Coins for Kindness program prepares to roll out

Program to fund homeless programs

KINGMAN – Reducing aggressive begging within the community is the goal of a new initiative the City of Kingman will introduce in coming weeks.

“We have been working on a program to encourage people to not pass out coins or money to panhandlers,” City Manager Ron Foggin said during the May 2 Kingman Council meeting. “We’re calling it Kingman Coins for Kindness. We’re pretty excited and we’re in the process of almost being ready to roll this out.”

City Clerk Annie Meredith has taken the staff lead on the project that will encourage people to donate to a fund rather than directly to panhandlers.

“All the moneys collected will be going to the organizations that serve the homeless population in our community,” she said. Meredith said the Cornerstone Mission, St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Salvation Army have been identified as city partners who will use Coins for Kindness revenue to help the homeless.

Meredith said a webpage has been developed that will help direct citizens how to donate to the program. She said 20-30 signs will be posted in the community that will provide a QR code that people can scan for donation direction.

Meredith said the signs will be posted in areas that see high volume of panhandling traffic, such as on and off ramps for US 93 and Interstate 40 and locations in downtown Kingman. Meredith said the webpage is ready to launch and that sign installation should be underway by the start of June.

Meredith said a couple of old parking meters may be installed that would allow people to drop in change that would help fund the program.

Dave Hawkins