Forgotten Homeless walk set for Saturday: 'They're not homeless; they're houseless'

Veterans of Foreign Wars and Auxiliary of Post 3838 and Community Partnership of Southeast Missouri are reaching "the houseless" during their first walk -- The Forgotten -- dedicated to homelessness awareness Saturday. The walk begins at 10 a.m. at Capaha Park's shelter No. 4.

According to VFW Post 3838 Sr. vice commander Matt Hampton, a VFW member, "Zeke," initiated the walk. He wanted to create a homeless committee and even offered to be chairman, Hampton said.

"You do forget about these issues, because it's not right in your face," Hampton said.

Initial stages of planning the annual walk began to form, coupled with additional support and interest from other members of the community, Hampton said.

And even with VFW being a veterans organization, he said, it couldn't just reach out to homeless veterans for the upcoming walk. By reaching only homeless veterans, Hampton said the event's effect would be "missing something."

"We'll make more of an impact if we work with everybody and all the homeless in our area," he said, adding it was a wise decision to do so.

Hampton said he met member of St. James A.M.E. Church in Cape Girardeau and administrator of the People's Shelter pop-up homeless shelter, Renita Green, at a previous VFW event.

That's when brainstorming her involvement with the walk began.

"The point is, we're here to support part of what she's doing with this," Hampton said.

He strives to work together as a community, Hampton said, because "that's what we're welcoming."

Melissa Stickel, executive director of Community Partnership of Southeast Missouri, said VFW Post 3838 contacted the organization based on its role within the community.

She obliged.

The funds raised from the initiative will be part of Community Partnership of Southeast Missouri's Project Homeless Connect efforts.

But, Stickel added, it's only part of the greater work still to do with housing and homelessness. Any amount of awareness the event can create is worthy of Community Partnership of Southeast Missouri's time, she said, including how many people show up or don't show up.

The cause is still important and still needs to be talked about, Stickel said.

Everything the People's Shelter provides, in terms of homelessness, Green said, is focused on looking for ways to alleviate suffering by connecting the community together.

For this weekend's event, Green is responsible for registering participants. She said she believes those who are homeless "are our neighbors."

"And really they're not homeless; they're houseless," Green said. "Home is not a location; home is a group of people who join together."

She said the phrase used for "the chronic homeless" is "the hidden homeless."

"So when we do things like this, not only are we calling a community to be aware of their presence," she said, "we're also calling a community to be aware of their humanity."

And, Green added, the community also is saying, "we see you, and when we see you, we humanize you.'"

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