If a cat asks you for help, they are doing it for a reason.
Street cats, generally, are not very fond of humans. They're wary of us, and for good reasons too. So, if a cat approaches you on the street, in the middle of the day, and openly asks you for help, meowing, not leaving you, looking distressed… there is definitely a reason for it. Sometimes, these cats are pregnant, close to having their babies, and are looking for shelter to give birth in a safe place. Sometimes, these cats are sick, and they have reached the point of knowing that they won't make it on their own for much longer.
And sometimes, these cats actually belong to someone else. If a stray cat is particularly friendly, there is a good chance that they have been in the company of humans in the past - that they have learned not to be afraid of us. They may be lost. They may have been abandoned. They don't know life outside, only inside, where food and shelter are an obvious fact, not something to be fought for. If a cat like that approaches you, help them. You may very well be saving their lives.
source https://cheezburger.com/43891717/escaped-cat-approaches-kind-couple-asking-for-help-right-when-it-gets-too-freezing-outside-they-take