Right Now Downtown

Jim Rose, Outreach Specialist for Capital Crossroads & Discovery Special Improvement Districts, was honored on Monday by the Community Shelter Board with their Hero Award. The Hero Award is presented to those who have made significant contributions through their work toward ending homelessness.

“We are honoring Jim because he has gone above and beyond his job expectations to help the Community Shelter Board with outreach and determining the issues with street homelessness as it pertains to the Central Point of Access,” said Michelle Heritage, Executive Director of the Community Shelter Board.

In his role as Outreach Specialist, Jim works in the downtown area to help connect individuals in need to those services required to move them into long-term permanent housing. Depending on the individual’s situation, Jim helps them connect with emergency shelters, medical providers, mental health services, employment programs, housing agencies, and emergency services, and offers help with identification documentation and more.

“I am like a walking Yellow Pages,” explains Jim. “Capital Crossroads & Discovery SIDs do not provide direct housing, I do not employ people, I am not a healthcare provider, but I get homeless individuals in touch with the right people and agencies that do, and advocate on their behalf.”

“I would not be able to help as many people as I have without the support of a lot of outside agencies.”

Jim knows that the downtown community is generous and wants to help with the problem of homelessness. If you would like to help to solve the problem of homelessness, Jim encourages you to do the following:

Do not give money to panhandlers. Many panhandlers are not homeless and are already connected to one resource or another. Often the money you give goes to “extracurricular” items that are not covered by those resources.

If you would like to give money, consider finding an agency to support with money or time. Jim recommends checking out The Street Card, a resource produced by the Columbus Coalition for the Homeless, an all-encompassing document listing agencies, drop-in centers, medical providers and more. It can be found at columbushomeless.org.

“If you give a dollar to a panhandler on the street, he could use it to buy a cup of coffee,” noted Jim. “That same dollar given to Faith Mission could almost feed someone an entire meal.”

Capital Crossroads & Discovery Special Improvement Districts are proud of Jim’s many successes in helping individuals in need, and congratulate him on his Hero Award.

Once again this fall, Capital Crossroads and Discovery Special Improvement Districts  coordinated the Toiletry Donation Drive, from October 14 – November 6.  This drive, in it’s 3rd year, is an effort to help the local downtown homeless shelters prepare for the winter months.  Homeless shelters enter a winter “overflow” mode from October through April, during which they accept all who come to their door and in turn are stretched beyond their capacity to provide a warm and safe environment for the homeless.

Through the Toiletry Donation Drive, Capital Crossroads and Discovery SIDs are able to provide much needed supplies to the downtown homeless shelters and help them get through the winter “overflow” months.  Requests were sent to the downtown workforce throughout the SID, requesting donations of unopened travel-sized toiletries, such as shampoo, conditionar, bars of soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, shaving cream and lotion, as well as packaged undergarments, such as undershirts, socks and underwear.  Donation drop boxes were set up throughout the SID, and all items will be donated to Faith Mission, Friends of the Homeless and Engagement Center at Maryhaven before Thanksgiving.

Thanks to the generosity of those living and working in both the Capital Crossroads and Discovery Special Improvement Districts, more than 260 pounds of soap, 270 pounds of shampoo, and 115 pounds of lotion, along with many other items, will be donated.  Capital Crossroads has long encouraged the generous souls of downtown to “Put Your Change Where You Can Make One”; that is, to give money and support to organizations helping the homeless rather than giving change to panhandlers downtown.  This drive is another example of a great way to facilitate change.

Our thanks to the following SID members who provided a donation drop-off location:  LeVeque Tower, Key Bank Building, Bricker & Eckler, Huntington Bank, Huntington Plaza, 85 Marconi Boulevard, 57 E. Main Street, 326 S. High Street, 22 E. Gay Street, 15 E. Gay Street, 140 E. Town Street, Capitol Square Office Tower, Lazarus Building, One Columbus, Fifth Third Center, The Columbus Dispatch, The Motorists Insurance Group, Seneca Apartments, Midland Building, OEA, and State Auto.