Belmont County Salvation Army tackles homelessness through collaboration

BELLAIRE, Ohio — Homelessness can be an issue across the Ohio Valley, and the Belmont County Salvation Army hopes to collaborate with others to help those in need.

The Salvation Army location in Belmont County has a goal of serving the unhoused crisis by keeping people at their housing location sometimes up to a year until they can find proper housing.

"We hope to build a community so they will not fail when they leave,” Maj. Louis Patrick said. “So, by doing this we try to give them all the different services we provide them, including what we can continue to provide to them, services that are coming out of places like the Community Action Rapid Rehousing Program. That program helps us get them into housing as well.”

The Salvation Army is also introducing them to other United Way agencies along with programs like Southeast Healthcare Services. It’s a federally qualified health center with locations across Ohio, with a goal of providing care to those that don’t have primary care to help with both their physical and mental health.

"We partnered with (The Salvation Army) and provide care for the homeless population that they house here and getting them set up for any primary care to follow, whether it’s illnesses or just child checks to keep kids in school and progressing along,” Lance Littell, a family nurse practitioner and assistant medical director with Southeast Healthcare. “So, it’s not a continual cycle.”

This partnership was recently restarted because of the heavy need for the homeless population. It’s set up once a month in this location in their medical vehicle, which they say can help raise those out of their homeless situation.

"We've seen a lot of success stories being able to take people from the very beginning all the way seeing them get out and on their feet and independent, healthy, and living their best lives,” Adrienne Panas, an adult nurse practitioner, said.

With all this collaboration, Patrick said they have one ultimate goal this year in the Ohio Valley for the unhoused.

"The goal is to eliminate homeless in our community,” Patrick said. “Is it ever going to be eliminated? I don’t know. But I do know we are taking one step at a time to make sure at least one, two, three, or 100 people find housing this year.”