Homeless task force holds presentation at Gum Tree Museum of Art

TUPELO — Surrounded by photos of those experiencing homelessness in a Gum Tree Museum of Art exhibit, residents and advocates listened to and spoke about how homelessness affects the city and the individuals themselves.

Rental Coordinator for the City of Tupelo Kim Rushing and members of the Tupelo Homeless Task Force held the Gumtree Museum of Art Lunch and Learn event at the Downtown Tupelo museum on Wednesday, describing the event as a "conversation about homelessness."

"We are trying to bridge the gap between all of our nonprofits and the people who need us," Rushing said.

During the presentation, Rushing gave information about the task force, its goals and data about homelessness in the city. During the last Point-in-Time-Count, an annual census of the homeless population done in the state by the Mississippi Balance of State Continuum of Care, 55 homeless individuals were reported in the city, including those in the Salvation Army shelter, which is currently full.

When asked about families experiencing homelessness, Rushing noted there were multiple families with small and school-age children at the Salvation Army and SAFE's women's shelter.

This event was held in conjunction with a photo exhibit at the museum — "Homeless in Black and White" by local photographer Damon Palmer. Each photo in the exhibit is a stark portrait of a homeless individual with a paragraph about them and Palmer's interaction with them. Most of the photos were taken in Las Vegas, Nevada, during a trip Palmer took, but one individual was from Tupelo. The individual photographed multiple times, Jimmy Smith, died in 2022 in a wreck.

Rushing, pointing to Smith's photos, noted that he was a veteran with substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorders. He was well known by the community.

After Rushing's presentation, she took questions from the audience, ranging for volunteering opportunities, when, how and what to donate to shelters and individuals and the transient nature of the homeless population in the country.

Doyce Deas asked if the city and task force had a way to get in touch with more individuals willing to hire those experiencing homelessness that the non-profits are helping. Rushing noted that was an ongoing issue, adding that there were some businesses in the city working with the task force, MUTEH and other organizations, but more needed to step up.