Feature writing 1 jump page 2014
1
The coverage area for the net- work spans the entire state of Texas, however, the field group gather information from all over Matagorda County to turn in to the THN. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, official state reports reveal women are the fastest growing segment of the homeless popu- lation and a recent report to the Texas Office for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth stated that more than 123,000 Texas youth would be homeless sometime during the year. The reality of the situation is further exasperated due to the nonexistence of shelters offering a safe place to stay in Matagorda County. This problem is most evident to law enforcement offi- cers who are on the streets and often the first to come across the homeless. “The mental health deputy has resources that the sheriff’s office can utilize if the situation involved homelessness due to a mental health related issue,” said Matagorda County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. James Orr. “Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church has been a very generous in helping when deal- ing with situations where indi- viduals are stranded for a short period of time where the church provides money for a motel room for a day or two.” “The Crisis Center is an asset that can be utilized in a situation where a female would be home- less due to a family violence incident or a situation to where children are involved, as well,” said Orr. “If it is mental health issues we try to have them evaluated and get them the help they need,” said Bay City Police Department Captain Robert Lister. “If it is in reference to an individual sleeping somewhere, we have called local hotels and motels to see if they would allow the individual to stay for a night or two free of charge.” “BCPD refers individuals to the EAC (Economic Action Committee),” said Lister. “We also refer them to Our Lady of Guadalupe as they have funding for hotel stays (usually one night). “If they are needing food they are referred to local food pantries such as the Harvest House, Methodist Church and Our Lady of Guadalupe,” said Lister. The Harte-Hanks Texas Poll reveals that approximately one- third of Texans think homeless people choose to live that lifestyle, simply don’t want to work or are just victims of bad luck. The same poll also revealed that 64 percent of black Texans and 59 percent of Hispanic Texans say it was a serious problem compared with 44 per- cent of Anglos. Matagorda County, unlike urban areas, lacks the resource infrastructure to provide prompt and comprehensive medical care to the homeless. With rural areas such as Matagorda County, there are higher rates of poverty with lim- ited opportunities to obtain affordable housing and similar limited transportation services for homeless individuals, which only magnifies the the risk of becoming homeless and staying that way. Although many of the local faith-based and community- based organizations have the potential to assist the homeless with temporary housing assis- tance and emergency food, there are currently no long-term sup- port services for the homeless once the services are depleted. Even though Matagorda County’s rural homelessness, like urban homelessness, is most often the result of obvious rea- sons such as poverty and a lack of affordable housing, there are a series of additional underlying factors that can also be con- ducive to the cause of homeless- ness such as substance abuse, domestic violence and mental illness. In addition, there are no home- less shelters in Matagorda County; therefore, people expe- riencing homelessness in this area sometimes feel mentally beat down and at the mercy of the elements, with no help in sight. Community leaders recognize the problem, but no funding is made available until a need is recognized; yet with homeless- ness, the need is difficult to gauge. “I believe that even one home- less person is a problem,” said Bay City Mayor Mark Bricker. “The solution to the homeless problem is complex, but as a community, living in the wealth- iest nation in the world, some- thing can be done,” said Bricker. Helping another human being, who suffers daily by having to live homeless, can make a dif- ference in the lives of Matagorda County’s most vul- nerable residents. “I feel like the homeless count is too low because it’s only done once a year and there are people hiding and aren’t counted,” said local community advocate and founder of I.M.P.A.C.T. Frankie Cole. “I’ve been meeting with some organizations in Bay City that have a passion for the homeless like I do and I have organized a 501c(3) organization called I.M.P.A.C.T. to try and do what we can about finding some kind of shelter for the homeless here,” said Cole. “I have been talking with other rural communities like ours and their funds are limited too, but they have organizations and churches that offer help to their homeless.” “Women’s shelters do what they can, but only if you are a battered individual and only a few local churches open their doors when it’s freezing out there and usually just refer most of them to shelters in Houston or just put them up in a motel for a couple of days, which doesn’t help because they have nowhere to go afterwards,” said Cole. “There are so many homeless that just go to jail because they don’t have anywhere to go and when they get out, they commit some petty crime just to go back for a place to sleep. “Even though most organiza- tions offer temporary hotel rooms and the Salvation Army provides limited resources, their funds are limited and we are still in need of a homeless shel- ter because they are going back out into the street every time,” said Cole. “I believe the community suf- fers as well because we have a higher crime rate and a revolv- ing door in the jail and prison system because of it. I have seen plenty of theft, pan han- dling, prostitution, drug sales and much more that these peo- ple are doing just to get a hotel for the night or food to eat for a day. “It’s a sad situation that our community is turning a blind eye to this problem but we need to open our eyes and do some- thing now. We need to get together and make some changes to help these people who need it,” said Cole. Awareness is the first step and by focusing all our local viable resources on ending the home- less problem, the community as a whole, can make tangible progress toward eliminating the homeless problem in Matagorda County. 8A ■ Sunday, June 29, 2014 BAY CITY TRIBUNE ■ baycitytribune.com THIS IS D.Q. COUNTRY SPECIAL We Now Accept Visa & Mastercard 2921 7th St. 245-7358 Hwy. 35 West 245-9101 Palacios, Tx 215 Henderson 361-972-2554 Gift Cards Available GOOD FOOD SERVED FRESH! Hours: Open Daily 10:00A.M. - 11:00 P.M. B B e e e e f f T T a a c c o o S S a a l l a a d d & & 2 2 1 1 o o z z . . D D r r i i n n k k $ $ 6 6 6 9 9 9 9 9 9 O O f f f f e e r r G G o o o o d d F F r r o o m m : : 0 0 6 6 - - 3 3 0 0 - - 1 1 4 4 t t h h r r u u 0 0 7 7 - - 1 1 3 3 - - 1 1 4 4 Name: ________ ______________ Address: ______ ______________ Phone: ________ Name: ________ ______________ Address: ______ ______________ Phone: ________ Name: ________ ______________ Address: ______ ______________ Phone: ________ Splashway Funday Contest 2014 Subscribe to The Bay City Tribune home delivery service between July 1st - July 31st and be entered for a chance to win: 1. Purchase or renew a home delivery subscription to The Bay City Tribune between July 1 - July 31, 2014. 3 months - $18, 6 months - $29, 12 months $53 2. Increase chances of winning by subscribing for more than 3 months. 3. Drop off or mail completed form(s) to: The Bay City Tribune 2901 Carey Smith Blvd., Bay City, Texas 77414 4. At noon on July 31st 20 names will be drawn as semifinalists. At 3:00 p.m. that same day one lucky semi-finalist will be selected at random to receive the Funday Package. 4 SPLASHWAY TICKETS 1 HEB $50 GIFT CARD 1 38qt IGLOO COOLER IT’S THE PERFECT WAY TO BEAT THE HEAT WHILE HAVING SOME FAMILY FUN! Official Rules: 3 Months - $ 18 = 1 Entry • 6 Months $ 29 = 2 Entries • 12 Months $ 53 = 3 Entries BAY CITY HOMELESS CONTINUED FROM P AGE 1A Texans to do their part to help keep our roadways safe during the holiday,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “Individuals should always designate a sober driver or find other means of transportation if they plan to drink alcohol. During the holiday, DPS troopers will be performing increased patrols aimed at pro- tecting all travelers and remov- ing dangerous drivers from the road.” The increased patrols that target impaired driving are funded through a grant from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). During the 2013 July 4th enforcement effort, DPS troopers made 1,124 DWI arrests, and 173 of those arrests were the direct result of the increased patrols. During this period, DPS enforcement also resulted in 720 fugitive arrests, 602 felony arrests, more than 15,700 speeding citations and more than 2,400 seat belt/child safety seat cita- tions. According to state statistics, approximately every 20 min- utes in Texas, someone is hurt or killed in an alcohol-related crash. For some alternative transportation options, visit www.SoberRides.org. PATROLS CONTINUED FROM P AGE 3A
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Transcript of Feature writing 1 jump page 2014
The coverage area for the net-work spans the entire state ofTexas, however, the field groupgather information from all overMatagorda County to turn in tothe THN.According to the National
Alliance to End Homelessness,official state reports revealwomen are the fastest growingsegment of the homeless popu-lation and a recent report to theTexas Office for the Educationof Homeless Children andYouth stated that more than123,000 Texas youth would behomeless sometime during theyear.The reality of the situation is
further exasperated due to thenonexistence of shelters offeringa safe place to stay inMatagordaCounty. This problem is mostevident to law enforcement offi-cers who are on the streets andoften the first to come across thehomeless.
“The mental health deputyhas resources that the sheriff’soffice can utilize if the situationinvolved homelessness due to amental health related issue,”said Matagorda CountySheriff’s Office Sgt. James Orr.“Our Lady of GuadalupeCatholic Church has been a verygenerous in helping when deal-ing with situations where indi-viduals are stranded for a shortperiod of time where the churchprovides money for a motelroom for a day or two.”“The Crisis Center is an asset
that can be utilized in a situationwhere a female would be home-less due to a family violenceincident or a situation to wherechildren are involved, as well,”said Orr.“If it is mental health issues
we try to have them evaluatedand get them the help theyneed,” said Bay City PoliceDepartment Captain RobertLister. “If it is in reference to anindividual sleeping somewhere,we have called local hotels andmotels to see if they wouldallow the individual to stay for anight or two free of charge.”
“BCPD refers individuals tothe EAC (Economic ActionCommittee),” said Lister. “Wealso refer them to Our Lady ofGuadalupe as they have fundingfor hotel stays (usually onenight).“If they are needing food they
are referred to local foodpantries such as the HarvestHouse, Methodist Church andOur Lady of Guadalupe,” saidLister.The Harte-Hanks Texas Poll
reveals that approximately one-third of Texans think homelesspeople choose to live thatlifestyle, simply don’t want towork or are just victims of badluck.The same poll also revealed
that 64 percent of black Texansand 59 percent of HispanicTexans say it was a seriousproblem compared with 44 per-cent of Anglos.Matagorda County, unlike
urban areas, lacks the resourceinfrastructure to provide promptand comprehensive medicalcare to the homeless.With rural areas such as
Matagorda County, there arehigher rates of poverty with lim-ited opportunities to obtainaffordable housing and similarlimited transportation servicesfor homeless individuals, whichonly magnifies the the risk ofbecoming homeless and stayingthat way.Although many of the local
faith-based and community-
based organizations have thepotential to assist the homelesswith temporary housing assis-tance and emergency food, thereare currently no long-term sup-port services for the homelessonce the services are depleted.Even though Matagorda
County’s rural homelessness,like urban homelessness, is mostoften the result of obvious rea-sons such as poverty and a lackof affordable housing, there are aseries of additional underlyingfactors that can also be con-ducive to the cause of homeless-ness such as substance abuse,domestic violence and mentalillness.In addition, there are no home-
less shelters in MatagordaCounty; therefore, people expe-riencing homelessness in thisarea sometimes feel mentallybeat down and at the mercy ofthe elements, with no help insight.Community leaders recognize
the problem, but no funding ismade available until a need isrecognized; yet with homeless-ness, the need is difficult togauge.“I believe that even one home-
less person is a problem,” saidBay City Mayor Mark Bricker.“The solution to the homeless
problem is complex, but as acommunity, living in the wealth-iest nation in the world, some-thing can be done,” said Bricker.Helping another human being,
who suffers daily by having to
live homeless, can make a dif-ference in the lives ofMatagorda County’s most vul-nerable residents.“I feel like the homeless count
is too low because it’s only doneonce a year and there are peoplehiding and aren’t counted,” saidlocal community advocate andfounder of I.M.P.A.C.T. FrankieCole.“I’ve been meeting with some
organizations in Bay City thathave a passion for the homelesslike I do and I have organized a501c(3) organization calledI.M.P.A.C.T. to try and do whatwe can about finding some kindof shelter for the homelesshere,” said Cole.“I have been talking with
other rural communities likeours and their funds are limitedtoo, but they have organizationsand churches that offer help totheir homeless.”“Women’s shelters do what
they can, but only if you are abattered individual and only afew local churches open theirdoors when it’s freezing outthere and usually just refer mostof them to shelters in Houstonor just put them up in a motelfor a couple of days, whichdoesn’t help because they havenowhere to go afterwards,” saidCole.“There are so many homeless
that just go to jail because they
don’t have anywhere to go andwhen they get out, they commitsome petty crime just to go backfor a place to sleep.“Even though most organiza-
tions offer temporary hotelrooms and the Salvation Armyprovides limited resources, theirfunds are limited and we arestill in need of a homeless shel-ter because they are going backout into the street every time,”said Cole.“I believe the community suf-
fers as well because we have ahigher crime rate and a revolv-ing door in the jail and prisonsystem because of it. I haveseen plenty of theft, pan han-dling, prostitution, drug salesand much more that these peo-ple are doing just to get a hotelfor the night or food to eat for aday.“It’s a sad situation that our
community is turning a blindeye to this problem but we needto open our eyes and do some-thing now. We need to gettogether and make somechanges to help these peoplewho need it,” said Cole.Awareness is the first step and
by focusing all our local viableresources on ending the home-less problem, the community asa whole, can make tangibleprogress toward eliminating thehomeless problem inMatagorda County.
8A � Sunday, June 29, 2014 BAY CITY TRIBUNE � baycitytribune.com
THIS IS D.Q. COUNTRY SPECIAL
We Now Accept Visa & Mastercard2921 7th St.245-7358
Hwy. 35 West245-9101
Palacios, Tx215 Henderson361-972-2554
Gift Cards Available
GOOD FOOD SERVED FRESH!
Hours: Open Daily10:00 A.M. - 11:00 P.M.
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Splashway FundayContest 2014
Subscribe to The Bay City Tribune home deliveryservice between July 1st - July 31st and be
entered for a chance to win:
1. Purchase or renew a home delivery subscription to The Bay City Tribune between July 1 - July 31, 2014.3 months - $18, 6 months - $29, 12 months $532. Increase chances of winning by subscribing for more than 3months.3. Drop off or mail completed form(s) to:The Bay City Tribune2901 Carey Smith Blvd., Bay City, Texas 774144. At noon on July 31st 20 names will be drawn as semifinalists.At 3:00 p.m. that same day one lucky semi-finalist will be selectedat random to receive the Funday Package.
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Official Rules:
3 Months - $18 = 1 Entry • 6 Months $29 = 2 Entries • 12 Months $53 = 3 Entries
BAY
CITY
HOMELESSCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
Texans to do their part to helpkeep our roadways safe duringthe holiday,” said DPSDirector Steven McCraw.“Individuals should alwaysdesignate a sober driver or findother means of transportationif they plan to drink alcohol.During the holiday, DPStroopers will be performingincreased patrols aimed at pro-tecting all travelers and remov-ing dangerous drivers from theroad.”The increased patrols that
target impaired driving arefunded through a grant fromthe Texas Department ofTransportation (TxDOT).During the 2013 July 4thenforcement effort, DPStroopers made 1,124 DWIarrests, and 173 of thosearrests were the direct result ofthe increased patrols. Duringthis period, DPS enforcementalso resulted in 720 fugitivearrests, 602 felony arrests,more than 15,700 speedingcitations and more than 2,400seat belt/child safety seat cita-tions.According to state statistics,
approximately every 20 min-utes in Texas, someone is hurtor killed in an alcohol-relatedcrash. For some alternativetransportation options, visitwww.SoberRides.org.
PATROLSCONTINUED FROM PAGE 3A
