Thank you again for the opportunity to be part of Wednesday night’s panel. There were certainly a lot of people in attendance. It was encouraging to see so many community members show up to listen, learn and ask thoughtful questions. It really speaks to how invested people are in understanding homelessness in Boone County and wanting to be part of the solution.
Following up on our conversation, I also wanted to share a bit of local data for context. Since activating the Boone County shelter in November 2025 through today, we have served 126 individuals, including 119 adults and 7 children. These numbers reinforce just how real and present this need is in our community.
To help answer Melissa’s question from the panel, “How can residents help in the short term and long term?”—below are some practical ways community members can get involved and make a meaningful impact.
Short-Term Ways to Help (Right Now)
These are actions individuals can take immediately to support people experiencing homelessness in Boone County:
- Support local service providers: Donate financially or contribute much-needed items such as hygiene products, bottled water, socks, blankets, sunscreen and similar essentials. Monetary donations are often the most flexible and impactful.
- Volunteer time or skills: Many organizations rely on volunteers for meals, outreach events, donation drives and administrative support. Even a few hours can make a difference.
- Know who to call instead of calling the police: When concerned about someone experiencing homelessness, reaching out to outreach teams or social service providers, when appropriate, can help connect individuals to resources without escalating the situation. (I’m not suggesting that police should never be involved; rather, when support can be provided before a situation escalates, we want to make every effort to do so.) (We have Police Social Workers now too!)
- Lead with empathy: Simple acts, acknowledging people, treating them with dignity and avoiding harmful stereotypes, go a long way in reducing stigma and building a more compassionate community.
Long-Term Ways to Help (Sustainable Impact)
These actions address root causes and help create lasting change:
- Advocate for affordable housing and supportive services: Housing is the solution to homelessness. Supporting policies and funding that increase affordable housing, permanent supportive housing and rental assistance is critical.
- Be a good neighbor when housing is developed: Affordable and supportive housing works best when communities welcome it. Local support helps projects move forward and helps residents succeed.
- Engage in civic conversations: Attend meetings, speak with elected officials and stay informed about housing and homelessness issues in Boone County. Community voices truly matter.
- Support long-term funding solutions: Sustained public and private investment in housing, mental health care, substance use treatment and prevention programs reduces homelessness over time.
- Help shift the narrative: Share accurate information. Most people experiencing homelessness are from our community and are facing challenges like rising rents, health issues or unexpected crises, not a lack of effort or character.
Homelessness in Boone County may not always look different from homelessness in nearby communities, but the solutions are shared. When residents, service providers, businesses and local leaders work together, we create pathways out of homelessness and prevent it from happening in the first place. Small actions matter. Collective action matters even more.
