REACHING THE UNSHELTERED
We see them on our streets, in public spaces, and in our parks, fields and wooded areas. They live in tents and makeshift structures without water, heat or electricity. Often they are surrounded by garbage and unsanitary conditions. We estimate that on any given day we could locate over 200 different unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness in our community, but we believe there may be at least double that number - and that's not including the ones living in garages, abandoned buildings, and out of sight.
TRM seeks to locate these individuals and bring them help and hope, right where they are.
MOBILE ACCESS PARTNERSHIP
Many unsheltered individuals are not ready to come into a homeless shelter. Most have lived for years in whatever way it takes to survive, and - for good reasons - have deep fear of the world around them. TRM's Street Reach combined with Mobile Access Partnership (MAP) seek to bring our services outward into the community to meet unsheltered individuals right where they are.
Working together, TRM, Valeo, Stormont Vail and the Topeka Police Department bring services to many locations in our community with the goal of meeting the simple, daily needs of unsheltered individuals. Mobile bathrooms, showers and laundry facilities, a mobile health clinic, a mobile food pantry and kitchen, among others help the unsheltered learn they are valued, respected, and have the support of their community as they learn how to accept help, find jobs and stable housing, and rejoin society - or sometimes, as they learn how to do more than “just survive” for the very first time.