‘Have a Heart, Give Smart’ campaign: Give to charities instead of panhandlers

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Have a heart, give smart! That is the new public education campaign the Downtown Municipal Service District announced Wednesday.

The goal of the action oriented campaign is to encourage people to donate to local charities rather than giving money to panhandlers.

Right now there are four charities that are endorsing this program. Those include United Way, Vigilant Hope, Rescue Mission of Cape Fear, and the Salvation Army. All if not most are focused on providing either shelter, food, or medical support for those in need.

“We want to give people the knowledge and tools to know that there are better ways to give,” Wilmington Downtown Inc. President, Ed Wolverton said. “And we know there are compassionate people in the community that want to help. And this is a great avenue to direct them and look at all the resources in the community.”

This campaign comes after studying other communities for the past six months.

If you are interested in helping out or learning more, click here.

All the money donated to the campaign be given to the sponsored charities.