Five Chico churches are planning to introduce a program called "Street Pastors." They say it's been implemented in the UK with great results. The goal is to walk around the downtown and south campus areas in groups of four, wearing uniforms, and offering a listening ear to anyone who needs it. They say they will be trained by the people who are part of the UK program, and plan to implement it in Chico by the summer. Their goal is to not only reach out to the homeless, but to the student population as well. They plan to offer late-night walks home to women who don't want to walk alone, and they want to help calm situations in which fights may occur. They also plan to offer prayers and advice, if asked. The volunteer pastors will donate the money for uniforms, and the program may also seek additional funding in the future. The pastors will not hand out money. They are hoping to help with Chico's Call to Action by being part of a non-violent, positive change to Chico's late night scene.
