LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A campaign in Las Vegas is helping get people off the streets and on a better path.
In its first year, the Vegas Stronger "Golden Ticket" program has been able to help hundreds of people, and the goal is to continue growing.
“Instead of reaching into my pocket and pulling out some money, I find it’s much more helpful to reach into my glove compartment and hand them a golden ticket,” said David Marlon, a drug and alcohol counselor at Vegas Stronger.
The campaign encourages community members to hand out golden tickets that are provided by the agency or can be printed online, instead of handing out money. The tickets connect each person to food and shelter, plus counseling services and wellness programs.
“Folks want to give to the poor, it’s something we all should do, but we should do it in a way that is helpful as opposed to hurtful,” Marlon said.
Marlon said the goal is to solve their clients problems instead of enabling unhealthy behavior.
“As we surveyed people, more than 90% of people who are panhandling on the corners of Las Vegas, when they get money, they are using it to buy drugs or alcohol, which is a drug,” Marlon said.
Clients that stop by the facility have to follow a program where they attend therapy sessions and get routine drug tests, among other things. In return they get food, clothing, housing, and a foundation for a better life.
“We start loving them until they can love themselves,” Marlon said.
The program lasts about four and a half months and has an 87% success rate. Tickets can be printed online or picked up in-person at 916 N. Main Street.
