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According to a report by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, every night between 700,000 and 2 million men, women and children are homeless throughout the United States.

In San Antonio, the number of homeless people every night is approximately 4,000 according to SAMMinistries.

Who are the homeless? How did they end up living on the street? And how can we help them overcome obstacles as they strive to improve their lives and be self-sustaining?

Texas Public Radio hosted the KSTX Town Hall on Homelessness, a solutions-based conversation with a panel of community and government leaders who work with the homeless. This discussion took place on Tuesday, December 21 at the San Antonio Central Library.

This discussion, moderated by Texas Public Radio's Terry Gildea, examined the causes of homelessness, informed citizens on the numerous organizations that serve the homeless community, and offered advice how how you can help these organizations transform the lives of the thousands of San Antonians living without a roof over their head.

Confirmed Panelists

• Scott Ackerson—Vice-President of Transformational Services, Haven for Hope
• Marta Pelaez—President & CEO, Family Violence Prevention Services, Inc.
• Taylor Boone—Associate Pastor, Corazon Ministries, Travis Park United Methodist Church
• Melody Woosley—Assistant Director, City of San Antonio Community Initiatives Department, Homeless Services

Resources

• SAMMinistries
• Haven for Hope
• The Salvation Army, San Antonio Metropolitan Area Command
• San Antonio Metropolitan Homeless Services
• United States Interagency Council on Homelessness
• Family Violence Prevention Services

The Source: Helping Others During the Holidays

December 2, 2009 · While the holiday season is traditionally a time to indulge with friends and family, it also presents an opportunity to help those in need. Terry Gildea sits down with representatives from the San Antonio Food Bank and the Salvation Army to talk about dozens of ways people can help the less fortunate. -more-

Homeless Numbers Dip, But More Families Suffer

June 17, 2010 · New statistics show that the overall number of homeless people in America dropped slightly last year — although the number of homeless families rose 7 percent. -more-

HUD Study Examines Rise In First-Time Homelessness

March 31, 2010 · Many Americans find themselves just one paycheck removed from homelessness as the nation struggles to rebound from financial crisis. The Department of Housing and Urban Development reports that 1.6 million Americans were homeless and stayed in a shelter at least once in 2008, the last year that statistics are available. -more-