Oh, I can feel your passion and pull here! I made the mistake of self-righteously buying someone on the street what to my mind was quite a delicious special sausage in a bun. Pleased with myself, thinking it was hot food and not cash, I gave it to him. He said he'd save it for his wife--he didn't have enough teeth to eat it...!

Since then I've given cash as well as foot or hand-warmers--I carry a box of them in my pack since one guy told me he puts several in his sleeping bag with them for the night. FYI... But cash is key.

It feels like so little, though. This should NOT be happening. (Writing from Vancouver, Canada.)