The issue of homelessness in the community will be the focus of an upcoming event hosted by Ross County Community Action.
According the county’s Point in Time count for 2019, on any given night in Ross County, at least 57 individuals can be found sleeping at the local homeless shelter, or in a place not meant for human habitation, such as the inside of a vehicle, or even outside.
In addition to adults, a total of 407 within the Chillicothe City School District are also dealing with homelessness, meaning they lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence, which includes a living shelter.
To raise community awareness of the issue and extend an offer of assistance to those dealing with homelessness, Ross County Community Action will host its “One Night Without a Home” next Friday, November 8th. It coincides with National Homeless Youth Awareness Month.
The event will take place from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Ross County Recovery Center, located at 300 E. 2nd Street in Chillicothe, behind Crispie Crème Donuts. It’ll offer a free meal courtesy of Five Loaves Family Ministry and resources to those in need.
Ross County Community Action will be accepting donations from the community for Friday’s “One Night Without a Home” starting Friday, November 1st at its office at 250 North Woodbridge Avenue in Chillicothe.
Representatives will be accepting donations of gloves, hats, socks, winter coats, tents, tarps, monetary donations and hand warmers. Monetary donations will be used to purchase bus tokens to help local homeless individuals with transportation needs.
If you’d like more information on the November 8th “One Night Without a Home”, or would like more information on how to donated to the cause, simply contact Ross County Community Action at 740-702-7222.
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In a related note, a memorial 5K to benefit homeless veterans will be taking place Saturday, November 2nd in Ross County. The Dennis Simpson Memorial Walk for Homeless Veterans will take place at the Forrest E. Everhart Memorial Golf Course on the campus of the VA Medical Affairs Center in Chillicothe.
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Ray Pryor is a founding and current board member for Veterans In Transition Inc., the non-profit organization sponsoring the event, says registration for the memorial walk begins at 9am on Saturday, and related fees can be paid at that time