I’ve been reading News & Record reporter and blogger (here, here) Lex Alexander’s recent articles on veterans’ issues. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans reports that, “[c]onservatively, one out of every three homeless men who is sleeping in a doorway, alley or box in our cities and rural communities has … > read more
The Point in Time Count is a tally of who is homeless on a given night and provides a snapshot of who experiences homelessness throughout the year. The count is a one day, statistically reliable, unduplicated count of sheltered and unsheltered homeless individuals and families in each county. More info, … > read more
There was a tent fire last night in a homeless camp near downtown Greensboro. One of the men who lived at the camp was seriously burned and also has inhalation injuries. He’s in the burn unit at Baptist Hospital. Above are some of the photos that I took at the … > read more
Are the holidays a “gold rush” for the homeless and hungry? That’s the question YES! Weekly’s John Kirby sought to answer as he became a panhandler for a day. Kirby writes about the world of the chronically homeless in Greensboro: hanging on the block, at Lee and Eugene; lunch at … > read more
Needle exchange programs are proven to lower the rate of HIV infection among intravenous drug users. Providing free condoms also helps prevent HIV infection. And needles and condoms cost less than AIDS treatment. But some people argue that offering needles and condoms implies approval of wrong behavior. Studies show that … > read more
Jeff Phillips, one of the drivers and leaders for NightWatch, talks about serving the homeless in this story on WFMY by photojournalist Steve Hofbauer.
One of the most common problems I hear about from unsheltered homeless people in Greensboro is the lack of access to a bathroom. No home = no bathroom. Often, homeless people are barred from using bathrooms in businesses. So they have to go outside. And that frequently leads to a … > read more
A freelance reporter and an intern for YES! Weekly were downtown this afternoon, working on a story about homelessness and panhandling. Apparently, they planned to do some reality reporting, aka “undercover.” But they soon attracted the attention of local law enforcement. My source reports that, among other things, the pair … > read more
From Marshall, at Joy in the Margins: “Diane pulled up to the house and I could tell she was upset (the tears gave it away). When I asked her what happened, she told me that as she was putting up a sign for our yard sale, a homeless woman who … > read more