Homeless count nears in Branson area

This site is where homeless people sleep at night in downtown Branson.
submitted photo

By Mindy Honey
Society Editor

Erica Dixon volunteered to help during a street count of homeless people in Taney County last summer.

Dixon works at Church Army Branson and through her work, sees people struggling with addictions all the time, but said the count last summer was an eye-opener.

“I was amazed at how ignorant I was about what was going on in our own town,” Dixon said.

Dixon was part of a group of people who searched the Forsyth, Rockaway Beach and Taneyville areas for people who were homeless.

While driving through Forsyth, she said, they saw a man riding a bicycle and knew right away it was his only mode of transportation.

“He lived out in Rockaway Beach,” Dixon said.

The man lived in a mobile home with no electricity and no running water.

“His wife had died and she was his main source of income,” she said.

Dixon saw the man was given a list of resources and a backpack filled with various food and hygiene items, as well as a ride to a free hot meal that night.

“He was my buddy,” she said. “He touched my heart.”

Dixon said the man was not alone in his situation.

Since that time, Dixon has seen many other camps where people live, especially in the Branson area.

“We are talking right off the main strip,” she said. “These people are working, but they can’t afford to live.

“I realized the wages didn’t match up to the cost of living here.”

Dixon said the main reason she volunteered for the count and will once again help with the count on July 29 in Taney County, is to help raise awareness.

“There are so many people that want to turn a blind eye to it,” she said. “They don’t want to think these things happen here.”

The homeless count, known as the Point in Time Count, is sponsored by the Governor’s Committee to End Homelessness. Each year in January and again in July, volunteers spend one day canvassing the county searching for people who are homeless. They look for people living under bridges or in the woods, cars or tents, as well as those who call weekly rental hotels home.

“The Point in Time Count gives communities a better understanding of the scope of the homeless problem in their area and the opportunity to obtain current and accurate data on the number and characteristics of homeless individuals and families,” said Christopher Welch, who works for Church Army Branson and helps organize the count. “The information gathered helps justify requests for assistance at local, state and federal levels.”

Since January 2008, hundreds of people have been found to be homeless. Church Army Branson has served as the lead organization of the Taney County count.

Locally, Welch uses the information from the count to generate awareness of the problem. He said even though the July count will be his fourth count to help conduct, there are still many people unaware Taney County has a homeless problem.

“They can’t believe there are people living in tents,” he said. “But, it is there. It is growing and it is not going away.”