I think giving money works for some and it's a waste for others. There are countless of poor people who would do better if they had the chance to break the cycle and there are the poors who wouldn't be able to plan the monthly expenses and they'd be hungry at the end of the month no matter how much money you throw at them. The second category needs a different type of help (maybe along with financial). The first category are simply in a never-ending spiral and sometimes it is not even their fault. Tell me how a single mom can afford to raise a child with a minimum wage salary or how a nuclear family can afford the same when one of the bread earners falls prey to a disability and so on.