Charlottesville has emerged as one of the top cities in the country for beggars. On nearly every major corner and intersection, there is a panhandler with a cardboard sign saying, “Homeless. Anything helps. God bless.”
It must be working because they are at it every day. One guy on the corner near Kroger’s Rio Hill should be paying rent. Flanking the healthy looking 35-year-old were multiple signs, “Hiring now!” But these guys had rather beg for their drug money than work.
However. There is one man out there with a sign asking for donations that I tip every time I see him, and that’s the Violin Panhandler.
This guy plays an electric violin and he’s brilliant. I first heard him at Harris Teeter at Hollymead. I got out of the car and heard beautiful music. I followed my ears that led to the Violin Panhandler. I think he was playing Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”. I stopped for a while to listen and admire and I put a nice donation in his cup, as did others.
I have also heard him at Aldi’s and Kroger’s and each time it brightens my day. If the managers of these stores were smart, they would pay him to play near their stores. He’s that good.
The guy is not really begging but offering a service. He’s a professional musician, and he’s quite skilled. Unless I see someone who really looks destitute, I bypass the corner beggars. But for the Violin Panhandler, I gladly pay to hear his performances.