Advocates spotlight Cape Girardeau homelessness

Raising awareness about homelessness in the Cape Girardeau area has been a long battle. This year, until Sunday, communities are trying once again to raise awareness about the issue.

Roy Jones, the housing coordinator for the Community Caring Council in Cape Girardeau, is an advocate for awareness, saying that in the winter the need is even greater.

"There's roughly 75 to 100 people in shelters around the area at a given time," Jones said. "And 25 more [not in shelter]."

The numbers Jones projected are for all of Cape Girardeau County, and he said that with no state-funded shelters, managing the need often can be tricky.

The surrounding area has three shelters: the New Beginnings Church of Deliverance on William Street in Cape Girardeau, the Revival Center in Jackson and the Amen Shelter in Delta.

Danny Hollowell, owner of the Amen Center, said 47 people are in the shelter right now, with the capacity to hold 95.

In the case of winter weather, the city of Cape Girardeau in the past has opened up the Osage Centre to be used as a warming shelter for those in need. However, it doesn't stay open overnight.

Nancy Jernigan, the director at the United Way of Southeast Missouri, said she's in talks with members of the Salvation Army and the city to open a possible overnight warming shelter.

Jernigan said the Salvation Army would be willing to organize and support people who come to the warming shelter, but permission is needed from the city.

City manager Scott Meyer said that in the past, the emergency operating center has opened a warming shelter when power is knocked out in a large portion of the city, but few people typically take advantage of the warmth.

However, if the need were great enough, Meyer said the city would provide some necessary resources.

Jones noted many of the homeless in Cape Girardeau are inconspicuous, and often people don't realize how great the need really is.

"[This week is] really just an effort to say, 'Yes, we do have homeless people in the community that we need to be sensitive to,'" Jones said.

smaue@semissourian.com

388-3644