Panhandlers Beg the Question

How Can We Help Homeless in a Substantial Way?

Another way to help someone in need is to call 211, the county's human services hotline. "You could call and simply say, 'I'm standing here with a homeless person and they're saying they need help,'" said Mike Foley, director of Casa Esperanza Homeless Center. He advises against giving cash. "Eighty percent of people panhandling on the street are using at least part of that money for alcohol or drugs."

I know this will tweak readers' tempers, but I think it's self-righteous to refuse someone money because of where they might spend it. If a fifth of Popov stands between a guy and a night of the shakes, who are we to deny it? Is generosity truly generous if it robs a down-and-outer of his only remaining freedom: that of choice?

But the advocates I spoke with convinced me of one thing: We should want more for these folks than a bottle of comfort. We should want a life of contentment. "Money is often just not good enough," said Jon Lemmond, a pastor at Montecito Covenant Church and a member of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice. "It doesn't go far enough in addressing people's needs."

Lemmond is involved with the city's new Alternative Giving campaign to discourage tourists and residents from giving money to panhandlers. Starting in April, many stores on State Street, along the waterfront, and on the Milpas corridor will provide donation boxes where shoppers can donate toward street outreach programs that connect homeless folks with job, shelter, and health resources. "It's not about not giving," he said. "It's about giving in a more substantial way."

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