Homeless Education Campaign
Cleveland has a rich heritage of social services and providing for those in need. Providing for the well being of all Downtown Cleveland stakeholders, is part of our mission. As a result, the Downtown Cleveland Alliance, in collaboration with the City of Cleveland, several Downtown Churches and the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, has developed the Homeless Education Campaign. This initiative is designed to reduce aggressive panhandling in Downtown Cleveland, while providing people an effective way to donate money to the Homeless.
One of the ultimate goals of the campaign is to show a distinction between panhandlers and the homeless. Many
of the panhandlers downtown are in fact not homeless and damage the image of the
homeless that are in need. Our goal is to make sure people’s generosity is not
misguided, but rather goes towards organizations making a real difference. Instead of giving money to a stranger on the street, people can now donate money to help reputable organizations that have been providing food, shelter, counseling and job training to the homeless for years. Donate the Downtown Homeless Fund or buy a Homeless Grapevine.
Downtown Homeless Fund
The Downtown Homeless Fund, which is managed by the Downtown Cleveland Alliance, has been set up to provide financial support to the social service organizations in Downtown that are providing services to the homeless. A special taskforce comprised of faith-based organizations works with the DCA to distribute contributions to the Homeless Fund. Funds given to the Downtown Homeless Fund are restricted by law to go only toward providing services to the homeless.Homeless Grapevine
In addition to donations to the Downtown Homeless Fund, Downtown Cleveland Alliance encourages people to buy a Homeless Grapevine newspaper. The Homeless Grapevine, a program of The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH), is a street newspaper that is distributed and promoted by the homeless. This program gives certified vendor licenses to homeless that abide by certain rules so that they can earn an income through sales of the paper. All sales of the paper go directly to the vendors. All articles in the paper deal with the subject of homelessness and are written by homeless and formerly homeless people.Frequently Asked Questions:
How can I contribute to the Downtown Homeless fund?- Individuals or organizations can make contributions to the Downtown Homeless Fund. All Donations are 100% tax deductible. Downtown Cleveland Alliance will issue you a receipt for your contribution. Make checks payable to:
- Downtown Homeless Fund
c/o Downtown Cleveland Alliance
50 Public Square, Suite 825
Cleveland, OH 44113
- We have developed posters and fliers for the campaign that are available for Downtown stores, businesses and residential properties. If you are interested in supporting the Homeless Education Campaign, contact the Downtown Cleveland Alliance (216-736-7799) and we will send you posters and fliers to distribute through your building. We also have the Homeless Education Campaign posters available online, click here.
- The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH) is a great resource for individuals looking to get more involved in serving the homeless. They have several programs that people can participate in and they provide information about volunteer opportunities with other charities, social service programs and even legal organizations. You can learn more about opportunities by logging onto www.neoch.org or by calling 216-432-0540