For anyone who is not aware, Shelbyville has a facility known as the C.R.O.S.S. Shelter Project which was started to address the homelessness in our community. Recently, we had a few fundraisers in which some individuals shared some unpleasant comments to some of our guests and volunteers. One man walked by our booth and rudely said to a volunteer, "Get a job!" The person he was speaking to is employed with Tyson.

Also, another lady commented that she couldn't understand how anyone could be homeless. Most people may assume that drug or alcohol addictions and mental illness are the only reasons that people become homeless, but I'd like to share with you some other reasons our guests have experienced.

Illness -- When you are single and get very ill, it doesn't take long to lose your job and then your housing. We had a young man in his twenties this happened to, but with our help offering him a place to stay while starting over, he has obtained housing now for over a year and a half. Recently we had a single mom with 2 teenage girls who got a blood clot in her heart and spent a month in the hospital. This resulted in her homelessness and unemployment. It takes time to look for employment and save up for housing, so the CROSS gave her a place to stay with her daughters until she could make it on her own again.

Divorce -- Several of our guests have come to us because they can no longer stay in their homes because of divorce. One woman had not worked in over 30 years since she was a housewife. Another guests was working with a local grocery store for over 20 years. He had been severely injured at work and while on workman's comp, his wife divorced him. She let him stay in the home because of his injuries. He did go back to work and rented a room from his wife until her boyfriend she moved in kicked him out at midnight on a Thanksgiving night. This man was a hardworking individual, working over 20 years at a local grocery store, but just had two unfortunate situations, an unhappy wife and a severe injury, which led to his homelessness.

Death of a parent -- We have some of our guests become homeless when their parent they were living with passed and they were paying the rent. One guest was disabled and could not live on his own yet because his disability income had not started. We were able to help him apply for housing at a local apartment complex for only disabled persons. Another man had to be his mother's caregiver until she past, but then needed a place to live while he looked for employment and saved for housing. He was able to apply and received an apartment with Shelbyville Housing authority.

Relocating -- Some individuals have come to Shelbyville to live with someone who promised them a place to stay. When things didn't work out, they are now homeless. also, some thought they were coming for employment, but discovered that the job opportunity fell through. We have helped some return to where they used to live, but others we have helped start over.

Unkind landlords -- We have had guests who have become homeless because their landlord sold the property and did not give them sufficient time to vacate the property. Some landlords are raising the rent so high that they were unable to afford the rent any longer.

C.R.O.S.S. is a program that allows individuals another chance. We assist them with obtaining identification if needed to secure employment, and birth certificates to apply for housing. We also help with work uniforms/shoes as well. We cannot assist all the homeless in our community, but we are helping many men, women, and families who qualify for our project. However, we do try to help those who do not qualify to stay with us in any way we can, such as allowing them to shower, feed them a meal, and assist with other resources. We have expanded our facility to also include the house next door as a transitional home.

You can play a big part In helping by getting involved in some way.

Of course, your financial support is needed to help us help others. It is our hope that many of the local churches, businesses, and individuals support us in some way. Financial gifts can be mailed to P.O. Box 256, Shelbyville, TN 37160 or you may give online at crossshelter.org.

Other donations such as food, furniture and household items are also needed at the shelter and to help our guests furnish their new homes when they complete our project.

If you would like to serve in some way, stop by our shelter at 116 Hickory Drive, and fill out one of our volunteer forms. In order to help the mentally ill who are homeless, please contact your legislators to write a law that would require individuals who receive disability from Social Security for a mental illness to have a payee in the state of Tennessee. Support your local drug and alcohol prevention coalitions which will in the long run help reduce the homelessness for individuals who were previous users. Most importantly, please pray for wisdom for community and religious leaders and resources to help overcome homelessness.