By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.–Even though the weather outside was frightful, some 275 people crowded into the Krider Performing Arts Center Monday evening for a city of Paris-sponsored community forum on homelessness.
Moderated by City Manager Kim Foster, a panel made up of Paris Police Lt. Michael Ramos, Lettie Perez of Carey Counseling, Michelle Seaton of Henry County Medical Center, Michael Trent of Hope Center Ministries and Robert Horner of Tennessee Valley Community Church presented their views on the causes of homelessness and what resources their agencies can and do provide.
Foster said she has seen homelessness grow especially in the last few years and said Paris is not alone in that. Homelessness is growing the most in rural areas. She quoted a statistic which showed that of the top five areas that deal with homelessness, three are in Tennessee: Jackson, Chattanooga and the Blount County area.
The city of Paris is not really equipped to deal with the growing problem, she said, noting, “We’re not mental health and addiction experts”, but city employees have been dealing with it. The police and fire departments get dispatched on calls that deal with trespassing issues in the local homeless camps, for example.
“Our goal for the evening, is to educate everyone on the things we deal with and help connect the dots with agencies that can provide services,” she said.
All of the agencies represented on the panel deal directly with different aspects of homelessness, including finding placement and shelter for them, find resources that are appropriate for their specific problems. They all agreed that homelessness can strike anyone in any walk of life and that it can begin with a change in circumstance, such as loss of job, loss of transportation or divorce. Addiction is a usual common denominator.
Trent of the Hope Center said his agency has a shelter for both women and men that could use volunteers and that it provides a Christ-based three-phase program. “I was in their shoes not so long ago and I understand what they’re going through”, he said.
Panelists noted that often chronically homeless people are not willing to accept the help that is given to them, so it’s a delicate balance. Robert Horner of TVCC said, “It’s heart-breaking seeing someone who needs help walk away from the help you’re trying to give them.”
The local area is handicapped by not having permanent shelters and public transportation that would help people keep employed.
Foster asked people in the audience to share what resources they or agencies they are a part of could offer and dozens of people came forward to identify the help they can provide. Representatives of local churches, the two school districts, county health department, Legal Services, WRAP, State Rehabilitation Services, Salvation Army, Family Resources Center, Little Pantries of Henry County, Social Security, Northwest Economic Development Council were a few of those stating what services they can provide.
Several churches, notably the Trinity and Bethesda United Methodist Churches, Quinn Chapel AME, the Little Pantries of Henry County, Mt. Zion Baptist Church, the Church in Paris and Cedar Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Cottage Grove, said they can and do provide services.
Rev. Emily Walker, minister at Trinity and Bethesda churches and President of the Little Pantries of Henry County, said she knows people get frustrated when the canned goods they place in local pantries disappear so fast. “But everytime I see an empty pantry, I know someone is being fed,” she said.
Foster noted that 25 acres in the industrial park is being set aside for affordable housing, but there is a need for local contractors to help with providing it for it to work.
At the conclusion of the session, Foster said the hoped-for goal of the forum was achieved in that resources and contact persons were identified. She said a resource list made up of the names and phone numbers of people at the forum will be shared with those in attendance.
Photo: Dozens of people stood in line at the conclusion of the forum to tell of resources available at their agencies. (Shannon McFarlin photo).