"Handouts Don't Help" signs will appear around Douglas County

Douglas County leaders are working on a plan to respond to the growing crisis of those experiencing homelessness. The county has created a homeless initiative and the topic of discussion at the meeting on Thursday was panhandling. 

The "Handouts Don't Help" signs will appear around the county and are designed to encourage people not to give money to panhandlers and instead donate to the Douglas County Community Foundation. 

The signs were approved by the Douglas County Board of Commissioners. They will be placed in high traffic areas and also places like grocery stores, corporate offices and libraries in Douglas County.

The county believes this is a solution to what they call a public safety issue. 

"If you have a baby in a median or you have somebody at a corner when people are literally traveling 55-60 mph, having a human being in traffic where they're soliciting for donations, that's not safe for the person receiving the funds or the person handing them out," said Douglas County Commissioner Abe Laydon. 

The public will be able to donate funds to Douglas Has Heart. The website is expected to launch by Friday night. 

The signs will go up around the county next month.