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Salvation Army offers beacon to homeless

A help center at 1400 Fourth St. S is among a growing Pinellas effort to solve the problem.

By JON WILSON
Published March 16, 2005

ST. PETERSBURG - A Salvation Army project officially opening Thursday on Fourth Street S aims to reduce Pinellas County's homeless population, now estimated at 5,000 and growing.

Perhaps half that number live in St. Petersburg, officials think.

The Salvation Army's new one-stop resource and outreach center will provide centralized help that in the past has required homeless people to take often confusing trips around the county.

"They may not know how to get from one place to another, what order they do it in. Many of them are tired and they just give up," said Don Jones, director of social services for the Salvation Army's St. Petersburg command.

This navigate-the-system help is the latest element in a growing countywide effort.

In July, elected and administrative officials from cities and the county government began devising a 10-year plan they hope will end chronic homelessness and keep at-risk people from living on the streets.

One of the Homeless Policy Group's initiatives is Housing First, intended to find affordable places to live for the homeless and for people close to being so - and find it as an intervention rather than as an eventual goal.

"We're changing our whole philosophy about homelessness," said Virginia Littrell, one of two St. Petersburg City Council members serving on the policy group.

"The idea was a continuum: Ultimately, by the time you get through all these services, you would be ready for permanent housing. It occurs we have to provide housing some way, so why not provide it up front," Littrell said.

The other council member serving on the Homeless Policy Group is Jamie Bennett. County Commissioner Ken Welch, from St. Petersburg, also is a member.

Among others are School Board member Janet Clark; Don Shea, president and chief executive officer of St. Petersburg's Downtown Partnership; Karl Nurse, the Council of Neighborhood Associations president; Gary MacMath, Boley Centers executive director; Louis Murphy, pastor of Mount Zion Progressive Baptist Church; and Patricia Bailey-Snook, Pinellas Park City Council member.

Helping people become self-sufficient remains part of the equation. That's where the Salvation Army's center, at 1400 Fourth St. S, fits.

The faith-based program will offer individual case management, clothing, food, blankets, toiletries, life skills, education and employment counseling, and transportation, legal and Social Security help.

The center will offer voice mail, a mailbox with a physical address, and lockers for clothes and valuables. All are important for clients to develop a sense of stability.

"There are working homeless, but they don't have these simple things," Jones said.

An extensive partnership of agencies is driving the project. Among major participants so far are the Dream Center, Suncoast Center for Community Mental Health, St. Peter's Cathedral and the St. Petersburg Free Clinic.

Veterans Affairs, the Public Defender's Office, WorkNet and the county school district are getting ready to help, Salvation Army officials said.

Other churches and social service agencies have expressed interest. Participation from businesses would be welcome, officials said.

Many of the agencies will use space in a 4,000-square-foot room at the Salvation Army's Fourth Street S building. A modest lease arrangement will offset some costs, and organizers hope community donations will help when the center becomes well established.

The demand for services already is apparent.

Thursday's 11 a.m. ribbon-cutting will feature tours, refreshments and Salvation Army band music.

But a "soft" opening in January drew 26 people needing help. They were waiting in line before the doors opened.

[Last modified March 16, 2005, 01:32:17]