My friend and colleague Judith works every day to help those experiencing homelessness and it's a real privilege to work with her on many of these issues. She was a great help during the annual homeless count and I hope I didn't scare her too much by dragging her into some of the places we went! *wink*
Seriously, she's a hard-charging homeless warrior and I'm honored to know and work with her.....
Movie 'The Soloist' shows plight of the homeless
Tennessee Voices
Nashville has anywhere from 10,000 to 11,500 homeless; that is the answer to the question you will have when you leave the movie The Soloist.
The story of the two middle-aged men's friendship is touching and powerful. It opens viewers' eyes to some of the complexities of homelessness.
Lopez experienced how hard it is to help a chronically, mentally ill homeless person. I know what he encountered because when I was still in journalism school, my best friend, a Metro police sergeant, befriended a chronically homeless man and started working to get him services he needed. She held a fundraiser that enabled us to place him in an apartment and get him medical treatment, as he was dying from lung cancer.
What touched me most about The Soloist is that Steve Lopez realizes that all he can be is a friend, and that being a friend sometimes has to be enough.
At the end of the movie, a number flashed upon the screen telling people how many homeless are roaming the streets of L.A. I heard a gasp in the row behind me.
That's what made me write this column. Nashville has 10,000-11,500 homeless people. As a reporter, my own estimates were that Nashville sees about 10,000 homeless people every year. An outrageous number, but local experts agree with me.
Nashville service providers estimate the real number of chronic homeless in Nashville to be anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 individuals at any given time.
That number spikes up to 10,000-11,500 when you consider the unduplicated annual numbers reported by homeless service providers for all subgroups, such as chronically homeless, youth, domestic violence victims, families with children, veterans, young people aging out of homelessness, etc.
Once we know how big the problem is, we have to think about possible solutions. Nashville found that getting people into supportive, permanent housing, which offers individualized case management and wraparound services, is a first step.
No one expects you to go out there and take a homeless person off the street. But you can help.
First, learn about the issues surrounding homelessness. The best way to get an overall picture is by going to the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission, which aims to coordinate local efforts. Visit www.nashvillesroadhome.org and sign up for the newsletter and volunteer.
Judith Tackett is a free-lance writer based in Nashville. You can reach her at judy@tackettmedia.com.
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