A Vicious Cycle

Went for a walk after lunch today (Sunday). While walking pass an African-American woman sitting on a roadside bench, I smiled at her. She then called me to say whether she could talk to me. I turned my head and walked back a few steps and said, 'Sure!' She then told me her 'story', "I am homeless and 6-month pregnant, could you do something to help me?' I looked at her and she wasn't pregnant at all! I said I was only a visitor here and didn't know any of the welfare agents. I asked her whether she'd asked any of the local churches to help. She said she didn't want to get help from a church. She then asked me to buy her some lunch, there was a nice restaurant on the opposite side of the road. I knew there were a few different 'soup kitchens' in Downtown New Haven. The Citizenship program uses the venue of one of the kitchens. But this lady said the soup kitchen wouldn't open until 6 pm (a bit more than 3 hrs away). I didn't know whether I was 'cruel' to be kind or this was just my excuse. I looked at the restaurant opposite the road and I looked at this lady again. I said, "I don't want to give you cash, I think you should get some welfare agents to help you! I'm sorry!" As I left, I saw a African-American man approaching her. I hoped he was not her 'accomplice'. The worst I could think of was as soon as I took my purse out, the man would grab it! I learnt from previous experience: once I met up with a friend at Market City (at Sydney's China Town). An indigenous Australian lady approached us with a receipt book and asked for donation for a foundation which raised funds to support indigenous-Australian athletes to go to the London Olympics. My friend kindly gave her AUD$10 but I asked for her ID and the organization's website. I said I would look at the info and donate on-line. She said she lost her ID and the new one was not ready. She also scribbled the URL of the organization's website on a piece of paper for me. My friend joked to say 'Don't tell me the outcome! I don't want to know!" Well, unfortunately there was no foundation to be found! The sad thing is: such negative encounter will make people think twice before they donate again. Oh well, perhaps I should just give the lady USD$5 and she could buy some food! But I didn't want to reinforce the vicious cycle - who will give her the money for the next meal? Am I thinking too much?