Portland nonprofit creates currency for homeless

[Fire Walk With Me]

Sammy Beach ‏@OccupyDisabled

Portland nonprofit creates currency for homeless http://prsm.tc/9c1ETZ


http://www.katu.com/news/local/Portland-nonprofit-creates-currency-for-homeless-198701901.html

Vanstaaveren is the Executive Director of Sanctity of Hope, a nonprofit run by volunteers who are distributing tokens in the community that the homeless can use to buy goods and services at participating businesses. They can't use them to buy cigarettes, drugs or alcohol.

“I didn’t have too much trouble giving cash to the homeless,” said Vanstaaveren. “I figured it was not up to me what they did with the money. But I knew a lot of people who did care, but wanted to give.”

Homeless man Dee Stewart said he makes about $50 per day panhandling downtown. He said he uses money to buy food, cigarettes and sometimes a motel room.

“There are some that would go out and do drugs with it,” Stewart said. “I don’t drink. I don’t do drugs. I feed my wife. I feed myself and sometimes put us up in a motel if we get enough.”

(More at the link.)

[lunatica]

1. People will be more willing to give to this nonprofit than to the homeless themselves

I hope it word gets around. I admire Occupy for their sheer innovative approach to our problems.

[Blanks]

2. I don't give money.

It seems like all of the money that we give ends up in the hands of the people who then turn around and use that money against us.

I hate to see people lose their homes because they don't have the money, but we need to get to the point where everyone understands that 'they' use money to control 'us'.

We have to come up with some kind of plan to support the less fortunate that doesn't involve giving them money. Maybe this is a step in the right direction.

People have no discipline. I would be more inclined to give money (if I had any to spare) to go directly toward someone's rent or house payment or utilities. If someone is hungry I try to give them food, if they're stranded if rather give them gas. I don't want a penny of what I give to anyone going toward cigarettes or alchohol, that's why I don't give money.

[Vincardog]

3. Really? I don't give money because I am a cheap bastid

[Blanks]

4. Well there's that too. A little anyway. eom

[sabrina 1]

5. I don't give money to any of the big organizations ever since Haiti and Katrina when

it seems the millions upon millions people gave were taken over for control by people like the Bush/Clintons and not much was done for the actual victims. Plus, where is the accounting of where all that money went? I wanted to directly help the victims. If I knew that Bush or any of his ilk would ever get anywhere near those funds, (remember Babs' clever way of 'helping' except she was helping her other moronic offspring, Neil, to sell his ridiculous 'education' program' to the victims of Katrina?)

So now if I see a homeless person, and I saw far too many of them in Ventura when I was there, I give them money I might have previously given to some big charity if I could afford it. If they buy a beer with it, well has anyone asked what the Bushes did with the Katrina and Haiti money they got their hands on?

I WOULD like to be able to contribute to some organization that actually uses the money for those it is intended for.

This does seem like a good interim idea to encourage those who won't give directly to the homeless, to help if they can.

[Blanks]

6. You aren't doing an alcoholic a favor by...

enabling him/her to purchase alcohol. I've given people money on the street. I'm really not that much of a hard-ass, but if someone seems like they're lying to me; I don't give. Same people, same parking lot, same alternator day after day.

I'm like you on those funds though. It seems that all the way back when they were showing the people starving in Ethiopia on TV, the food wasn't getting to the people who needed it.

[Lady Freedom Returns]

7. This is a GREAT idea.

To get the thing you need is tough and dangerous on the streets. So much that you need out there, sun screen, toothbrushes, socks (always need white socks to help keep down infections!), feminine products if you are a woman, first-aid stuff, the list goes on.

To get these tokens instead of putting yourself in danger to shake a can will be so good for homeless people! It will help them three ways, get necessities, keep out of harms way, and to keep them from adding to a police record many have. Enough little charges on a record can cause trouble getting employment.