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Norfolk may ban soliciting in roads
More articles on this topic: Deeper Life Christian ChurchNORFOLK — Every couple of weeks, Alex Brighton and six others from Richmond carry white plastic buckets car-to-car at busy Norfolk intersections while carrying placards that read, “Help feed needy women and children.”
The orange-vested men dart in and out of traffic, approaching drivers and pleading for money.
Soon, however, they may have to find some other way to raise money for their cause. Today , the City Council is poised to make it illegal for anyone – including fund-raising groups such as firefighters associations – to solicit in public streets.
“It’s unfortunate that this may affect some respectable organizations,” Councilman Paul R. Riddick said. “But we have a serious problem with people in our streets, and it’s dangerous.”
The ban would prohibit people from soliciting donations or selling items such as newspapers and pamphlets in travel lanes, roadway medians or intersections.
Residents have complained about groups like Brighton’s for several months, and some City Council members are fed up with people wandering in the city’s streets.
Councilman W. Randy Wright said some groups that claim to be charities may be running scams on drivers.
“I have long believed that a lot of these groups soliciting are not representing who they say they represent,” he said.
Brighton said the solicitors are members of the Deeper Life Christian Church, a religious organization based in Tampa, Fla.
The Tampa Tribune has reported that the church pleaded guilty to fraud five years ago and that members still collect money all across the country.
Most of the money is sent back to Tampa, after meager living expenses for the solicitors, the Tribune said.
The phone number Brighton provided for the Tampa headquarters was disconnected.
Stephen Connally, vice president of Norfolk Professional Firefighters, said he’s concerned that the law would hurt local firefighters’ annual “Fill the Boot” campaign for the Muscular Dystrophy Association .
The firefighters collect donations once a year, usually the weekend before Labor Day, Connally said. In the past four years, they have raised more than $247,000 in Norfolk alone.
“This ordinance would cripple our donations,” Connally said.
Councilman Wright said the Nation of Islam is another innocent victim.
“They are also a very respectful and legitimate group,” Wright said of the Muslim organization, which hawks its Final Call newspapers at intersections.
“You can’t base this on the content or justness of the cause. You have to base it on traffic safety,” said Brian Bellamy , an accountant from Norfolk.
Bellamy nearly hit a panhandler while driving on Military Highway last week. The man, carrying a bucket and an “I’m Hungry” sign, ran in front of Bellamy’s car to get to the driver of a van who was going to donate.
“People need to know it’s just not safe to do,” Bellamy said. “If the city doesn’t act now, it will when someone gets hurt.”
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