As the region battles winter’s cold, a team of outreach workers with Mental Health Partnerships is making sure the homeless in Upper Darby are kept warm and safe.
Teresa Purdy, program manager with Mental Health Partnerships, does a daily drive around Upper Darby Township to check on people, a life-saving necessity, reports Madeline Wright for CBS News Philadelphia.
When she finds someone, Purdy urges them to warm up inside a shelter, where they can receive free clothing, shoes, toiletries and a hot meal, along with counseling and resources to help them find stable housing.
Not everyone accepts the invitation and distrust the system. That’s why it’s so important to build rapport in the community, she said.
One person benefitting from Mental Health Partnership’s outreach is Aaron Kohlenberger, on the streets with his dog.
“They look out for me. They look out for her (points to his dog), and they’re working on getting me into like, possibly the rapid rehousing program,” he said.
The work is Purdy’s calling.
“It’s fulfilling knowing that all humanity isn’t lost. Just because an individual doesn’t have a home, it doesn’t make them less human,” she said.
Find out more about the work of Mental Health Partnerships at CBS News Philadelphia, as reported at MSN.
