I apologize to Matt and the crew at the NHPP for missing the event yesterday but I had a "previous engagement" that I couldn't get out of. I'm glad to see it went so well and I'd like to thank them all for remembering the folks who passed away this year while on the streets of Nashville.
I'd also like to make a special mention of two people I knew and worked with personally who died while on the streets last year:
Jesse White
Trisha Corbitt
May they both rest in peace, free from the troubles and sadness of life on the street....
Volunteers Feed Homeless on Cold Morning
Dec 15, 2007 7:28 PM EST
NASHVILLE Tenn
Check out the video here
With this chilly weather on the way, many spent their morning helping those hardest hit by the weather. The Nashville Homeless Power Project said 50 homeless people lost their lives on the streets this past year, and Saturday they paid tribute to those people.
Many of the homeless that passed away this year were veterans, and Saturday's memorial honored their service to their country. But this event was also about helping those still on Nashville's Streets. Volunteers served breakfast to dozens in Nashville's homeless community.
"I think it's wonderful. It's wonderful. It's a God-send man. It really is," said Roy Leston, a homeless man in Nashville.
The event also aimed to increase the public's awareness of chronic homelessness in the city.
The Homeless Power Project hopes local lawmakers will push for more affordable housing, better employment opportunities, and improved medical care for the city's less fortunate.
Fixing the city's homelessness problem became a major issue during Nashville's Mayoral election this past year. Former candidate Howard Gentry attended the event Saturdat and promised to continue his fight to help the homeless in Nashville.
Right now, the Metro Council is considering a ban on "aggressive panhandling". Many living on the streets believe that would lead to more problems instead of a solution about the homeless issue.
