In Paris, stickers in shop windows tell homeless they are welcome

The Carillon stickers for shop windows let those in need know that they can ask for a glass of water, to use the bathroom and more.

For homeless people, asking for a drink or food is incredibly demoralizing, especially since most individuals react negatively. Small businesses are often able to help in some ways but have previously had no way of communicating that with nearby people in need. Now, shops and cafes in one area of Paris have formed a network called The Carillon, which lets the poor know what services they offer via pictograms in their windows.

The Carillon is a network of traders in the 11th district in Paris. Participating businesses put small icons in their windows — denoting their willingness to donate products or services. These include a glass of water, toilet facilities, a hot drink, a laptop or some food. This way, those in need know who to ask without fear of rejection or unpleasant responses.

We have previously seen stickers used by Pumpipumpe to facilitate neighborhood sharing in Switzerland. Could either of these systems work in other cities?