Local organizations provide potential panhandlers with A Better Way

The City of Oklahoma City and its partners are offering potential panhandlers A Better Way. 

In partnership with Mental Health Association Oklahoma, United Way of Central Oklahoma, Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and local community members, Oklahoma City’s A Better Way program incorporates a mobile outreach van that visits known hotspots for panhandling within the city and offers the opportunity to earn $65 a day to help clean and maintain public spaces each Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. The program also provides participants with a free lunch and information on additional resources during the day. 

“During their lunch, [participants] hear from a case manager who shares her lived experience of overcoming barriers for herself in her own life, and how Mental Health Association Oklahoma can help them with looking at what the barriers are to employment,” Lindsay Cates, homeless strategy implementation manager with the City of Oklahoma City said. 

The provided case worker is present to help guide program participants through a list of other services that may help with their needs like mental and physical healthcare, substance use counseling, federal and state benefits, housing, transportation and training. 

In addition to the provided case worker, an employment specialist works with participants to prepare them for potential job opportunities. This specialist helps to build resumes and fill out applications, while also working with local companies to find the perfect fit. 

“What we want is a wide range of employers, because we have a wide range of clients who have different skill sets,” Genaro Pratcher, employment specialist with Mental Health Association Oklahoma said. 

Pratcher said A Better Way participants have secured jobs in shipping and receiving, warehouses, as cooks, as dishwashers and more. SupplyOne and Kimray are two companies currently working with A Better Way to provide employment.  

“When I come in and talk to an employer, the one thing I want to do is put their mind at ease, that they are not just getting anybody,” Pratcher said. 

The employment specialist works on a profile for candidates before presenting them to participating companies to help indicate what type of employee employers will be getting. 

“That lets me know, are they going to be punctual if something happens? Do they communicate? If they need to reschedule, are they going to reschedule or do they no call, no show?” 

In return, Pratcher said, program partners are helping the city in more ways than one; specifically, Oklahoma City’s homelessness and panhandling issues. 

“A success is any time a client is employed; and more so, sustains employment."

"Many of our clients have come from being off the street. Getting housed, getting employed and staying employed, that’s what success looks like for our program. We have several of those success stories,” he said. 

Although individuals may participate more than once, since the program was established in September of 2021, A Better Way has serviced 461 “unduplicated” participants. Unfortunately, the program has not been able to service every willing participant. 

“We are leaving behind a significant amount of people that are not being able to be served because we need more vans,” Pratcher said. 

Although funded in part by the City of Oklahoma City and United Way of Central Oklahoma, A Better Way will need additional donations or sponsorships to help further the program. 

“The success of our program is proven,” Pratcher said. 

You can visit the A Better Way website for more information and to see how you can donate to help support the program.