This morning I got off the BART as usual and on a corner was a homeless man begging for money. This is not unusual in SF. What was unusual was his sign; instead of "Help" or "Anything, even a smile" or the annoying "I won't kid you - I need a beer", this guy wrote "What if you were poor and hungry?".
The sign got to me; I dropped in what change I had in my pocket. And I never give money to these guys. There are tons of shelters & resources out there to help people so I give to those instead.
Anyway, I'm not trying to create a rant about giving more money to the homeless. It sparked a thought in me though - what if begging got rebranded?
In a sense these guys are branding themselves. They create signs made from cardboard and markers, they write their slogans on them hoping that this one will get them more money than last time. Some choose pity based slogans, some humorous-based, and some go for a simple "nice" angle. But they are all, in a sense, advertisements for their cause.
So what if designers / copywriters / art directors got together and helped these guys out? What if they used their talents and expertise to find a more effective way to convince people who step off the train to give money to these guys?
It seems to me to be an interesting pro-bono project to see how one could connect those who beg with those who give in a more engaging way. Not sure how I could get this started but feel free to comment and let me know if you can help or if you have any constructive ideas.
Do leave the jokes behind though; I get enough of that on the streets. :)
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