EVERETT, Wash. — Brandon Thorne delivered food Wednesday to people living below an overpass along Everett's Smith Avenue.
"People just need to be able to do what they want to do, come help people out," Thorne said.
That philosophy makes him no fan of new city signs posted in the area, discouraging donations of stuff, saying they lead to unsanitary conditions and trash.
"Gets in the way of people coming out here, being able to do things to give to the less fortunate or people who are having hardships," Thorne said of the signs.
Everett police Capt. John DeRousse recognizes that donors are well-meaning.
"But what we've noticed is a lot of that stuff that's not used, not accepted, piles up, and we have to go there twice a week, sometimes three times a week, with public works and clean up the area," DeRousse said.
Rachel Schwark, who lives below the overpass, says people there call it the bulldozer.
"It just takes a bunch of people's stuff and homes away," Schwark said.
The signs went up less than a year after the city built a fence, which has pushed people closer to the roadway.
Everett's approach to homelessness includes a website listing organizations where people can donate and a new Streets Initiative Flex Fund, which police officers can use to pay for emergency services for people in need.
DeRousse said the project is just getting off the ground, but it will be designed for police officers to carry bank cards and make purchases for people with a police supervisor's approval.
Donations are accepted for the fund, which has starting balance of about $8,000.