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Northeast News
Serving Georgetown, New Haven, and northeast Allen County
INfortwayne.com
An invisible crisis By Bridgett Hernandez bhernandez@kpcmedia.com
It’s an invisible crisis but if you look closely, the signs are there: the student nodding off in class, the school bus making a stop at a motel, the waiting lines to get into family shelters. “Family and student homelessness is often not visible (and is) even difficult to identify,” said Wendy Hoering, Families in Transition coordinator for Fort Wayne Community Schools. Hoering serves as the school corporation’s McKinney-Vento liaison. The federal program
provides assistances for students experiencing homelessness. Each year, communities across the country do a headcount of homeless Americans. The “point in time” count takes place during the last week in January, and counts people living in shelters as well as people who are “unsheltered” – living on the street, in parks, under bridges and in their cars. According to the 2017 count, 5,438 Hoosiers were homeless. However, it’s likely that the number of Hoosiers facing housing insecurity is much higher. That’s
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BRIDGETT HERNANDEZ
Vincent Village staff and families celebrate the completion of the Learning Center for Homeless Children. Interior design firm One Eleven Design donated its services to create a space for the children. The center, which serves almost 200 youth, will provide daily activities that include tutoring, art, literacy, social skill building and access to technology.
because the “point in time” count largely overlooks homeless families. It doesn’t count families who are “doubled up” — living with a relative or a family friend due to an economic hardship — nor does it consider families living in long-term stay hotels and motels.
HOMELESS STUDENTS
In the three years since Hoering entered her role, the number of students served through the See HOMELESS, Page 6
Knott your average barbershop By Rod King
For IN|Fort Wayne publications
Many of Brian Knott’s customers had never gotten a haircut from a female barber before visiting his shop in New Haven. The profession, which specializes in cutting and styling men’s hair, facial shaves and facial hair grooming, has long been dominated by men. Brian’s Barbershop – which employs two female barbers – might just be the first of its kind in New Haven. The three-chair shop, located at 446 Lincoln Highway West, is one of few area barbershops to provide hot lather, straight-razor trims of sideburns, ears and neck. It’s all in a day’s work for owner Knott and his staff. Kristie Worman, who has been cutting men’s hair for the past 11 years, joined Brian’s two years ago. A New Haven High School graduation, she did her training at Rudaes Cosmetology School in Fort Wayne. Worman worked at Great Clips and Sport Clips where she was a manager before leaving the hair business for an office job. “When I learned Brian was looking for another barber I jumped at the chance to return to
ROD KING
Customer Matt Hammons gets his hair cut by barber Kari Handlin (center) at Brian’s Barbershop in New Haven. Also pictured are owner Brian Knott and barber Kristie Worman.
barbering,” she said. Kari Handlin, who now operates the third chair, is originally from Minnesota. She got her training and license in South Dakota. Before becoming a permanent barber at Brian’s, she substituted for Worman when necessary and was pleased to be asked to take the third chair when the shop moved to its new location. “I always liked cutting, shaping and styling men’s hair, so when the opening became available I was eager to step in and am
glad I did. I like the fact that this is a traditional barbershop that also does beard and mustache trims,” Handlin said. As of late last year, there were four barbershops in town. Bob Kain (Bob’s Barbershop) retired and closed his Broadway shop for good as did Ned Bushy who had been cutting hair for many years on Broadway. Today, Brian’s Barbershop and RKR Style Shop are the only barbershops in town. Knott, who attended See BARBERS, Page 7
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Family and student homelessness is often not visible (and is) even difficult to identify.” —Wendy Hoering, Families in Transition coordinator for Fort Wayne Community Schools
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