You can judge a man’s character by how he treats those who can do nothing for him. Treat everyone you meet with respect. Be kind and compassionate. But don’t confuse respect, kindness, and compassion by “helping them” with unwanted charity.
Some people don’t want your help, at least not in the way you intend to offer it. Don’t let your ego get in the way (“I helped X amount of people last year” or “I donated Y amount to charity.”) Don’t patronize those you are “helping.” If you openly show others pity or give them charity, it can be demeaning.
The “treat everyone you meet with respect” line in paragraph one includes respecting their wishes. Because at the end of the day, you get to go home. But if you’ve taken away their dignity or their pride by giving them charity they didn’t want, you’ve actually left them in a worse position than where they began.