n.05_September_October.2009.Englisch._

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chavebada bigproblemwirhaggressive

hcggarsheteindowO[ownAdama.Mostof

thernafebusrlersaodnotreall}'inneed.I

rhink[hisisaprobleminalmos!everycity

aodisa reasonwhyweshouldn'rgivemOßeytuheggars.

JfyO\1givcmoneytOa hustler,youaregivingmüney

COa crimina1.Ifyougivemone)'roa bcggar,youhelp

hirnorherstaya beggar.Youarejusrhelpillgrhernger

rhroughanatheedayofhelplessnessaodaddicrion.

Adantaisa cityrhatdcpendsonrourism.Unfortu-

uately,aggressivebeggarsoften~Qaftertourists.They

seerheInaseasy.ffi!:&lli,unlikdy[0callthepolice.in

2005,thecityofAtlant3introduceda lawTastopchis

kindofbegging,buric'sdifficulttoenforceie.Thcpo-

licehavearherpriorirics.We'vchadvisitorsanacked

ph)'sicallyamiverbally.Wecouldn'ra1l0wrhistucon-

tinuc.Solarclastyeae,wereamcdupwirbthepoliceaod

10(:31businessestointroducca campaigncal1cd"Give

CbangeTbarM:tkesSensc".Theidcaistotelleveryooc

downrownthatitisnothe1pfultugivemoneytobcg-

gars.Weareaskingeveryonetogivemoney[Qorgani-

512009

zationsthathelppeoplestopbeinghomelessinstead.

Givingmone)'directlytohomclesspeoplemakesthe

giverfee! betterbutdoesn'treaUyhelprhepersonin

ncecl.GivingmoneytOtheseorganizatinnshe1pstoend

homelessncssratherthantopromoteit.It alsomakes

sure the mone)' goes to people who aregenuincly

home1t:ss,andnottO/1l1stlers.

Aspartofoureampaign,weputuppostersdown-

townsaying,"StopPanhandljof;!. GiveChangeThat

MakesSense". Wcgaveout.ltaf!.llitO hotelgueslS,

tcllillgthemaboutthecampaigo.Wegaveoutcards[()

rcsidents,swdenrs,businesspeopleandvisiroes,listing

comactdetailsofhomelessorgallizations.Weaskpeo-

pIetogivethesecarJstOpanhandlers,sotharif theyare

homeless,theyknowwhererogethelp.

We'vcalsoinsralledycllowdonationmetersarouod

rhecity[Qcollc(;tmoneyforhomelessorgaru7.<·uions.

Thesemetersgivepeoplea safeaodeffccrivewa)'to

helphomelesspcople,whilediscouragingpanhandling.

Thecampaignhasjustgorunderwayhere,butit has

beenveryeffectiveinothcrUScitics.Thehustlerswill

goawa)'bccauseir willnoloogerbcprofitableforthem

topaobandle.

Oftenwhenpeopleareaskedformone)',theydon't

knowwhethcrtheyshouldgivcsamethingornot.They

don'(knowwhatthcrightthingtoda isoTIteyask

themselvcs:"ShollidI give?'":Iod"Willthishc1p?".This

campaignanswerstheseqllcstiomforthem. 1JI

BusinessSpiight 23