Theater display brings attention to hunger, homelessness

Several local organizations are bringing attention to food-insecurity and homelessness issues facing the area.

National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week runs through Sunday. The Community Caring Council and other area social service providers have set up a display at Cape West 14 Cine, according to a news release from the Community Caring Council.

Community Caring Council executive director Tom Davisson said the display came about several years ago.

"We have a housing needs committee that's very active that's been around for about 11 years," Davisson said. "And the impetus of that was to try to see if we could find some housing grants for this community for the people that we know are homeless, and we've done that. ..."

Davisson said the theater has worked out well as a location for the display.

"The manager of the theater has been very helpful all along; a lot of people see it, and it just looked like a good place to do it. ..." Davisson said.

The display includes a "Giving Tree." People who wish to help can choose a tag from the tree and donate suggested items to a family or person in crisis.

Davisson said homeless counts are done twice a year, in January and July, and reported to the Missouri Housing Development Commission.

In January, 65 people in Cape Girardeau were identified as living in places not meant for human habitation or in emergency shelter, according to the news release. In addition, this year one in four children have gone to bed hungry and not knowing where their next meal is coming from.

On a single night in January 2014, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated, there were 4,307 homeless people in Missouri and more than 578,000 in the U.S.

The display will be at the theater through Nov. 30.

kwebster@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3646

Pertinent address:

247 Siemers Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO