Source: Standard-Examiner, Ogden, UtahJan.迷你倉最平 11--What's that old saying about leading a horse to water?Back in mid-December, the Standard-Examiner published a story about the Weber Housing Authority's new outreach program, which attempts to reach the most vulnerable homeless people in the area. At that time, we met "Ann," an older homeless woman who's been living beneath a tarp in an open field in Ogden since June.Here's a quick follow-up to that story:Pete Caldwell, director of the outreach program, had high hopes that Ann would be one of the program's first -- of many -- success stories. He was helping her get a Social Security number and a birth certificate, and was hoping to move her into housing for the cold winter months.But such stories don't always have a happy ending. People are usually homeless for a reason, and more often than not it involves substance abuse or mental illness -- or both. In this case, according to a family member, Ann struggles with paranoid schizophrenia.Caldwell had hoped they'd be able to have her in housing by Christmas Day. The deadline came and went. As did New Year's Day.That Caldwell missed his goal was not for lack of trying. He was able to secure for Ann both a SS number and a birth certificate, and had even found housing for her in inner-city Ogden.But Ann passed on it."We have the place available for her, but at the moment she's not interested in it," Caldwell says. "It's one of those things. I can't want it for her -- you can't force it on her."The 63-year-old woman continues to live in an open field, wrapped in a tarp."We'll continue on, make sure she's OK, check on her once or twice a week," Caldwell said.He's particularly concerned because Ann is among the most vulnerable homeless in Weber County -- older, living under a tarp, and not currently accessing any other county or state resources, so no one else would be checking up on her."To be honest, I thought with the storms of the last couple of days, that would迷你倉ve pushed her indoors," Caldwell said. "But that's not the case."Caldwell says they'll make "one more solid push" to get Ann into housing. He's hoping she'll come indoors."But if not, at some point we have to move on," he said. "There's a long list of people who need help."Speaking of helping long lists of people, Caldwell says the community has really stepped up to the plate. Following the publishing of that story in December, the Weber Housing Authority's new outreach program has been overwhelmed with support."My office is literally stuffed to the top with donations," Caldwell said. "We're going to have to rent a storage unit."Not only that, but, "People have been coming out in force."Caldwell estimates he's had at least 20 people volunteer to go out with him to search for homeless in the area. And many of them are interested in becoming regular volunteers."We've had a couple of one-and-dones, but most want to come out time and again," he said.And this surge in volunteers is making a difference. Caldwell says he's been able to cover a lot of ground, reach out to a lot of homeless."We found somebody in a field," he said. "I'd been in there five or six times, and by following footprints in the snow we found him. We're getting him on the path to housing."But Caldwell admits there's plenty more work to do, including later this month when the county participates in the statewide Point in Time Count. Between Jan. 30 and Feb. 1, volunteers are "desperately needed" to help count and survey the unsheltered homeless population.To volunteer in Weber County, go to https://weberpitcount.wufoo.com/forms/weber-point-in-time-count-voluntee... and fill out the form.Contact Mark Saal at 801-625-4272 or msaal@standard.net. Follow him on Twitter at @Saalman. Find him on Facebook at facebook.com/mark.saal.Copyright: ___ (c)2014 the Standard-Examiner (Ogden, Utah) Visit the Standard-Examiner (Ogden, Utah) at .standard.net Distributed by MCT Information Servicesmini storage
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