SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) -- The city of Sioux Falls rolled out the campaign last spring. The signs put up by the city read "Cash Handouts don't help, but you can."

"Really, we just saw little to no panhandling, almost little to no panhandling in our downtown area," said the city's homelessness services coordinator Michelle Treasure.

Treasure says people are kind and want to help. After talking with former panhandlers, they determined that handing someone cash is counterproductive.

"We had stories from individuals that had received large amounts of money and unfortunately then consumed large amounts of alcohol, we would find individuals passed out and needing medical attention," said Treasure.

The city provides a list of non-profits that work with to address the issue of homelessness. O

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