While speaking to an employee of an organization, which provides aid to low-income families and the homeless, they began to speak to me about the recent decision in Redlands to criminalize panhandling. They handed me a 3-inch by 4-inch booklet entitled Redlands Charitable Resource Coalition: Guide to Local Resources. As I flipped through the booklet with information on where to find local food distribution, local hot meals, medical services, and hygiene services, they explained that the Redlands Charitable Resource Coalition in which they were apart of had printed over a thousand copies of these booklets to distribute to the community. The intent behind this is that when an individual is confronted by a panhandler in Redlands they can give them this small paper pamphlet with a map included on where the panhandler or homeless can go to receive help. The employee then proceeded to explain to me that panhandling is “bad on all levels” and it makes the city look undesirable to tourists, and certain panhandlers can make more money in a day begging and then spend the money however they pleased. It’s no surprise that this individual is in full support of the most recent act to criminalize panhandling in Redlands. I was taken back by their remarks. How could someone in charge of an organization that works with the homeless have such negative opinions of panhandlers and the homeless? Even with the resources provided in this book it is nearly impossible to get all the aid available if you are homeless. So how can they believe that this book will help the homeless more than an individual buying them a warm meal or giving a dollar or two? Or are they assuming that the panhandlers are criminals, con artists, or drug addicts? Will this small pamphlet allow homeless people to get more services available to them or will it simply drive them out of Redlands making it, as they said, “more desirable for tourists”?
Here is a link to the Redlands Charitable Resource Coalition. All the information in the pamphlets are also on this site.
http://www.rcrchelp.com
Hey Kim, what an interesting encounter you had. I understand the conflict of the organization saying that panhandling is “bad on all levels”. As conscious members of society, I think we hope that all social service organizations will understand the situations some people face. But in reality I think there are hidden political and moral justifications for some people’s work. I think you are totally right to question this person as well as the solutions we “provide” for homelessness. I’d be interested to ask what you feel you “wish you could have said” to this person about their opinion.