I initially wasn't sure whether this best fit here, in the "panhandling as income stream" thread, or in a thread of it's own. A couple months ago I was attending a talk by Fleet Maull, trained in Tibetan Buddhism. Near the end he mentioned hosting street retreats. My interest was piqued and I went on to read more about them online. I might check one out sometime, whenever the next one is and my calendar is open. Rather than using panhandling simply as an income source, they use it as an intense form of spiritual work:
"The practice of the street retreat is a "plunge" - the intentional placement of participants into a completely groundless situation in which anything could happen, while anchored by spiritual practice. Developed by Bernie Glassman Roshi, the Founder of Peacemaker International, the Street Retreat has been described as “an amazingly powerful spiritual practice.” Street Retreats have been held in many countries across Europe, and in various U.S. cities like New York, L.A., Seattle, Denver, D.C. and San Francisco.
"For four days and three nights participants will live on the streets without money, bedding, change of clothing, books or watches. We will panhandle for bus fare, eat in soup kitchens and intimately and vividly come to see how our cocoons have insulated us from our groundlessness. We will meet three times a day for meditation practice and sharing in Wisdom Council, often joined by other homeless, giving us the opportunity to see ourselves as Other, to recognize our commonality, and to renounce habitual concepts that foster aversion, rejection and separation."
Denver Street Retreat
I generally just say "no thanks" and keep walking when asked for money by strangers on the street, but it's interesting to see how some people are making positive use of the profession, and were a very meditative person to honestly tell me what he needed, I just might be happy to help. Tibetan Buddhists have a knack for making use of the most profane aspects of life for personal work.