FORT SMITH, Ark. — A program that got started in Fort Smith last January is seeing some measured success.
It's called Change Fort Smith, and the goal is not to give money to panhandlers, but instead to the United Way of Fort Smith Area.
You've likely seen the signs at some of the busiest intersections in the city. It's to encourage you to text the word FORT to 91999. That donation will then be directed to United Way agencies that help the unhoused.
Josh Buchfink with the City of Fort Smith spearheaded the idea.
"Not only do they help people with food, but they help people with other resources as well," Buchfink said. "I was at Hope Campus today, and they do job readiness courses there. So there's a myriad of ways they're helping people, and they can actually stretch those dollars farther than somebody just getting $1 from me."
Buchfink said that so far, the campaign has been a success in several ways.
"People are giving more. But if it's doing anything, it's really raising awareness and allowing people to see a little bit into what these organizations that are actually helping the homeless and other people in our communities," Buchfink said.
Shea Foldvary is the United Way of Fort Smith Area's CEO. He said this campaign allows you to pick where you want to make your donation.
"When you text for FORT to 91999, it actually gives you the opportunity to select where you want your dollars to go. So if you wanted to go to Next Step or Salvation Army, you can actually designate directly to one of those agencies," Foldvary said. "The unique piece of this is because of our endowment fund at United Way, 100% of that goes directly back. But these are vetted agencies that are able to stretch your dollar."
Buchfink said this program is beneficial to these nonprofits.
"I was talking to the director of Hope Campus, and he was saying just $1, like just $1 a day, would change his world completely."
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