Yesterday I walked to China Restaurant for lunch, and on the way there I ran into one of Downtown’s well-known panhandlers. This is the guy who used to go around asking for money, claiming it was for St. Jude. “Hey, man, I just want to talk to you for a minute,” he said. “Can you help me find a job? PLEASE, man. I don’t want to be the way I am anymore. Please. Help me. I’ll do anything. The only thing I can’t do is heavy lifting because of my back. I just want to work so I can stop living like this.”
I’m not anywhere close to 100% sure he was being sincere, but I’m not 100% sure he was lying, either. The way I figure, as long as I’m part of an effort to get panhandlers off the street, it’s my duty to try and help them when they express a desire to turn their lives around.
It has happened before. Last year there was a very annoying panhandler nicknamed “The Singer” who would sing for passersby or people sitting on restaurant patios, and then demand a tip. One day around the first of the year, he decided he wanted a better life for himself, and asked for help. He got two jobs, one of them washing dishes at a well-known restaurant on Second Street. He still sings, but now he sings on his way to work, and he doesn’t ask anyone for money anymore.
If anyone wants to take a chance on this guy, e-mail me (paul@paulryburn.com) and let me know how he can get in touch with you. He says he’ll take anything, but I think it would be best if he had a regular job, with regular hours and a regular paycheck. As opposed to “come by the shop every week or two and I’ll pay you $7 to mop up,” which I think would only enable whatever bad habits he has. It doesn’t necessarily have to be full-time, but at least regular part-time. Also, if you work for an agency that could help him, let me know and I’ll pass on that info too.
Don’t take this as a recommendation for him – he’s been scamming people for far too long for me to be 100% sure he’s legit. I definitely would not hire him for a position that involves handling money, or for a position like security guard that involves protecting other people’s property. But something about my past couple of interactions with him makes me think there’s a chance to turn him around. He believes society has failed him and that’s why panhandles so aggressively. Maybe this is a chance to show him that society will help him, if he’s willing to work provide for himself.
E-mail me at paul@paulryburn.com if you’ve got a job or a lead on a job for this guy.