Nonprofits support homeless individuals with services, supplies

As city officials grapple with Tucson’s increasing homeless population, community groups continue to support unsheltered individuals waiting for transitional or permanent housing, through temporary shelter, services and hygiene supplies.

The nonprofit Gospel Rescue Mission has been providing resources to the homeless community since 1953. Outreach coordinator Roger Aguilar said that when someone comes to them for help, the first step is to take care of the individual’s immediate needs like providing clothes, food and shelter.

After those are addressed, the next step is to help the individual with more complex needs, including job recovery, help with addiction, housing assistance and job training and certification, according to Aguilar, adding that Gospel Rescue Mission has partnerships with more than 40 businesses and service providers across town that help provide services tailored to an individual’s particular needs.

The mission’s partnership with El Rio Health guarantees that within their first week of staying at the shelter, each person will receive a physical and dental evaluation. Additional services will be provided based on those evaluations.

Read more at Tucson.com