Six months ago, the Salem Police Department reached out to ARCH – which stands for Advocate Rebuild Change Heal – and asked if they could give out their number to deal with panhandlers. The main problem with panhandling, according to Jeanne McCormack, is it’s viewed as a nuisance to the community.

As Executive Director of ARCH, McCormack’s responsibilities include overseeing all programs, community outreach and strategic plans of the organization.

“The bigger issue, however, is the safety risk it poses to the person soliciting for money and those stopping to give assistance. People in medians on busy roadways surrounded by cars are never a good mix,” she said.

Salem native Keith White says he can recall multiple times he’s been jogging throughout the city and been approached by a solicitor. Now that there are two signs in Salem that addresses panhandling, White says he’s hopeful it will make the community safer for everyone.

Those caught soliciting on highways, which includes roadways and medians, can be fined in Salem and possibly face jail time. On both city signs, the words “Do You Need Help” can be found in large print in addition to a contact number.

“We needed to find an innovative way to get people the help they need without the direct involvement of the police,” Jeanne said. “Our mission at ARCH is to provide assistance through shelter, housing and substance abuse treatment to the most vulnerable populations in Roanoke. We knew this would be the perfect opportunity to provide services to those further out in our community who we could not easily reach.”

Last month, Wesley Anderson says he was driving around Salem with his daughter and got approached by a panhandler at a stoplight. Instead of giving into his impulses, Anderson decided to take that moment to teach his child a valuable life lesson.

“The first thing I told her was never judge someone. I also said that not every panhandler has bad intentions,” he said. “After a brief conversation with the gentleman, he told us how he ended up where he is today which put a lot of things in perspective for me. I gave him my email address and said if he’s willing to put forth the effort, I will help him update his resume and find another job.”

Having family members from out of town bring up their experience with Salem panhandlers when they visit prompted Frank Smith to voice his concerns to city officials. The next time that he is approached by a panhandler, Smith says that he will be more prepared than ever.

“Salem saw a significant problem in their community, and instead of tackling it with stricter laws surrounding solicitation, they decided to enlist the help of an organization that has spent over 40 years working with difficult populations,” Jeanne said. “We commend their initiative and willingness to see that punishment and fines are not always the solution.”