Homeless in Kirksville

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Kirksville resident Brendan Harris, then 13-years-old, found himself homeless in 2007. For the first few weeks he slept on a "comfortable" bench in Jaycee Park, until it snowed and he snuck into buildings to stay warm. He remained homeless until March 2010 when he moved in with his girlfriend's family.

Kirksville resident Sally Carter is in the process of creating a place for people like Harris to find refuge­—Kirksville's first homeless shelter.    

Carter said she formed the board of directors and bylaws at the end of 2010 and is in the "slow" process of applying for grants, including a couple she found through the United States Department of Agriculture. She said she hopes it will be open in late 2011.

Carter said she has talked with K-REDI, the downtown improvement committee, the sheriffs office, police department, city planners and the city manager and everyone has been interested in pursuing a shelter.

Ideally, the facility would have a room for men, one for women and a for families, beginning with 10 total beds to meet the immediate needs of the community, she said.

Carter said homeless shelters generally don't exist in rural areas because the homeless in rural areas aren't as visible. This is because they are sheltered homeless or people who have a shelter like a car, tent or friend's home, she said.  

"We got a call about a pregnant mother and her 5-year-old daughter was found sleeping in their car, because they had nowhere to go," Carter said. "And then we found a gentleman who had a pick—up truck and he was sleeping in the back of it and that was the only place he had to go. And its cold. We were able to find them a little bit of assistance, but not the kind we would like."

After a couple of weeks of living on the streets, Harris started bunking with friends. That became his main form of survival for the next three years.

Harris said he became homeless due to family issues.

Before he was on his own, he lived in a trailer with his parents for seven years with a wood-burning stove for heat and no running water, he said.

In 2009, the percentage of people living in poverty in Adair County was 23.4 percent compared to the state and national average of 14.6 and 14.3 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Penny Miles, executive director at Northeast Missouri Community Action Agency, said there are many reasons that lead to poverty or homelessness including medical bills and drug issues.

Harris said the shelter was a good idea as long as the people running it care about the people in the shelter and the people staying there had to work there.

"If you really think about it you have two different kinds of [homeless] people," Harris said. "You have people who are aggressive toward the situation and want to do something about it, then you've got the people who are milking it and people who just want to live off people giving them money for the rest of their lives and I don't do well with handouts. It just doesn't suit me very well."

Carter said that at her proposed homeless shelter the residents will work for their food and housing by doing chores around the shelter.  

"If you come and check in with us, there are chores to do," Carter said. "If someone comes, and maybe they need $50 to pay a gas bill, an electric bill or buy food or whatever that's great. Minimum wage is $7.25 an hour and you will work the 6 or however many hours and I will give you the $50."

Harris said if he had any advice for someone who was homeless it would be to stay warm, fed and out of trouble.

"Think of it this way — you're hungry. You have no money and no place to go," he said. "Where's warm and where's food? A gas station. You have no money so how do you plan on paying for your food? Whenever that person catches you — that's a crime."

"They are going to call the cops," Harris said. "They are going to send you to jail. That then goes on your record but that's not a good place to go. But just as well, as anybody I've ever met would say that's ‘three hots and a cot.' It's three square meals a day and a place to lay your head. It's not a place I would want to go and it's not a place I would recommend anyone go."

He also said he used the Salvation Army and Outreach Mission to get cheap clothes so he could stay warm. He said he could get a bag of shirts and a bag of pants for $.25 and $1 each.

Miles said there also are  resources to help families pay for utilities, keep cars running and with home improvement in Adair county through the NMCAA.

Harris said he is "just really happy right now." He has his own apartment, a wife, a child and owns his own car detailing business.

(Additional reporting by Katherine Olsen Flaate.)