COVID-19 continues to take an economic toll, forcing people to turn to homeless shelters and panhandling for help. | Adobe Stock
COVID-19 continues to take an economic toll, forcing people to turn to homeless shelters and panhandling for help. | Adobe Stock
The number of new COVID-19 cases might be falling off, but the coronavirus is still taking an economic toll on some in the Triad, with some people noticing an apparent increase in the number of panhandlers.
“We’ve pretty much been hit hard by COVID. We’ve been in hotels all of last year,” one area woman, Brittany Thomas, told FOX 8.
The road has been hard. She was working as a cook before she was diagnosed with the virus, and from there, the situation snowballed to the point where she used all of her savings to keep her family afloat.
Thomas has since reached out to the Winston-Salem Salvation Army for help. The Salvation Army operates a homeless shelter, and it comes with more than just a bed. The organization’s counselors also teach life skills. The agency relies on donations to keep offering such services.
“The money is being put to good use in that we are being good stewards of those donations,” Bob Campbell, a Salvation Army representative, told the news station.
As for the legality of panhandling, it will continue. There are some restrictions on where it can occur, but Greensboro police told Fox that it will go on whether it’s legal or not. It’s up to the people being approached to decide whether or not they want to support the individuals asking for help.
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