We’ve all had that moment. You’re in the car, and there is a homeless person standing on the side of the road with a cardboard sign reading something along the lines of “anything helps.” You could roll up your window, lock your door and refuse to make eye contact — while probably feeling badly about it later. Or you could find a few crumpled up dollar bills in your wallet, roll down your window and hand it over with a smile.

These are the typical go-to responses from the general public when we encounter a homeless person. But how effective is giving money to homeless people? Although it may give you an immediate sense of accomplishment and you think that you are helping, you are simply handing out a momentary fix to a larger problem. If you want to help those less fortunate than you, there are many different, more effective ways to do so.

Here are four quick things you can do — instead of just handing out money — that will have a more lasting effect on the homeless person you are trying to help:

1. Hand out a hot meal. This can be as simple as a cup of hot Campbell’s chicken noodle soup.

2. Volunteer at a local shelter. The Eugene Mission sees on average anywhere from 400 to 600 people a day, and it is always looking for volunteers.

3. If they have a pet, bring them a bag of food.

4. Give recyclables. The next time you’re throwing those soda cans in the recycling bin, think about putting them in a bag and allowing a homeless person to turn them in for money.

Tom Bivins, a professor in the School of Journalism and Communications, offered an alternative to helping the poor, rather than just handing out money. During a lecture in media ethics, Bivins told his students that his wife developed a system that not only allowed her to feel like she was giving back but potentially had some long-term effects.

Instead of finding coins at the bottom of her purse and placing them in a cup in front of a person who is begging on the side of the road, she hands out granola bars with a list of all of the local shelters, food kitchens and other resource numbers on the back. She is able to rest easy knowing that this person may be a little less hungry tomorrow, and at least she let them know that there is local help out there.

It is easy to stereotype homeless people and assume that they all struggle with drug addictions — but drug addiction is only a problem for some. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, “38 percent of homeless people were dependent on alcohol and 26 percent abused other drugs. Alcohol abuse is more common in older generations, while drug abuse is more common in homeless youth and young adults.”

So be wary of where that money may be going before you hand it out.

When reaching out to the homeless population we need to focus on long-term solutions, instead of always going for those quick and easy fixes.

This week I decided to go out and test this theory, and offer some helpful alternatives to a few homeless people who frequent around campus. Unfortunately the nicest response I received when I asked a man if he wanted a hot meal was, “No. Leave me be.” But that’s okay, I still hold out hope.

I understand that when handing out money, you are just trying to help. And when you’re in a car, on your way to work, sometimes that is the most you can do. But next time think about leaving that person with some help that will last. Whether you follow Bivins’ advice and stock up on granola bars with phone numbers, or hand out hot meals — know that filling their stomachs is more effective than trying to fill their wallets.