READING, Pa.- Outreach groups have boots on the ground in the Reading area to help the homeless in the dangerous cold.
“We say it all the time; you are only one bad day away from being right where these folks are,” said Jared Stump, an outreach specialist with the Veteran’s Multiservice Center.
Stump is part of a street team focusing on ministering to folks who are homeless.
“We really try to engage directly with the campsites, with the individuals who have tents set up, those living in store fronts because we realize even having our offices in the city, it’s not always accessible to the folks who quite literally have nothing,” Stump said.
He says in the last year they’ve gotten a lot more support from the city, but more work needs to be done.
“Until we get things like additional shelter space and a day center, we’re going to be woefully underprepared for seasons like this when it’s extremely cold or, God forbid, a severe weather event,” explained Stump.
“The homelessness crisis has definitely gotten more complicated for a lot of factors,” said Jack Gombach, managing director for the City of Reading. “[Things like] affordability; you’ve had a lot of federal changes and guidelines on how some of these funds can be utilized.”
He says the city is partnering with organizations and even other communities to learn best practices and work on a plan.
“The mayor has made it very clear this is a priority that we need to address,” Gombach said. “It’s something we need to take seriously, and we’ve already started planning for next winter.”
“Obviously there’s people with severe mental health issues, there’s people who are struggling with drug and alcohol, but predominantly what we’re seeing is people who are being priced out of living,” added Stump.