SB COMMUNITY
BY URSULA BRANTLEY
W
hen most of us lay down for the night, we often think of the tasks for the day ahead or the things we have forgotten on our to-do list. Rarely do we stop and think of the people who do not have a place to call home. On any given night, there are individuals and families who are forced to take shelter on the streets, under bridges, or anywhere that’s warm and dry. HOPE Connections is bringing people together to prevent and end homelessness in Northwest Louisiana. In the early 1990s, a group of community volunteers saw the effect that homelessness was having on our communities and decided to come together to find a realistic solution for Northwest Louisiana. What began as the Hope for the Homeless organization eventually evolved into the official non-profit organization HOPE Connections in 2001. Christa Pazzaglia has served as Executive Director since 2008.
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JUNE 2021
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The vision of HOPE Connections is that no individual or family has to experience homelessness in Northwest Louisiana. To bring that vision into reality, HOPE’s mission is to guide and foster a comprehensive, coordinated homeless services system for those at risk of experiencing homelessness grounded in rich collaboration or engaging the passion of the community. The homeless population in America was already steadily increasing before the world was impacted by the pandemic. Last year, there were over 580,000 American citizens living on the streets and that number is expected to increase by the end of this year. As of 2020, there were over 3,100 Louisianans without homes. That’s a 7.9% increase from the previous year. Volunteers and members of the HOPE Connections Street Outreach Team make routine stops at homeless camps and underpasses across the area checking in on people and passing out much needed items. Once the team determines homelessness, the Coordinated Access Team provides assessments and determines placement with the agencies which can provide needed services and/or sheltering through the HOPE Coalition. The coalition currently includes Providence House, Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse of Northwest Louisiana, Vol-
