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By DAMON SCOTT / City Desk ABQ
An idea born under former Albuquerque Mayor Richard J. Berry that provides day labor jobs for those experiencing homelessness could be making a comeback. “There’s a Better Way” was launched in 2015 and the initiative quickly gained national attention. After a year in operation, the Washington Post called it “a simple idea that works.”
The idea was developed after Berry drove around the city and stopped to talk to panhandlers about their circumstances. He said at the time that the majority didn’t want to be on city sidewalks and intersections begging for money, but didn’t see many alternatives. Berry eventually tasked a city van to pick up and transport the panhandlers to day labor jobs overseen by the Solid Waste Department like litter pickup and weed removal.