Student leaders are forming an initiative designed to alleviate the panhandling on Hillsborough Street, leading them to seek help.
A number of organizations such as Student Government, Hillsborough Street Partnership, Campus Police, Continuum of Care and Hope for the Homeless are collaborating to educate the student body on how to best alleviate homelessness and panhandling on Hillsborough Street.
Mitch Danforth, a senior in civil engineering, member of the Hillsborough Street Partnership and director of the Hillsborough Street Initiative Committee, said he hopes to increase the offerings to students on campus.
“It’s mainly a program to educate students, business owners on Hillsborough street and the panhandlers themselves about the homeless situation, about the panhandling situation and help them to get the resources and information they need [to get help],” Danforth said.
Kyle Parker, a sophomore in biology, said the student initiative to offer guidance to panhandlers to Cornerstone– a resource center for the homeless and disabled — should solve the problem of panhandling.
“It’s a good idea to take the initiative to tell other students how to deal with people in the street who are probably going to buy alcohol,” Parker said. “This is college, you only have so much money anyway, you can’t afford to give it away to other people who either couldn’t do something with their lives for one reason or another or maybe just decided not to.”
Danforth said the Cornerstone facility is a fifteen minute walk from campus.
“Cornerstone will direct homeless people to the service they need,” he said. “There are tons of services around Wake County, for veterans, for battered women‚for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol and so we are sending them to this one place that will get them the help they need.”
Esther Seisay, a junior in biology and French, said the initiative empowers students to be a part of the solution for the panhandling problem on Hillsborough Street.
“It’s a good idea‚ homeless people are really bothering us right now,” Seisay said. “They need to get off of Hillsborough Street.” I think every student should be aware of it [how to deal with panhandlers].”
Sarah O’Neil, a Hillsborough Street panhandler, said the student initiated campaign should help the panhandlers who do not actively go out and seek help.
“Some of them [panhandlers] don’t care‚I’m disabled,” O’Neil said.
Parker said students who spend a majority of their time on campus would be safer and more at ease to know panhandlers were off of the streets and getting professional help.
“Maybe if they can’t make money from people then maybe that’ll give them more reason to go to [Cornerstone] where people are taking care of them as oppose to begging for money‚ or maybe they’ll leave, either one would be better,” he said.
