I often go to some cities in Asia and sometimes will see someone who lives on the street. Many times they are sleeping during the day since it’s so hot and sometimes they look malnourished too. What would be the best foods I could provide them (assuming some restaurants or convenience stores are nearby) which would not spoil?
Don’t, find local homeless charities and give them food or money. This way the food is keep safe so it doesn’t make the person sick.
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That’s interesting. Growing up, we were always told not to give money because if the person is a user or something, they’ll just use it to get their next fix, instead of buying food.
They are talking about giving to charities, not directly to the homeless. Even if they were talking about giving directly, the drug argument is very silly. If they’re hungry they’re gonna buy food first. Maybe they’ll try to buy less than they need so they can use the leftover for drugs, but that’s their prerogative.
I work with the homeless and the vast majority are just worried about meeting their basic needs and being treated like a human.
i do this too but at the moment when i encounter this person i can’t just leave them without anything
Dry goods that don’t need to be prepared. Things like crackers and beef jerky are reliable choices.
JimmyDean: “hand out beef”
Username checks out, but this might not go over well in much of India.
I give money to local charities too but i’m talking about when i’m walking on the street and and it’s an ad-hoc thing
this is the organization i give to: http://sunshine-action.org/
Why not just leave a small amount of money so they can buy it themselves? It would solve all issues. From allergies, spoiling, and attracting insects or stray dogs.
Because you run into the issue that most healthy things that don’t spoil are rather hard. And many homeless people have issues with their teeth and can’t eat that. So you either leave something less healthy, like sealed soft bread or you ignore food safety rules.
Which isn’t as big of a deal in Asia. Even affluent people ignore it. Foods to look out for would be anything with a lot of soy sauce or vinegar. They tend to last a bit longer. And while it sounds stereotypical, anything with rice will be appreciated.
Leaving fruits could also work.
Not sure if this is possible or practical for that situation but peanut butter is a good source of protein and calories. It also does not need refrigerated. There is the issue of allergies though.
Peanut allergies are much more rare in Asian populations than European or North America.
I didn’t know that about the allergies. That’s pretty interesting.
this is a good idea! i will keep this in mind. generally in asia peanuts are not an issue, it’s more often that lactose is an issue.
“Trail Mix” if they have that in your area. Usually a mix of dried foods (fruit, nuts, seeds). Some are healthier than others with the less healthy ones adding candy.
Canned/jarred foods that do not require a tool to open.
I carry gift cards to Subway for the homeless. Subway restaurants are almost everywhere, don’t cost a lot, can be reasonably healthy, and most people like the food well enough.
I’ve always been a fan of protein/granola bars.
Water bottles
water is easy and i can already cover that, i am looking for food suggestions though
Easy. Buy uncut fruit from a local market - bananas, oranges, mangoes, local fruit.
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Ask them what they need. You don’t need to guess.
I think the idea is to have it on hand already
