The key element of Change for the Better is public education. A public education campaign was launched in May 2004 and has been revived in 2005 & 2006. The primary focus of Change for the Better is to increase understanding of this issue, educate the public about the better ways to give, and connect Alaska’s social service providers with Alaska’s generous residents.
The Change for the Better campaign will have two effects:
- Increased understanding of the social service agencies available to Anchorage’s homeless population.
- Encouragement to give money to the charities that provide these social services instead of to the panhandler directly.
Posters
In 2004, Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Ltd. produced a series of informative posters about the Change for the Better program, all of which were updated in 2006 and again in 2011. Design work for the posters was donated by Rival Design Studio of Anchorage.
In addition, ADP produced pocket cards in 2004 that were available in businesses and other public areas and will describe the options available for those in need, giving the public alternatives to act if they are approached by a panhandler.
Website
The Change for the Better website was designed to provide interested individuals with information about the program and related topics. Design work for the website was donated by Rival Design Studio of Anchorage.
The Change for the Better website provides information about the program as well as information about the social services that help homeless individuals. It is one way of delivering the information that is essential to the success of the program, one that can be updated at any time with new information or partners.
And because the website is viewable to anyone in the world, it will be something that other cities across the country – or even across the world – can turn to if they want to create a Change for the Better program of their own.
