CLARKSVILLE, TN − Montgomery County Democratic Party members joined Clarksville Area Urban Ministries to assist the homeless population on Jan. 20 at the emergency warming shelter at Madison Street United Methodist Church, according to a news release.
“We have an area where people can eat, socialize, and watch television,” said Charlie Howell, a local volunteer. “Our goal is to provide a safe, warm environment to our unhoused clients, making sure they have a safe environment to spend the night.”
The shelter fed and housed 89 people, giving them a much-needed respite from the frigid cold outside. As the temperatures drop, this shelter will be heavily relied upon by those without homes, the news release said.
“We live in a society in which the rising prices in housing causes people to become unhoused,” said Charles Uffelman, political director of the Tennessee Legislative Democratic Caucus, said in the release. “There is a lot more we can do, but this meets the immediate needs.”
The shelter has given officials such as state Rep. Ronnie Glynn insight into this growing issue.
“Places like these are such a valuable resource to the community. There are so many homeless folks in the state of Tennessee that we have to do better by providing facilities that have the resources they need,” Glynn said in the release. “From a state perspective, we have to ask what we are doing, how we can do better, and how we make sure we are providing the necessary resources.”
Anyone interested in volunteering or donating to Urban Minis can find more information at https://clarksvilleurbanministries.com/.