difficult day at work).

Giving some money to someone asking isn’t solving homelessness, poverty or the dire need for more shelter beds in our City.

But it does show that you care and recognise the other person’s humanity. And that you are willing to provide a bit of comfort in an often cruel city. Generosity is a wonderful thing.

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