A Mission & A License to End Pan Handling
Is there anyone who is not tired of the homeless and others begging money downtown? It’s impacting tourist visits, willingness to live downtown, and the ability to improve the quality of life. Moreover, it’s illegal.
Perhaps, however, there is a solution. We all know we should not give money directly to these folks. Law enforcement heavily discourages it. On the other hand, anyone with an ounce of compassion can feel for some of these folks, especially if they have holes in their shoes.
Perhaps, however, we can cure two birds with one stone. Professional sociologists recommend that the best use of our money in helping the homeless is to give to support organizations such as The Atlanta Union Mission and the Gateway Center. They get our support, we provide tools to help actually improve the lives of those having trouble, and we get a receipt.
Institutions such as AUM should then send a laminated receipt which we can flash whenever someone asks for money.
“Yo, can you spare any change?” “Sorry, I gave at the office, you should visit. Go to the Gateway Center. The address is here… on my receipt!”
That will stop at least some of the beggars dead in their tracks.
February 26th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
This has been my approach, too; give generously to the Atlanta Union Mission, Atl. Community Food Bank, Salvation Army, and several others. These are well-run charities, so let’s not hear any excuses about “I’m afraid they might waste my money.” Handing quarters to drunks is a sure way to waste money; instead, give dollars to organizations that actually help people.
February 26th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Hmmm….I’m all about giving to the Atlanta Union Mission, as they run a tight ship….however…bums, homeless folks, and crack addicts are in every city. When you go to New York, Chicago, SF, or Boston, you tend not to notice it as much due to the larger city population. Also, none of these folks are stopping or slowing down the increasing downtown Atlanta population (look at year-over-year pop. stats). Being asked for money sucks, but it’s pretty easy to learn how to say “no” and stick with it.