Jimmy is 69 years old. He’s worked all his life, and is a military veteran, but now, at retirement age, he is living in a tent in the woods. [video link] Jimmy says that he’s eligible for Social Security, but doesn’t have the identification he needs, including his DD214, to … > read more
From News-Record.com, 04/20/2009: No injuries were reported when a fire broke out in a trailer today. The fire was reported about 12:20 p.m. Monday in an empty mobile home at 1727 W. Lee St., about a block east of the Greensboro Coliseum. The cause of the fire is under investigation. … > read more
From an instant message conversation with my best friend and ministry partner, Audrie Keen, thinking about yesterday when we were at the Salvation Army store, loading the truck for NightWatch, street outreach to the homeless: Here’s a good moment: Yesterday when I left the Army, my hands were filthy. Like … > read more
This morning, Audrie and I left Green Bean and walked across the street to Panhandler’s Park to sit and plan what all we had to do today to get ready for NightWatch tonight. But when we walked up the sidewalk, I noticed right away that something was missing — all … > read more
On NightWatch; 2nd stop, 1st fight; biggest group I’ve seen at that camp area; new faces; tense truce as we left; at another camp now
Sent this message to our NightWatch team today: The WE program emergency winter shelter ended today. NightWatch should see more people on the street from now through next winter. The number of unsheltered homeless people has increased dramatically from last year. Greensboro Urban Ministry is seeing an increase of 30-40% … > read more
03/15/2008: “The cold weather shelter programs at both homeless shelters ended yesterday…” Every year, Greensboro Urban Ministry and Salvation Army open winter emergency overflow programs, in addition to their year-round shelter beds, to keep homeless people from freezing to death sleeping outside. And every year, those winter shelter programs close … > read more
Driving to Community Dinner at Grace, a train passed by on the bridge over my head at Fulton Street. I knew that James would be seeing it soon. It always makes me feel connected to him when I watch the trains go by on the way to the bridge where … > read more
A homeless man, Ronald Wrenn, was hit by a car on Friday night while crossing South Eugene Street on his way to the Salvation Army Center of Hope’s emergency overflow night shelter. He died shortly afterward** at Moses Cone Hospital. I found out just after it happened from our church’s … > read more
On Wednesday, January 28th, the Homeless Prevention Coalition of Guilford County conducted its annual Point in Time Count, a nation-wide count of the homeless mandated by the Department of Housing and Development. The yearly census, conducted over a 24-hour period each January, helps determine the funding that each community receives … > read more