As details of city-led panhandler program emerge, some SGF residents have mixed reactions

Springfield's new plan to help connect panhandlers to job opportunities and other resources is taking shape, two months after the idea was first introduced to city leaders.

The eight-week pilot program, called Wheels To Work, was created in response to an increased number of complaints about people who stand by busy roads to ask for food or money.

The city, along with partner organizations such as the Council of Churches, Crosslines and One Door, is recruiting volunteers. They hope to start in early June.

Springfield resident David Kesterson attended two informational meetings for volunteers Monday.

Kesterson told the News-Leader he would like to drive one of the two retired City Utilities buses that were donated to the effort, to pick panhandlers up from busy Springfield intersections.

Kesterson said he attended the meeting about Wheels To Work "because, like me, it's here to help make the city a safer, cleaner, more profitable place."

Gazing out of the window after the meeting, he appeared to say to no one in particular, "Some progress is being made at least."

"They're making some effort," said Kesterson, who used to be homeless in Springfield for many years. "More than they have in the past."

Describing the program to volunteers Monday afternoon, Mark Struckhoff with the Council of Churches of the Ozarks emphasized that specific aspects of the plan will probably adapt to fit the needs of program participants along the way.

The buses have been re-branded with a "Wheels To Work" logo and will be leased from the city of Springfield to the Council of Churches for $1 a year.

The Council of Churches is the organization that has taken the lead in many aspects of the program. All volunteers are required to register with the Council of Churches, consent to a background check and abide by anti-discrimination and confidentiality policies. Vehicles and volunteers will be covered by the Council of Churches' insurance policy.

The Wheels To Work program will target six intersections, narrowed down from a list of 12 originally identified by Springfield police as those that frequently have panhandling activity.

Every Monday and Tuesday, starting at 10 a.m., both buses will embark on a fixed route, stopping at three intersections each.

At each intersection, the bus will sit in a nearby parking lot for 15 to 30 minutes while volunteers dodge traffic to talk to panhandlers standing at medians.

Once the driver has visited all the intersections, any panhandlers who want to participate in Wheels To Work will be first given a ride to Victory Mission. There, they can shower, eat a hot meal and launder their clothing.

The Missouri Career Center and Victory Mission can also provide professional clothes to anyone who needs them.

Program participants will be asked to fill out a needs assessment form that asks questions such as: Where have you been living this past week? Do you currently have a valid photo ID? What are your barriers to employment?

Depending on the individuals' needs, they may then be transported to One Door, where they can be connected to more resources.

Or, they could proceed directly to seeking work through temporary employment agency People Ready.

People Ready will ask the panhandlers to take an employment readiness test as well as drug and alcohol screening tests.

Rand Henslee with People Ready previously told City Council that most, but not all, jobs require drug tests and background checks.

If a person does not clear People Ready's intake process, they will work with the Career Center to find day-labor jobs.

The buses are scheduled to stop operating at 3 p.m.

City spokesperson Cora Scott told the News-Leader that people are not likely to work the same day they are picked up by Wheels To Work buses, but they could be ready to start a new job the next morning.

Wes Buchholz with Crosslines said if someone goes through One Door with the Wheels To Work program, he or she will receive a one-day bus pass.

If someone finds work through People Ready or the Career Center, Buchholz said, he or she will receive a one-week bus pass.

Adam Bodendieck with One Door coached prospective volunteers on how to safely and appropriately approach people at intersections.

Look both ways before you cross the street, Bodendieck said. Dress casually. Start out with simple conversation. Smile and be engaging. Don't be surprised if someone appears to be drunk or on drugs.

"Human kindness 101 is what this is," Bodendieck said.

Bodendieck said Wheels To Work is a "work-readiness program" and hopes that it has the potential to lead people to more long-term employment options.

People who attended the informational meetings on Monday had mixed reactions to the plan.

Katie Webb, who does not plan to volunteer, told the News-Leader she's "dubious" the program will be effective.

Webb said she was disappointed because she believes the city is not really offering anything new to panhandlers.

"In my opinion, there is no incentive for panhandlers to get on the bus and waste half a day at these three different places that they are already aware of," Webb said.

Webb said the city-led plan does not go far enough and is little more than a hyped-up bus service.

"If you want to say, 'We're offering rides to people who want it,' great," Webb said. "Don't say it's a great way for them to earn money and get them off the corner."

Webb said she wishes Springfield had a work program that more closely emulated programs in Denver or Albuquerque, New Mexico, where city funds are used to employ panhandlers to do landscaping or pick up trash.

"I'm not about reinventing the wheel," Webb said. "If it's worked in other places, let's try it here."

Scott said the idea for Wheels To Work was originally inspired by Albuquerque's job program, but Springfield has gone a different route for a few reasons.

Scott said the city is required by the federal government to drug test all of its employees.

"We wanted to provide a job opportunity that would allow people to forgo having a drug test or background check," Scott said.

Many organizations, including People Ready, stepped up eager to help, Scott said, so the city decided to make it a collaborative effort.

The city is leading an educational aspect of the program as well.

Scott said the city will put up signs that will direct people looking for help or wanting to donate to call "211" to reach the United Way of the Ozarks.

There, they can ask questions about resources for panhandlers or request to donate to Wheels To Work, Scott said.

Bob Samuels, who signed up to be a bus driver for Wheels To Work, said he left Monday's meeting feeling good.

"This is a great program and one we should have been doing previously," said Samuels.

He said he's been told that the only way to decrease the number of panhandlers in Springfield is to stop giving them money.

That doesn't really solve the problem, though, Samuels said.

"(Wheels To Work) is actually giving people a chance at something they need," he said.

Samuels said he's interested in learning more about panhandlers, their backgrounds, and what drives them to ask for money.

"Is it an easy way out or is it their only way out?" Samuels asked. "Are they willing to work if they are offered a job?"