THINK TWICE BEFORE GIVING A TOONIE

It's true, times are changing. Having been in social services for
seven years now, I can see a clear difference in our clients just in
that time frame.

Part of the reason could be that my agency is bigger now and
attracting more clients than ever -- and those clients have a world
of needs and barriers. But part of the reason is definitely that
street drugs are getting scarier. The scarier the drugs get, the more
desperate the addict is to get the money to buy them. So you have the
rise of aggressive panhandling that's making the news so much lately.

It's not a coincidence that attention is falling on this issue at
this time of year. As the weather gets warmer, we see more people of
all kinds on the street, including panhandlers. Thoughts turn to
tourism and the consequences of the perception of an unsafe downtown.

However, this problem is not unique to Ottawa; it is experienced in
all major cities in North America. Our capital is not "cracked out,"
nor is it an unsafe place to be. We have a wonderful vibrant downtown
- -- a jumble of rich and poor, tourist and resident, business and
social service.

The true marvel is that, through the Downtown Ottawa Coalition for a
Safe Community, this jumble is working together to address a serious
issue -- aggressive panhandling.

Aggressive panhandling is different from regular panhandling.
Panhandlers are aggressive when they follow you on the street, yell
at you, block the entrance to a building, or when they approach you
when you're eating at a sidewalk cafe, or stop your car on the
street. If a panhandler is in your personal space, then that's
aggressive -- and it's illegal. If he or she is quietly sitting on
the sidewalk with an upturned hat or cup and you can walk by without
being disturbed, then that's not illegal and it's not aggressive.

While some people panhandle for food or rent money, the panhandlers
who become aggressive are most likely frantically trying to feed an addiction.

It's probably for crack -- one of the cheapest drugs on the streets
right now. They get the money, buy the crack, take the drug and then
a few minutes later they're back on the street looking for more
money. That cycle will happen many times throughout the day. When you
give money to an aggressive panhandler the likelihood is that it's
not going to food or housing or transportation -- it's going to the
drug dealer who is poisoning a desperate and vulnerable person.

Operation Go Home works with youth aged 16 to 25. Our clients come
from all walks of life and from all parts of Canada. Many of them
have addictions issues and/or mental health issues. About half of
them panhandle.

Of our clients, the few who panhandle aggressively are feeding an
addiction. When I talk in the community, I educate people about this
very topic -- you are not helping when you give an aggressive
panhandler money. If you want to truly help, support the social
services that work with these vulnerable people.

Is aggressive panhandling a problem? Absolutely. But not just because
of the behaviour itself. It's a symptom of a much bigger social
problem. As a group, social services are being stretched beyond our
limits because the need gets greater every year. Why? That's the big question.

Why are there more and more disenfranchised people finding themselves
homeless and on the streets? Is there a breakdown in family values?
Can it be because of years of government cuts at all levels? What is
happening to our social safety net that is supposed to help those who
are at risk -- before they become broken and vulnerable?

This is not, as some would have us believe, a policing issue. And
this can't just be cured by throwing money at it. It's up to me and
you, our neighbours, our families, our communities, everyone to start
taking ownership of that safety net and pull it back together again
before it unravels completely. We need to work together, with no
personal or political agendas, without assuming that it's someone else's job.

I'm probably being naive when I think we can put aside our personal
and political agendas to help those who need us most. But just
imagine what our society could look like if we all worked together,
truly worked together, for the sake of those who can't help
themselves. Then, maybe, we'd look at those panhandlers in a
different light and think, how else can I help?

Kim Chadsey is executive director of Operation Go Home.