A lot of progress in terms of addressing homelessness locally has been made in recent years, however, there is still so much work to be done according to members of the Emporia Homelessness Advisory Board.
Those thoughts were shared by members of the board during a presentation to the Emporia City Commission on Wednesday afternoon. Board Chair Raymond Rogers says progress is not something that will occur overnight, it will be a slow and methodical process but they are seeing signs of success.
That said, Rogers noted several challenges continue to hinder their efforts, namely low interaction between unhoused individuals, the board and their various community partners.
In terms of overcoming this hurdle, Rogers says trust building and visibility will be of the utmost importance in the coming months.
Audio PlayerOn a positive note, Rogers gave credit to many of the community partners who have teamed up with the board over the last few years calling them an invaluable resource in more ways than one. Rogers noted one of the biggest advantages to these community partnerships is those partners’ opportunity to apply for grant funding to assist with various initiatives noting the advisory board itself is not able to pursue grant funding.
Audio PlayerAmong the many community partners recognized by Rogers Wednesday are the Emporia Police Department, which was represented by Sgt. Dominick Vortherms Wednesday, Crosswinds Counseling and Wellness represented by Joe Reed and Healthier Lyon County and the United Way of the Flint Hills represented by Food Secure Communities Coordinator Jessica Reth. During Wednesday’s presentation, Reth reported to commissioners that the board is in the process of developing two events for later this year that will address two demographics in the community, those experiencing homelessness and those at risk of experiencing it.
Audio PlayerReth says dates for these events are currently pending as they are still in the early development stages.
