By JEFFREY SMITH
Leader staff writer
Central Arkansas Team Care for the Homeless is working on homelessness in Cabot.
CATCH Cabot coordinator Allen Miller spoke about a need for a homeless shelter during the city council meeting Monday. He has been with the organization for 10 years.
“We have some homeless people camped out in Cabot, Austin and Ward areas. We are going to try and address the homeless problem in this three city area. We’re trying to get something established here — a facility or a building donated that we can open up as a camp shelter to get the people off the street and try to get them some help,” Miller said.
CATCH, a nonprofit organization, covers Lonoke, Pulaski, Prairie and Saline Counties. It provides substance-abuse services, behavioral health and counseling services, crisis intervention and emergency shelter.
Miller said CATCH is trying to get several organizations to work together with Housing and Urban Development funds to establish a shelter.
He said there is nothing in Cabot for the homeless. The closest day shelter is in North Little Rock.
Miller has seen seven homeless people scattered around Cabot. Some are camped at Walmart, Home Depot and at the City Hall Plaza flag poles.
“They don’t want to go to Little Rock because they don’t feel safe,” Miller said.
He said the homeless in Cabot are veterans and non-veterans. There are a lot of resources for veterans, but not for the non-veterans.
Some are transients and others are locals.
The homeless are usually individuals but some have families.
CATCH is working on a count to find out how many homeless are living in Cabot, Austin and Ward.
CATCH held a meeting on June 16 at the Cabot American Legion Post 71 with five churches and organizations attending to address homelessness in the city. The next meeting is at 9:30 a.m. July 29 (location to be determined).
“There is an interest to help. Hopefully we will get more people involved,” Miller said.
For more information Miller can be reached at the Cabot American Legion Post at (501) 203-5715.