4 ms·
In the UK we have The Big Issue. It's a magazine only sold by homeless people, for £2.50 per magazine. The sellers buy each magazine for £1.25. The sellers are
by shocks 14y ago
In the UK we have The Big Issue. It's a magazine only sold by homeless people, for £2.50 per magazine. The sellers buy each magazine for £1.25. The sellers are trained, sign a code of conduct and wear badges so you can recognise them easily.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Issue https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Issue
I like this approach because I know that they have some degree of control. For example, they can't spend all the money on booze/drugs because otherwise they can't purchase more stock. It's a start.
That said, I like Stallman's method. I might try that sometime.
- dorian-graph 14y agoThey do this too in Australia and out of those who I see regularly in the CBD I don't mind them as they're usually friendly and honest. The idea of getting them work, as small as selling magazines is, is a great idea. I personally follow a similar approach to Stallman here in Australia and I agree that it definitely is hard when you go to another country. I spent two years in the Philippines where poverty is common and at first I had no real idea what to do as we were constantly being asked for money, every day. Another idea I stand by is not too judge too quickly the homeless or so in saying "Oh, they'd just go spend it on drugs or alcohol."
- makmanalp 14y agoIn the Boston / Cambridge area where Stallman is talking about, we have "Spare Change": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spare_Change_News https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spare_Change_News There just are more homeless people that gather there than can viably all sell the newspaper.