Portland nonprofit creates currency for homeless [View all]

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.)