Pocket Book Chat

It’s a growing need in our communities.

The cold weather coupled with no place to go leaves many people seeking homeless shelters for some heat and hospitality.

The City of Refuge and F.A.I.T.H. transitional housing both say there is always going to be a need in the community.

But it seems especially with the freezing temperatures, the recent recession and some just not being able to survive on their own, the homeless population is growing.

Homeless and hungry: just looking for some warmth and welcome this winter.

“I needed help. I don’t have any money. I didn’t have any food, hardly any clothes,” said David Joiner, who’s seeking help from City of Refuge.

This is all David Joiner owns; two duffle bags and the clothes on his back.

And now he’ll have a roof over his head.

“It means I don’t have to sleep under an overpass or crawl into a pile of brush and sleep and that’s a big relief. It’s too cold for anybody to be outside,” Joiner explained.

The City of Refuge says their eights beds are usually taken but there’s always a spot somewhere.

“In the wintertime, we’ve been full. We’ve had 3 or 4 guys on the floor,” said David McKinney, the City of Refuge Director.

Not only do they give them a place to rest, but food to eat too.

The dinner lines are longer these days.

They say now they are feeding 60 to 70 people every night, that’s double compared to last year.

“People aren’t able to provide for themselves quite as well as they have in the past. A lot more people at the end of the month, saying can you help us out,” McKinney explained.

F.A.I.T.H. transitional housing; it’s more than just an escape from the bitter cold, it’s a two-year program to get people back on their feet.

“It’s easy to say the recession, but the reality is people are just finding themselves at the end of the road,” said Mike Glaser, the president of F.A.I.T.H. Transitional Housing.

Mike Glaser says more applications are coming in, creating a longer waiting list to get in.

The need has always been there, he says it’s the numbers that are growing.

“A lot of people say there’s no good left in this world. I don’t believe that. I believe that we each try to help as much as we can,” Joiner said.

Giving back and helping those who are helpless.

Both the shelter and transitional housing organization say even in this recession, the heart of this community is still alive and well and continues to give to meet the needs of others.

The City of Refuge provides dinner every night of the week to anyone who needs a meal. It starts at 6:00p.m