Latest news with #HomelessTaskForce
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Gap Ministries unveiling mailboxes for people experiencing homelessness in Augusta
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – New mailboxes will soon be available for some of the city's homeless population. I was able to speak to the organizers, who say this could change the lives of many in our area. Gap Ministries unveiled 50 mailboxes Tuesday by the city's Homeless Task Force. 'We want people to have the opportunity to legitimately hold themselves accountable and push themselves. Get themselves to where they want to go,' said Nomi Stanton, Director of Gap Ministries. If you are homeless and do not have an address, you cannot get a state-issued ID. That makes it more difficult to apply for SSI and SSDI, register children for school, or receive test results from the doctor. The mailboxes will also help case managers working with the homeless or those in transition as a way to communicate with their clients. 'If you ask folks what is holding them back. Vital Documents is one of the things holding people back, and we can't expect people to move forward when they remain stuck,' said Stanton. Lisa Ann Wheeler, a representative for the Department of Public Health, says this is a game changer for her clients. 'It's a huge deal today. We actually have a mailbox to send information. Is it test results? Is it the next appointment coming up? Things like that, and we don't have that, we haven't had that accessibility. So, this is life-changing for our clients,' said Lisa Ann Wheeler, Patient Navigator, Georgia Department of Public Health. Commissioner Jordan Johnson was also at the unveiling to support and recognize what this will do for the homeless in our area. 'We are together in this effort to make sure that those who are experiencing poverty and experiencing just homelessness as we know it. Experience very briefly and very rarely. This is an effort that has been ongoing, and I am proud of the work that's being done,' said Jordan Johnson, Commissioner of District 1. Organizers at Gap Ministries say this is a steppingstone and hope to add more mailboxes. 'I'm looking at these mailboxes like they're caterpillars, and our goal is. You have your mailbox, and this is going to help you grow your beautiful wings and fly,' said Stanton. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New mailboxes aim to give Augusta's homeless much more than an address
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF)- Augusta's Homeless Task Force is taking steps to help those in need around the Garden City. They've installed mailboxes to help unhoused people get their important documents in order. This project has been a few years in the making, and it's part of the effort from GAP Ministries to remove barriers that stand in the way of getting people on their feet. As organizations like GAP Ministries continue to battle homelessness, Executive Director Nomi Stanton says it starts with what unhoused people need. 'One of the very first things people get asked is to put their address down on the application. If you don't have an address, it's almost impossible to move forward and stay unstuck,' said Stanton. That's why they've installed 50 mailboxes in a cluster at the building on Greene Street. The mailboxes will be used for case managers working with unhoused people or those in transition. 'Maybe they're staying with friends while they get on their feet. Maybe they've just paid their last month's rent, they need to save money and they're in limbo in some way. Or they're staying in one of the hotels because they lost their home during Helene, which is also something that we've seen. This allows you to still maintain your independence,' Stanton said. City leaders supporting the effort say it's a critical step to help the homeless get essential resources to thrive. 'If you're trying to get an I.D., a birth certificate, or any critical document, you can't get that without a physical address. There are so many people in our community who need those resources, but don't have an address to receive them. The fact that this resource is getting ready to happen for so many people in our community is overwhelming for me,' said District 1 Commissioner Jordan Johnson. The task force's new upcoming chairman, Luke Niday, says it's also about getting down to their level to meet their needs. We have enough food to feed our homeless people, we have enough beds to house our homeless people—they just don't have relationships. We hope this is an opportunity to build relationships with people all throughout our city, and be connected in a lot of different ways,' said Niday. Agencies including the Salvation Army, Department of Public Health, and Marion Barnes will all have mailboxes available. Stanton says the effort ties in with the overarching mission to fill the 'gap' between the plenty and need. 'It's a hand-up, this is not a handout. This is something that's legitimate. We want people to be employed. We want this city to come together, and I think one of the goals of the task force is to unify as many agencies as possible—because it's loving on a particular population of folks that are our most vulnerable. So it's truly a huge win for the entire CSRA,' said Stanton. The Augusta Homeless Task Force will join other agencies to officially unveil the mailboxes soon. A ceremony is set for March 11th at the GAP Ministries location on Greene Street. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Point-in-Time count determines approximately 164 homeless people in county
ANDERSON — Preliminary numbers from a Point-in-Time survey conducted last month indicate approximately 164 county residents are considered homeless. Amber Gordon, the Point-in-Time coordinator with Aspire of Indiana, told members of the Anderson Homeless Task Force Thursday that the most recent numbers are consistent with a year ago. Gordon explained the U.S. Housing & Urban Development Department set the date of Jan. 29 for the count. She said 100 surveys were completed and 88 were confirmed as being from a homeless person. Gordon said that is a preliminary number; the organization is awaiting numbers from the Christian Center in Anderson, Anderson Restoration Church and a men's shelter in Elwood. The final count will be determined in April or May. She said last year the count determined 164 people were considered homeless. 'We ask, Where did you sleep last night?' Gordon said of the survey. She said that includes sleeping outdoors, in a vehicle, in transitional housing with a friend or family member or in a shelter. 'We had volunteers at multiple locations,' Gordon said of the annual count. OTHER BUSINESS The Homeless Task Force, created by the Anderson City Council in 2024, voted to approve job descriptions to hire two employees: one to develop a strategic plan, and the other to write grants. Committee members said there was a need for a low-barrier shelter because many of the homeless don't want to stay in shelters that have specific rules. 'People need a place to sleep,' committee member Tamie Dixon-Tatum said. 'We need to look at ways to help people, instead of just looking at them as a problem.' She said a committee recommended a budget of $50,000 for both the hiring of a strategic planner and a grant writer. The Anderson City Council in December voted to allocate $250,000 from American Rescue Plan funds for the task force. 'We need a strategic plan for immediately and the long term,' said Whitney Johnson, vice president of the task force. 'We're venting our frustrations and recognizing the need.' Pam Shoot, chairperson for the Anderson Christian Center, said they recently hired Pendleton resident Angie Mollenkopf to work on a strategic plan. 'We spent months looking for a strategic planner,' she said. 'It's more than homelessness; we have to do it as a community.' Shoot said the Christian Center looked for someone to help develop a strategy and to address the problems facing Anderson. 'This will take our entire community,' she said. Shoot recommended that the Homeless Task Force consider working with the Christian Center on a strategic plan.
