Effort to fight panhandling undeterred by Wawa theft

One year ago, the University launched a widely publicized new program aimed at reducing the number of panhandlers near campus by placing change bins in the Wawa convenience stores at 38th and Spruce streets and 36th and Chestnut streets. But recently, the change bin in the Wawa on 36th and Chestnut streets was stolen and not replaced, reducing the program's effectiveness -- although not enough to prevent University officials from attempting to expand the "Don't Give Change, Help Penn Make a Change" program to other area stores. "We had a change bin adhered to the counter, but some kids tried to steal it -- we got it back but it was all cracked up and broken," said Al Madara, manager of the Wawa food market on 36th and Chestnut streets. The program is slated to be completed by the end of the month, when University officials hope to have change bins and posters advertising the campaign in the My Favorite Muffin store on 40th Street between Locust and Walnut streets, as well as in the 7-Eleven convenience store at 38th and Chestnut streets. The 7-Eleven's management have not yet agreed to take part in the program, but University officials said they were confident the store would participate. The program began in summer 1996, when the Office of Community Relations installed change bins in the Wawas to provide students a way to donate their spare change to charitable organizations directly --Eand not to individual panhandlers. Money collected in the bins is donated to the University City Hospitality Coalition and the Horizon House, a West Philadelphia-based human service organization. The program has raised approximately $700 thus far, according to University spokesperson Sandy Smith. And Wawa's Madara noted that "we were doing really well with [the program] and donated quite a bit of money to the Horizon House" until his store's bin was stolen. Director of Police Operations Maureen Rush said the "combination of the education to the community not to give money to people on the street, the money from the change bin going to the right place and the ongoing force from the police -- that totality is what has made all the difference" in reducing the number of panhandlers around campus. Rush added that the initiative to rid the campus of panhandlers this semester has been a "self-generated service," in which the police are addressing the issue before they receive phone calls, noting that there have been "very few" calls regarding this issue as of yet this year. And Office of Community Relations Director Glenn Bryan noted that "we have some roaming panhandlers this year but it was really out of control before -- you couldn't walk a minute without being asked for money." Rush stressed that "there is a big difference between panhandlers and homeless people, as panhandlers in the neighborhood are generally entrepreneurs who have put a stake in a generous area" who may not necessarily even be homeless. She added that panhandlers often "put the money toward drugs or alcohol." Bryan added that other universities -- such as the University of California at Berkeley -- have contacted Penn to request information about the program.

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