The Athens Area Homeless Shelter will host its annual Harvest for the Homeless event Friday at the Classic Center.
Gaylon Gene Vaden is a former cancer survivor and homeless man. He says he understands why people are homeless today, and he believes people have the wrong impression of homeless people.
“I think the media…they’re wrong” – Vaden
Vader says, that homeless people are good people. According to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs thousands sleep homeless each night, and the number is going down.
” On the night of January 26, 2015 at least 13,790 people were literally homeless in Georgia – a 19% decrease from 2013. Just 42% were unsheltered; the other 58% were in emergency or transitional housing.Event tickets are 50-dollars each. Fifty percent of the income they raise” – GA Dept of Community Affairs
Athens Area Homeless Shelter is working to reduce this number even more.
“We work collaboratively to move forward” – Katie Farmer, Assistant Director of Athens Area Homeless Shelter
Katie says that fifty percent of the income Athens Area Homeless Shelter receives is grant income. The money raised goes to helping women and children. She says fundraisers like Harvest for the Homeless could be the difference between a place to live and a place to call home.
Since 2011 the amount of unsheltered people continually decreased. The next unsheltered count will take place in January of 2017.
By: LaPorsche Thomas and Brittany
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