Antone's Nightclub
Approaches to Indigent Care
RECEIVED Sun., Aug. 30, 2009
Dear Editor,
Re: “Homelessness in San Antonio and Austin” [News, Aug. 28]: When it opens, San Antonio's Haven for Hope will be a model for concentrated indigent care, in contrast to Austin's dispersed services. As a volunteer in an outreach program, I see benefits and problems with both approaches.
Our dispersed system lets everyone who cares contribute what they're good at. On nice days, homeless people can accomplish a lot being outdoors moving around, but what do they do in bad weather? Getting out the word about available assistance and providing appropriate transportation are other problems with dispersed help.
Haven for Hope should be better at serving the least able. Having medical, training, and employment programs in one place will likely reduce the number of people missing out on such vital services as dental and diabetic care. But a large "haven" will also be under pressure from those who want to get comfortable and never leave.
As a city, we can become more efficient at helping those on the bottom. Schools are idle most hours of the week and many weeks of the year. Cafeterias and gyms can be scheduled for programs wherever the need may be. Using a core staff of public employees that goes around to different locations and a larger pool of volunteers with special skills, we can do more with less.
Re: “Homelessness in San Antonio and Austin” [News, Aug. 28]: When it opens, San Antonio's Haven for Hope will be a model for concentrated indigent care, in contrast to Austin's dispersed services. As a volunteer in an outreach program, I see benefits and problems with both approaches.
Our dispersed system lets everyone who cares contribute what they're good at. On nice days, homeless people can accomplish a lot being outdoors moving around, but what do they do in bad weather? Getting out the word about available assistance and providing appropriate transportation are other problems with dispersed help.
Haven for Hope should be better at serving the least able. Having medical, training, and employment programs in one place will likely reduce the number of people missing out on such vital services as dental and diabetic care. But a large "haven" will also be under pressure from those who want to get comfortable and never leave.
As a city, we can become more efficient at helping those on the bottom. Schools are idle most hours of the week and many weeks of the year. Cafeterias and gyms can be scheduled for programs wherever the need may be. Using a core staff of public employees that goes around to different locations and a larger pool of volunteers with special skills, we can do more with less.
David Campbell