59 replies to this topic

[martini]

Food vouchers instead of cash for panhandlers


December 3, 2008



Feel guilty if you shake your head when someone on a downtown street asks you for money to buy food?

The Salvation Army and Downtown Victoria Business Association believe they've come up with a solution: Food vouchers that can be handed out instead of cash.

Books of five coupons can be bought for $25 from the Salvation Army at 525 Johnson St., the DVBA at 20 Centennial Square or also at the Victoria Harbour ferry at 1234 Wharf St.

Each coupon can be redeemed for a hot breakfast, lunch or dinner at the Salvation Army cafeteria.

Carol Barton, Salvation Army spokeswoman, said the vouchers provide an opportunity for passersby to help, without worrying about whether the money will really go toward food.

"We know sometimes people feel they don't know what the situation is. With the voucher, they know it will go for a meal," she said.

"Until the whole homeless situation is resolved it is a way of helping people to cope."

The coupon program will be evaluated after several weeks of operation. If it is deemed successful, the program will continue indefinitely, Barton said.
© Copyright © The Victoria Times Colonist
http://www.timescolo...5388/story.html

[VicHockeyFan]

Well, it's not exactly super-innovative. You can buy McDonald's gift certificates and hand them out.

[martini]

Well, it's not exactly super-innovative. You can buy McDonald's gift certificates and hand them out.

I am struggling myself to get excited over this.
I know when I'm able to, I'll buy a chocolate bar or a slice of pizza. $5 a head is out of my range. And they are limited to the SA kitchen only.
Sometimes just a cup of coffee is appreciated. Or a bowl of soup. Maybe I'm missing something here.

[victorian fan]

I am struggling myself to get excited over this.
I know when I'm able to, I'll buy a chocolate bar or a slice of pizza. $5 a head is out of my range. And they are limited to the SA kitchen only.
Sometimes just a cup of coffee is appreciated. Or a bowl of soup. Maybe I'm missing something here.

You're not alone,
I don't understand it either.

[Rob Randall]

A portion of every ticket ($1, I think) goes to fund homeless services.

[VicHockeyFan]

A portion of every ticket ($1, I think) goes to fund homeless services.

Well, you could also buy McDonald gift certificates then give $ to homeless services.

[mat]

This idea is not original, and I feel it is placing the onus (possible monetary benefit?) towards one organization.

I much prefer to buy food bank coupons each week when we grocery shop - that money is pooled between all food bank providers, and allows them to purchase directly food items not provided in product contributions. In may not be the case now with the economic situation, but those food bank coupons used to also help the homeless kitchens.

[martini]

Well, you could also buy McDonald gift certificates then give $ to homeless services.

We want to give them a hand up, not cause them an arterial blockage.

[Rob Randall]

This is intended as an addition, not a replacement for any existing charity action. Consider it in the spirit in which it was created.

[Chris J]

I just find it odd that we have to pay for soup kitchen meals. I always have. Who do you turn too when you want to donate something to the Thrift Store? First place people think about is SA. Who has people shaking handbells and begging money all over town at xmas time. SA. They don't raise money to help people, they raise money to spread the word of God.
I agree with the idea of gift certificates, but this ties in to the fact that we throw so much food away. I have volunteered with Food Not Bombs for awhile now. Get me a truck and four volunteers and I can feed 100 people a day for the price of a few gallons of gas.
Or buy vouchers from the supermarket or somewhere healthy.
The spirit of the idea was to do something helpful without truly putting in the effort to understand just what that should look like.

[Caramia]

The Sally Ann does some great work, and I think we are eternally in debt to the original Salvation Army marchers who had stones thrown at them, and were literally run out of town (Feed the hobos? Not in my town, mister!). Whatever inspired them to take up this cause before it was popular, hats off!

At the downtown Sally Ann the hardest edge of the street community is served. And God bless them for doing it.* But I wouldn't send your average panhandler there, to mix with sexual offenders fresh out of prison and some of the harshest examples of drug addiction in possession of human form other there.


*I'm pagan through and through but I'm happy to bless anyone in the name of whatever God they wish.

******

Speaking of Christmas on the Street - here is an awesome little project.

CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS FOR STREET KIDS
Wednesday, December 24, 2008 at 1:00pm -
Thursday, December 25, 2008 at 5:00pm

Location: two drop-off spots
URGE STUDIOS, 1026 Cook St. at Meares.
The front desk in the lobby at the RED LION INN & SUITES, 3366 Douglas St.

MESSAGE FROM THE ORGANIZER:

Following the lead of Krystal in Vancouver and Jamie in Calgary, I thought I'd put together the same event a little closer to home. I'll post more info as I receive it (re: location of event, donation drop off points, etc.)

We are collecting donations of items to put in these stockings which myself and a few volunteers will be handing out on Christmas Eve. You are more than welcome to volunteer and help us prepare and/or distribute the stockings.

If you would like to donate some items, here is a list of some of things we would like to acquire. It is preferred that it is good quality items that will be useful in keeping these kids dry, warm and fed on Christmas Eve and the days following.

Gloves
Socks (wool or something else thick and warm)
Gloves
Hats/Toques
Scarfs
Hand warmers
Rain gear (windbreakers, rain ponchos)
Vitamin packs
Healthy snacks
Christmas Items – candy canes, oranges, chocolates
Meal gift certificates
Hygiene products – deodorant, shampoo/conditioner, soap, cream, chap stick, qtips (all in travel sizes please)


*Disclaimer - Please note that this is not a non-profit organization. We are unable to accept cash donations. Anyone that accepts cash donations for this cause is doing so fraudulently and the organizers of this cause DO NOT support them in any way ! This is out of the goodness of our hearts and that is it. Due to health reasons we also cannot accept fresh food; as much as we would love to, it just isn't safe. We can only accept pre-packaged food from a reputable source. Thank you for your support and understanding.

http://www.facebook....eid=36443708931

[sebberry]

I understand why people are homeless and panhandling and I understand that in many cases it is a result of an unfortunate set of events that took place in their lives.

What I don't understand is why we're giving them coupons for burgers and hot cocoa then telling them to get back outside and endure the cold and rain.

If we added up the value of all the items, food, money, etc... donated in support of the homeless and put it into a rehab center in the middle of the forest somewhere (sorry environmentalists you'll just have to live with it), round up the homeless, drug addicts and mentally ill and sent them to the rehab center for treatment and life skills lessons, we'd be a lot better off.

All I hear is how bad the homeless problem is downtown yet I see very little action atually being taken. Let's take a portion of the millions of dollars the city collects from parking fees and put it to the middle-of-the-forest rehab program. Let's make the people who WANT a clean downtown core pay for it. Raise the money through a downtown parking pass program where pass holders get extended parking privilages at a discounted rate.

Sorry, I am bitter about this. I want to care but I want to see action. I have a relitave who works as a pharmacist downtown. Half the drug addicts sell their paid-for-by-the-government medication within minutes of being given it so they can buy drugs and get high again. The current system has not worked, doesn't work and will not work and there is no sense in padding it with creative programs like giving them food vouchers.

And why is it always around Christmas that these programs seem to be happening? What are we doing the other 11 months of the year?

/Rant

[Sue Woods]

The current system has not worked, doesn't work and will not work and there is no sense in padding it with creative programs like giving them food vouchers. /Rant

The Open Door is advertising to raise 1.2 million in donations to cover annual operating costs. In the past two years they have appealed for four hundred thousand each year. Tysick says they need the extra $800,000 this year to keep Our Place open for an extra 4 hours a day. Were operating costs not factored into the business plan for the state-of-the-art facility?

If we added up the value of all the items, food, money, etc... donated in support of the homeless and put it into a rehab center in the middle of the forest somewhere (sorry environmentalists you'll just have to live with it), round up the homeless, drug addicts and mentally ill and sent them to the rehab center for treatment and life skills lessons, we'd be a lot better off.

I agree its time for some new thinking. Cheering the invention of a homeless-friendly street cart in the news this week seemed totally bizarre to me. Half a dozen government-funded centers in the country with healthy air, food, to recover/ get life and job training skills would be more inclusive and cost effective then housing for 45 people (Our Place) that needs a million dollars from donations every year. The country is an amazing place to retreat to - and come back from.

[LJ]

Yeah but when someone wants to turn a farm in Central Sannich into a self funded training/rehab facility the NIMBYs step right up. In this case right up to the point of buying the place themselves.

This is exactly the type of facility that should be in place. The government should be funding more of this type of facility. Isn't there one up island that has a pretty good success record?

Of course then it comes down to getting the "clients" to go there.

Remember the daffodil farm that offered $10 an hour, shelter, transportation, food to some of our street denizens and was turned down flat.

[Sue Woods]

Yeah but when someone wants to turn a farm in Central Sannich into a self funded training/rehab facility the NIMBYs step right up. In this case right up to the point of buying the place themselves.

This is exactly the type of facility that should be in place. The government should be funding more of this type of facility. Isn't there one up island that has a pretty good success record?

Of course then it comes down to getting the "clients" to go there.

Remember the daffodil farm that offered $10 an hour, shelter, transportation, food to some of our street denizens and was turned down flat.

To my knowledge there are two private places on the island for addiction detox/recovery (Cedars in Duncan) and a sister business in Nanaimo but they cost $10,000 for 30 days. The only other option are gov run places on the Mainland but the wait list is long, the addict continues to remain in the culture and often bonds with others inside so when they come out they have the same social life which starts the circle again. There are no other places that I know of in BC.

I think the mistake about Woodwynn Farm is not the model they have to use (based on a place in Italy that is world renowned for its success) - but the location they choose. Think they would have more success outside the Sannich Penn. area.

[think local]

Think they would have more success outside the Sannich Penn. area.

Curious why you think it was the location and why it should be outside of the Saanich Penn area?

[Sue Woods]

Curious why you think it was the location and why it should be outside of the Saanich Penn area?

I think the idea is good - the need is there - but based on the level of discomfort by the long established neighbourhood, and the zoning that precludes people living on the land (they would be taken there to farm and then have to sleep elsewhere) I just think the process would speed up, the model would better reflect the original intent, and land would cost a lot less if it was situated further out of town.

More privacy, people can live on-site, and maybe a little harder for residents to just walk away from their treatment midstream.

[Ginger Snap]

Sorry, but you people are complaining about this idea just because it is not original? Because you don't share the same faith as those behind the idea? Seriously? The Salvation Army is just trying to add one more possible solution; can you not accept that for what it is, rather than find something about it to pick apart. You don't like it, then don't buy em.

[Caramia]

You've got a good point Ginger Snap.

[martini]

Sorry, but you people are complaining about this idea just because it is not original? Because you don't share the same faith as those behind the idea? Seriously? The Salvation Army is just trying to add one more possible solution; can you not accept that for what it is, rather than find something about it to pick apart. You don't like it, then don't buy em.

I don't get it. What does an idea being original have to do with whether it works or not?
Faith has nothing to do with my critique of an idea.
Just trying? 'Just' isn't good enough for me. I want to know many things about an idea implemented into a plan. Were recipients queried? Do we know this is what they want? How did this format come to fruition?
I do not accept anything simply because...without questioning. To do so is complacent.
To ask questions is how we find answers.
I won't buy them, not because I don't like it...because I want to truly help.

And I will not be shamed or guilted to please the status quo.