City of Jackson, MS

06/14/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/14/2022 11:39

City of Jackson Teaming Up With Media, Nonprofits, and Health Agencies in Outreach to the Homeless

For Immediate Release:

June 14, 2022
The city of Jackson teaming up with media, nonprofits, and health agencies in outreach to the homeless
(Jackson, Miss.) - The City of Jackson's Office of Housing and Community Development in conjunction with the media, nonprofits, and local health agencies will team up Friday to provide the homeless population with a variety of medical and social services - including immediate housing.
The outreach teams, which include the Stewpot Community Services and the Central MS 500 Continuum of Care, will focus their efforts at The Old Metro Inn on Highway 80 West where they will provide intake for homeless individuals to get them in immediate housing and also provide supportive services.
"This is a bold and humane way to give our homeless population the medical treatment and care they need in an attempt to reintegrate them into society," said Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba. "I want to thank all of those who are participating in this and other outreach efforts. It is one thing to talk about the homeless problem; it is another to roll up your sleeves and effort to make a difference."
The Jackson Free Clinic will provide blood pressure and glucose testing and COVID-19 boosters and/or vaccines. Jackson Hinds Comprehensive Health will conduct HIV testing. Hinds Behavioral Health will provide community support, assessments, and mental health services and Harbor House will be available for in-house treatment of clients ready to enter immediately.
In celebration of the 26th Nexstar Founder's Day, staff with WJTV News plan to have a cookout to feed the homeless and pass out toiletry bags. The Founder's Day of Caring is an annual event where employees donate their time to help benefit the communities they serve.
The outreach follows a similar City-led event last week in which officials with Housing and Community Development and Stewpot set up an onsite tent at the abandoned Briarwood One building and helped to transport homeless individuals to a motel for temporary shelter. The teams also provided mental health and crisis counseling, job training and placement, assessments, and substance abuse treatment.
The Jackson Police Department and Hinds County Sheriff's Office will be onsite.