By By KATHIE HEMPEL / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Representatives of groups that provide helpful services gathered in one place in Niles Thursday in an attempt to help the homeless.
More than 30 people came to Homeless Connect at 104 N. Third St. to find out how to access services.
Help in some cases was instantaneous.
Berrien County Sheriff's Department, along with 17 Berrien County social service agencies, got the word out and brought those who needed help finding such basics as food and clothing.
Help was available for shelter, children services and those for whom domestic violence was an issue.
"Too many people still think that homelessness is simply an issue involving those who are addicted or too lazy to work. The average age of the homeless has been reported as low as 9 years old. Kids who are moved from shelter to shelter rarely graduate. Many families today are just one lost paycheck away from homelessness," Alysia Babcock, chair of the Housing Resource Network said.
This is the second Berrien County Homeless Connect Day the group has facilitated. The first was held in Benton Harbor and the group hopes to hold events every three months alternating between the Niles and north county location until the services can be offered daily.
"The answer to homelessness is permanent supportive housing. Use of shelters, jails emergency hospital services by the homeless cost $40,000 per year per individual. In this area we can provide permanent supportive housing for $7,000 per year. The Housing First model, after which is program planning is designed has been proven in San Francisco, New York and Seattle, "Babcock said.
She said it has also been proven that once people have shelter they can then concentrate on handling their addiction or mental health problems. Drinking and substance were shown to decrease once a homeless person had a roof over their head according to Babcock.
"Collaboration, collaboration, collaboration. That is what we have here and what we need more of," Carie Sutton, Housing Resource Network co-chair said.
"The Sheriff's department went out and found people who needed us at the library and dollar stores. They brought them here today. It is so neat to see all the agencies working together. We especially want to encourage the faith-based communities to become involved with this effort," Babcock said. This easy access to community services is something the group hopes to mobilize and have a set schedule people can rely on eventually. Until then they hope the quarterly events will become monthly until the services can be made easily accessible everyday.
"Many homeless people don't have transportation or phones to be able to even find if the services they need exist. To have a one-stop shop as it were, just makes sense," Babcock said. She excitedly told of the day's biggest success. A woman whose husband is on disability, who has three children came in obviously distressed. They are about to be evicted from their home in a nearby community.
"Before she left we had given her food for the family, blankets and clothes. We had hooked her up with someone who could help her get the birth certificates for her kids and identification she needed but didn't have the $47 to obtain. She had a cut that needed stitches but no money to have it tended to. That too was resolved before she left with an entirely different sense of hope," Babcock said.
Homeless Connect is a national project. The Housing Resource Network received $1,000 from the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness to get the Berrien County effort off the ground.
Participating agencies included: Berrien County Department of Human Services, Berrien County Intermediate School District/McKinney Vento Project for homeless youth, CARES, Christian Services of Niles, Community Connections, Emergency Shelter, Ferry Street Resource Center, Gateway Supportive Employment, Michigan Works, Transitional Housing, Residential Services of Southwestern Michigan, Riverwood Center, Safe Shelter, Southwest Michigan Community Action Agency, Tri-County Head Start, Volunteer Center of Southwest Michigan and Neighbor to Neighbor.
"It's about kids. Head Start knows that. The Intermediate School District knows that. The parents trying to feed and clothe their kids know that," Babcock said.
One more family is better off today because of Project Homeless Connect. Babcock and Deputy Adam Hicks with the Sheriff's Department, said that helping one person makes it all worthwhile.