LONGVIEW, Texas — The Longview Police Department is managing panhandling in a unique way. The Give a Hand Up, Not a Hand Out program is part of the police department's Police Outreach Services Team (POST) that addresses homelessness and other issues in a non-traditional way.
"We look at ways as to why the person is homeless and try to address those issues as far maybe getting them into substance abuse treatment or mental health treatment whatever their situation may be," said Longview Police Department Sgt. Chip Kopke, who oversees POST. "The goal is to try to get people to give differently rather than give to people directly who are panhandling."
It offers community members easy access to donate to nonprofits that are assisting those experiencing homelessness. On Wednesday, Longview police approved East Texas Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse to be on their list of nonprofits assisting those experiencing homelessness.
"Sometimes people say, 'I want to help but I don’t know how to do it,'" said ETCADA CEO Mindy Robertson.
Right now, the only two nonprofits listed are Greater United Way of Longview and Longview Community Ministries. Blue and white signs are posted across Longview community members can scan the QR code and it’ll take them to the website.
"It’ll have the organizations listed on their with their logos and they can just click on one of the logos and donate to whichever one they want to donate to," Kopke said.
Robertson said this program is a great way for community members to know exactly where their money is going.
"Whether we have the service, or we know who has the service and we’re willing to refer you and get you hooked up with that in our area," Robertson said. "We’re giving them the skills that one way or the other they didn’t learn or latch on to."
They're also wanting to redefine what the word "homeless" means to many.
"That wording is important because when we make an adjective we attach a label to them and we are not that label. They are currently experiencing homelessness and that gives them the potential to do anything in the future," Robertson said.
For more information on Longview police's Give a Hand Up, Not a Hand Out program, click here.