PATH Conference kicks off in Columbus, provides assistance to homeless - WRBL

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) – The Project Assistance to Transition from Homelessness (PATH) Conference began successful Columbus connected Tuesday greeting with a kickoff lawsuit astatine Safehouse Ministries. According to Drew Johnson, a Case Manager astatine Safehouse Ministries, determination are presently a full of 244 stateless individuals successful Columbus. 

The kickoff lawsuit provided the stateless successful the assemblage with respective escaped services and items similar haircuts and feminine products. Homeless individuals besides had the accidental to registry successful the stateless database that provides them with accusation astir the resources disposable successful the community. 

According to Meredith McGowan, the Behavioral Health Hospital Transition Specialist with the Department of Behavioral Health of Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), determination are PATH teams each implicit the authorities lasting down to homelessness. 

“There are resources disposable and determination are ways that everybody tin help. What we privation to bash is beryllium successful the assemblage and perceive what the stateless colonisation needs and collaborate with each of the assemblage partners to supply those services,” said McGowan. 

During the two-day conference, stateless individuals tin enactment successful workshops and question antithetic resources similar intelligence wellness and substance maltreatment services. The Georgia Department of Public Health volition besides beryllium administering Flu and COVID-19 vaccines successful their mobile unit. 

The lawsuit made it imaginable for individuals similar Raymond Ness to question assets assistance successful the community. 

Ness is primitively from Cleveland, Ohio and walked for implicit 4 months earlier yet stopping successful Columbus. Ness said helium was truthful grief stricken aft the passing of his woman and lad pursuing a fatal car mishap that helium conscionable began to locomotion without a destination. 

“After the wreck I conscionable couldn’t beryllium astatine home,” said Ness. 

Ness said helium near each his belongings down successful Ohio and does not presently person a conveyance oregon location and helium intends to question backmost to California wherever helium is primitively from. When Ness spoke to WRBL helium was missing immoderate funds for the autobus summons backmost to California. After proceeding Ness’ story, a curate astatine Safehouse Ministries donated to his question money and Ness volition beryllium returning to his home. 

“I’m grateful everybody is present contiguous due to the fact that it allows america to unfastened our eyes and spot that determination are opportunities for us. We don’t person to conscionable consciousness useless oregon similar we don’t exist, we’re not invisible,” said Ness.