Officials to attend event here

Government officials, city council members, police officers and other key public figures in the nine-county area of Region 6 are expected to attend a homeless awareness event at 6 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Jamestown Salvation Army, 320 First Ave. N.

Local residents are encouraged to attend the event, which will feature free soup and bread, a short video about local homeless issues and several guest speakers, including Michael Carbone, executive director of the North Dakota Coalition for Homeless People.

Homelessness is rising in North Dakota because of the state’s low unemployment rate. Many out-of-state residents drop everything and come looking for work, only to find they are over- or under-qualified for available jobs. Often, they end up homeless.

“Many people in Region 6 are not involved in homeless outreach because they do not realize we have a problem,” said Lt. Mitch Brecto, administrator of the Jamestown Salvation Army. “But we do have a problem. And as more and more people move to North Dakota looking for jobs, the situation could get worse. Our homeless awareness event on Nov. 9 is a great way to raise awareness and educate the public about serious community issues going unnoticed.”

Region 6 includes Wells, Foster, Griggs, Stutsman, Barnes, Logan, LaMoure, McIntosh and Dickey counties. For more information about this event, call the Jamestown Salvation Army at 252-0290.

Tags: north dakota, salvation army, news, jamestown, homeless