CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Churches and agencies in Kanawha County have come together to address homelessness following the dismantle of Charleston’s Tent City last month.
“Hopefully as a group we can come together and really find out long-term ways of fixing the problem of homelessness or at least better addressing it,” said Darick Biondi, pastor at the Mt. Juliet and Glasgow United Methodist Churches in Glasgow.
Biondi attended a Thursday afternoon summit at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Charleston hosted by Rev. Monte Brown.
The purpose of bringing the groups together was to identify resources that are currently in place and to talk about how they can better assist those in need, Biondi said.
Charleston Mayor Danny Jones received much criticism for his Jan. 19 announcement to dismantle Tent City that sat along the Elk River. Residents lashed out at him during a city hall meeting and days after demanding an explanation.
Jones later cited the cold outdoor temperatures, property damage and complaints from neighbors nearby concerned with the community owned by Waste Management.
Biondi said his church played a big role in supporting Tent City. The same day Jones announced the take down, he said they delivered $200 worth of items.
“We found out later probably $150 worth of items ended up in the back of that trash compactor,” he said.
Being one of the first pastors to visit the site after receiving the news, Biondi said there was heartbreak, but he knew something needed to be done.
Andrew Palmer, a resident in Quincy, has opened his doors to the folks at Tent City who need a place to stay for the time being.
“About eight people from Tent City are currently under that roof and it’s going well, however, we still have between 4-7 people that are still kind of scattered to the wind,” Biondi said.
Some of Thursday’s speakers included representatives from the Covenant House, the Prestera Center, Manna Meal, Sojourner’s Homeless Shelter, Roark Sullivan Lifeway Center.