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Fitchburg, Leominster Kick Off Campaign To Get Panhandlers Off The Streets

FITCHBURG (CBS) - A new campaign is kicking off to try and get panhandlers off the streets, using an unusual tactic. They're asking people to stop giving panhandlers money, and instead, they hope to get people more permanent help.

"If they're giving a panhandler money, they think they're helping the situation, but they're not," says Kevin MacLean, the director of homeless services at Our Father's House shelter in Fitchburg. That's the message contained on a small poster going up in Fitchburg and Leominster: stop giving to panhandlers.

"I would say 99% of the panhandlers aren't panhandling for food or clothing or housing. They're panhandling for drugs or alcohol," MacLean says.

Provocative words, but MacLean says he sees it all the time as he works with homeless people. "If their resources are cut down, maybe they'll take the offer to go to the detox center, maybe they'll go to a dry shelter, maybe they'll change their lifestyle," he says.

MacLean came up with the poster idea and enlisted the mayors of both Fitchburg and Leominster. "When you see the same people out there day after day, month after month, year after year, something's not working," says Dean Mazzarella, the mayor of Leominster.

"I'm not asking them to leave town to find another place to panhandle. Stay here. We can get you a job, get you the help you need," says Mayor Mazzarella.

Rather than giving panhandlers money, residents are being asked to donate that money to charity. "I'm doing my part, the city's doing their part, the police department is doing their part, now we need the community to do their part," says MacLean.

Many cities have passed laws limiting panhandling, but the courts have said 'no' to that, arguing that panhandling is a form of free speech. Fitchburg and Leominster are trying something different.

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