Four months after a conversation that proved to be the genesis of the Golden Triangle Regional Homeless Coalition, organizers are beginning to see real progress.
Rev. Anne Harris of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, co-director of the GTRHC, used her appearance at Thursday’s Columbus Exchange Club to inform club members of the need for a homeless shelter, provide an update on the group’s progress toward that goal and solicit volunteers, which will be needed once the shelter is open.
“If you work in our beautiful downtown during the day and go to a nice home in the evening, you probably aren’t aware that there is a homeless population here,” Harris said. “But the homeless are among us, even if you don’t see them. They’re not just the people who are living under bridges or in abandoned buildings. They are people who are living with family or friends, sleeping on their floors and porches, people whose shelter is only temporary.”
Harris said that for some time, various groups in the city — churches, civic groups, social service agencies — have been meeting the needs of the homeless on a piece-meal basis, with no coordinated effort or organization.
The idea of attacking the problem in a broader, more efficient manner by working as a coordinated organization began with a conversation between Rev. Sandra DePriest of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd and a local motel owner in September. DePriest, who would become a co-director of the GTRHC, was hoping to negotiate a reduced rate for the homeless people who approach her looking for temporary shelter.
Even at a reduced rate, DePriest felt there had to be a more affordable means of providing that shelter. She began to make phone calls to others in the community who were also involved in helping the homeless — Glenda Buckhalter of Columbus Community Outreach; Dave Duett, co-founder of Last House on the Block, Helping Hands and others.
After four months of weekly meetings, the 22-member board of directors is beginning to see some tangible results, Harris said Thursday.
By next week, the GTRHC will have it’s non-profit status. The group should have its Facebook page up and running, too. A bank account for tax-deductible donations was set up two weeks ago and the groups website should be up and running soon. The board has already visited several properties that could be the site of the shelter and there are a plans to visit another site located in the county on Monday.
“We have a two-part mission,” Harris told Exchange Club members. “First, we believe that all people should be treated with dignity and that means having a safe, secure living environment for those who are seeking emergency short-term shelter.
“Second, we are committed to helping those people return to the community as productive citizens.”
Harris said the best way to help the effort of the GTRHC is through donations. Once the shelter is ready, there will be a need for volunteers.
“We want to be able to provide support services for these people,” Harris said. “It might be counseling or helping them fill out applications or education. There will be a lot of opportunities for volunteers to join our effort.
“For this to be successful, it really will require a community-wide effort,” she said. “The Columbus I know is filled with great people who will serve when asked. We are relying on that.”
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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