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Helping homeless a community effort

Friday, November 6, 2009

(Updated 3:00 am)

Counterpoint:

By Mike Weaver

In response to “When there is nowhere to go,” News & Record Nov. 1, and the subsequent supportive letter by J. Edward Shields calling the treatment of those without a home in Greensboro as “embarrassing,” these writers make it sound like community leaders, agencies and citizens other then their self-prescribed “friends” of the homeless are doing nothing to prevent this situation.

Many agencies make up the Homeless Prevention Coalition of Guilford County, which represents groups and individuals who have spent countless paid and unpaid compassionate hours in soliciting grants from HUD and other funding sources that provide housing and services.

This organization led to the establishment of the 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness and the subsequent morphing into the “Partnership to End Homeless,” led capably by a paid friend of the homeless, Jehan Benton.

Ms. Benton will discuss these efforts Nov. 23, days before Thanksgiving, at a forum provided by NAMI Guilford at 7 p.m. at Fellowship Presbyterian Church. She especially will address the connections with developing solutions for those who have mental illness barriers in achieving housing.

People in all areas of public and private life “get it” and are applying resources, passion and compassion to the plight of those without homes. It is easy to attack others when one does not have to answer to an employer or a board of directors who deal with all kinds of real issues, such as a higher proportion of homeless individuals and families in a time of economic decline.

Let’s be more inclusive of all people in Greensboro who care about those living in camps, behind buildings and the needs of the business on the corner of Lee and Eugene, which has a right to be in business and pays taxes that assist in providing needed housing and services. Caring for the homeless and allowing city streets to be blocked are not disparate concepts.

The writer lives in Greensboro and is president of NAMI Guilford.

What do you think?

6 comment(s)

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brian444

November 6, 2009 - 3:55 am EST

"compassionate hours in soliciting grants from HUD"

"10 Year Plan to End Homelessness"

"paid friend of the homeless"

Discuss.

J.M.W.

November 6, 2009 - 4:05 am EST

Though it may sound cold-hearted, I believe that if all the homeless people in Greensboro were given a home and everything they needed to get ahead, the majority would wind-up right back at square one.

truth

November 6, 2009 - 9:14 am EST

I don't think its cold-hearted to say that. Often, there are underlying psychological or addiction issues that cause many people to be homeless. That isn't to say we shouldn't show compassion to these folks. They still have needs such as warm socks, hats, gloves, blankets, coats, food, etc.

Voice of Reason

November 6, 2009 - 11:12 am EST

We definitely agree on this issue. People get to this point by having used up chance after chance, and families and friends are fed up with the lies, stealing, refusal to take meds, and addiction. There are churches, charitable organizations, and donations from kind people that help these tormented souls out- our city government should not be one of them.

Beachwalk

November 6, 2009 - 10:38 pm EST

"our city government should not be one of them."

Neither should the state government or the national government.
I give to my church, who can do more with my charitable gifts than any government organization. To bad the govenment is TAKING (Stealing) more and more of my money and wasting it, so now I can't give as much to my church, who could do soooooooo much more with the money to help people in need.

patton24

November 8, 2009 - 7:10 am EST

Homeless folks, despite your opinion on how they got there or your very un-optimistic views on their chances to recover their lives use up large amounts of your tax and charity dollars. Getting them housed uses less tax and those of you that think your church does it best-yes-less of the church money also. Approaching this with an elightened sense of the individual''s ability to change if approached in a hopeful manner and with an approach that encourages self-determination and direction does work. People do get in homes and stay in them. Without these efforts, the people on the streets would burgeon into levels that be like the 1930's.