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Homeless Community of St. Joseph, MO

They've lost their homes they've lost their jobs not all most communities number the homeless at around one percent of their population homelessness affects men women and children and is often dismissed as someone else's problem st. Joseph's is no exception some are battling mental illness some have been hit by a slow economy or foreclosures others are homeless by choice so who makes up our homeless like pappi many of the homeless in our town are veterans I broke down and I came in town and I met bill which is black heart I was on the streets with him he's off the streets now but he's one of the lucky ones the Veterans Administration reports million veterans are homeless at some point each year in the u.s.

Blackhawk helped Pappy turn his life around and that's often the case banding together to take care of their own but it's not always enough how is the city of st. Joseph working to combat homelessness the continuum care coalition utilizes a multi million dollar federal HUD grant to provide vital services to those in need it says most of st.

Joseph´s homeless face a number of barriers keeping them on the streets but say the most obvious answer is usually the key to rehabilitation what we need to do truthfully everybody get together in this town start trying to find places to live local emergency shelters include the Salvation Army the YWCA and the cold-weather shelter over 200 people are in permanent supportive housing sponsored by Catholic Charities and the YW in 2006 community missions open the Haven and then a few years later Judah house once housing is found what's next even with help the transition can be difficult the Missouri Department of Mental Health sponsors a program called shelter Plus that program requires the individual to participate in counseling and Rehab in exchange for a place to live Andy was on the street for ten years of his young life got tired of being on the streets just want to change it once a want change but while some want to change some choose to be homeless with their entire life in a backpack they live near the river in improvised shelters made of crates or squat illegally in vacant properties why would anyone choose this life for the lake Blackhawk it was about the freedom the river was his home and the people everybody watches over everybody were a tight family but this choice is not without risk we help each other out and do what we can to keep in just the past year our homeless community has seen two murders several thefts and assaults we've come to the conclusion that the idle time of not doing anything is where we all get in trouble if we don't have something to do we will find something to do it's not always good catch established a day Center for the homeless to help integrate them into the mainstream through a new project called rags to riches the making and selling of rag rugs just for them to watch that transition happen here's some old rags that were useless they were throwing away discarded and that's become woven back together like they would in society and now useful again and good-looking and and productive he says the best way to help is to have an open mind and an open heart to love on them instead of judge them or try to figure out why they're here we're just trying to help them move you know to wherever they want to go me firstly I want to be part of the everyday working people.

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