Panhanding in The Fort: Part 1 of a five part series

I'm sure you've noticed an influx of panhandling in the Fort Smith area in the recent months. Regardless of how you feel about the panhandling, most of us agree there are some people legitimately in need of help.

When you pull off the interstate onto Rogers Avenue and you see four or five different panhandler's, do you ever ask yourself what they do with the money?

Do you ever ask yourself does it help when you drop a dollar or five into the can or bucket? If you're like me you probably feel compelled to drop at the minimum some change in their hand and even in some cases it's been reported that people have handed them over hundred dollar bills.

How would you feel if you was dropping your hard-earned money in a bucket only to find out that a person was making more money in a week than you and it was tax free?

Some people say that when you give you shouldn't ask where it goes or maybe you feel that they wouldn't be panhandling if they weren't truly needy.

Don't get me wrong, there truly are a few of them that legitimately need help and trust me I've talked to a lot of them lately.

I started out on this mission because I couldn't understand why the same panhandlers were standing on the corner day after day, so I ask myself do they ever get off the corner?

Does their situation ever improve by collecting money everyday on the corner? What is it that these people need help with to get them off the corner so that they don't have to beg for money each day?

What is it that our community can do to help these people?

Well, I now actually have a totally different view of the whole situation then I had when I started this endeavor.

I'm going to have to do the story in five parts because it turned out to be much more complicated then I naively thought to begin with.

I interviewed several of the people panhandling, I spoke with the Fort Smith Police Department and then I reached out to one of the nonprofits that is set up to gear with this specific topic , so I would like to share with you what I encountered and how I was enlightened on the subject.

I went out for for 5 days straight and tried to talk to several different people who were panhandling and surprisingly or not, some did not want to be interviewed and they quickly gathered up their sign and their chair and took off, one of them at the Van Buren Walmart got in his almost brand new Cadillac and drove off.

One panhandler who is a regular on Exit 14 is also a regular at Choctaw Casino and could be found most nights sitting at one of his favorite machines which is a slot machine close to the elevator doors.

I'm going to start Part One on the first panhandler that I encountered. The video of this man and his interview will be included in Part Two.

When I approached him at the Kelly Walmart, he was holding a sign and asking for help but it didn't specify what his situation was. I asked him if he was homeless and he said yes, so I asked him if he had tried any of the shelters and he replied "with well I'm actually staying at one".

I asked him if they were feeding him and he said yes, he cited they fed him three meals a day. So my next question was what are you asking for help for? His reply was "anything that will help me".

At this point I'm a little exasperated because I don't even understand what he's asking for money for. He finally told me that he just wants money but he could never tell me what specifically for.

Okay.. I understand everybody need some money in their pocket so I tell him that I'm going to reach out to the director and at Hope campus and see what they have to offer for someone in his position.

At that point he tells me that he is actually staying at Hope campus.

He then begins to tell me a little bit different story. He goes on to say that he had worked at OK Foods and that he was injured but they denied his claim. He then states that he broke his hip and he's unable to work and is suffering permanent damage.

Now I had to stop and think about this one as I used to be an industrial nurse and I know for a fact that he has been on that corner for three hours now, standing.

So I didn't quite understand if you can't stand to work how can you stand on a street corner in the heat for six hours? Now I know that we are not supposed to judge other people so I was sincere when I told him that I'm going to see what kind of help there is out there for him.

I handed him a three page list of resources available in the area that I had printed out for the purpose of handing these panhandlers. He didn't want it and handed it back to me. I bid him farewell.

I made a phone call to Hope campus in Fort Smith and spoke to a very pleasant voice on the phone, a gentleman named Chris who identified as the director at the campus. I informed him of the story the panhandlers had just told me and Chris invites me to come and tour his campus.

During our conversation he also goes over a few of the rules they have at Hope and one of them is you cannot panhandle and take advantage of all the resources they have on site.

I don't think I really understood that rule until I saw the campus with my own eyes, and until you've actually seen all the resources and agencies on site at their campus you probably can't understand it either, but I cannot stress how impressed I was at everything they have to offer.

I set up an appointment with the director and when I arrived I was very surprised at how clean and organized it is and the relaxed atmosphere

It was a very hot day outside but when you walked in it was cool and comfortable. Everyone was extremely friendly. They have a very modern and Immaculate kitchen...they were making fajitas for their evening meal.

They have a library, laundry facilities, computer area, a TV room that also doubles as worship service, even dental and medical. They have a hundred plus beds and even have a security guard on duty at night to ensure everyone's safety.

This place even offers dog kennels in case you have a pet and they encourage you to spend time with your pet. There were a couple of dogs in their kennels at the time and they were stretched out and cool and well cared for.

The next room that we went into is like a resource room and the services that are offered there are stunning.

They have a representative from the VA, the Housing Authority, adult education center, and even a program to help ex-convicts settle back into society as well as the support of several other agencies. They even have one agency that helps people with the deposits once they find a place to live.

I mean this from the bottom of my heart... there is no reason for anyone to be living on the streets or to be doing without resources if they truly want to better themselves.

There are rules at Hope campus. You have to be trying to better yourself, it's not just a free ride or free place to just retire and you have to do your share of chores and be a pleasant part of their community.

They don't overwork you by any means but they do expect you to contribute if you're going to be there and that's very reasonable.

What really impressed me is that they can take a dollar and feed almost a hundred people because of their structure and their support and donations.

So I have to ask ask why would I drop a dollar into the bucket of a panhandler when my dollar could feed a hundred people?

So before we dive into the next series with interviews and other stories, I encourage you to stop and think before you drop any more money into a panhandler's bucket and ask yourself why you wouldn't feed many with that dollar rather than just one?