Response : ‘An Increasingly Wary Public Is Unwilling to Give to Panhandlers’

The issue of homelessness, and one of its more public flashpoints, panhandling, poses a challenge to individuals and to society. Regardless of how the homeless men, women and children we see daily on the streets got there, they have real needs that must be met. A political, legal and moral debate is raging about how best to address those needs.

For years, like most of us, I gave freely to those on the street asking for spare change. The impulse to give is natural and basic, a part of any decent society. The explosive proliferation of panhandling in recent years, however, with the aggressiveness of many of those soliciting help and doubts about how the money is used, has caused many not only to stop giving but to become angry toward the entire homeless community.

While some communities around the nation have taken “tough” measures to “curb” the problem, I sought to take a more positive approach that could be part of a solution. The dolphin theme seemed natural for Santa Monica, a seaside community with hundreds of gentle dolphins swimming off the beach daily. There are centuries-old tales and legends of dolphins assisting stranded mariners and other humans in the ocean. The premise of our program, “Change,” is a simple one. Giving to panhandlers is an uncertain proposition. Putting money into the life-sized bronze dolphin on the Third Street Promenade, or the dolphin heads mounted on pedestals in theater lobbies and in businesses in the district, is not. A diverse board of directors, including two former mayors, a bank president, the head of the homeless division of city services and a homeless person will decide to which agencies and organizations the monies collected will go. A 60-second public service announcement has been produced that will be screened in theaters on the Promenade and on TV, with the message that you can help and you need not hesitate to give. The intent is to increase the total funds available to the homeless, as well as send the message that Santa Monica is no longer the place to solicit money from an increasingly wary public, unwilling to give to panhandlers but willing to address the issue sensibly.