by Camryn Given | Aug 25, 2021 | News Slider, Student Spotlight
When it comes to a growing urban community such as Nashville, one of the main concerns in the eyes of the government is where people are going to live. As more and more people move to the city, Metro is eager to increase housing available for those who are able and willing to pay for it. However, those in the lowest income brackets are left behind more often than not. As a result, many homeless people’s lives are being disrupted. Some people, such as Cecelie Eiler, are now doing work to combat this. “[Nashville has] got all these people moving here,” said Eiler, a recent Lipscomb graduate who now works with these homeless populations. “We want to put up the nicest things for the nicest people and what that means is…the people at the bottom just keep getting shoved to the side.” With rent prices rising, construction companies are eager to build newer and more housing options and push out those who can not afford the competitive prices, and it’s happening currently in East Nashville’s River Chase Apartments. Eiler is originally from Freeport, Illinois, and received a degree in environmental and sustainability science at Lipscomb, graduating in May 2021. She now works in the nonprofit sector dedicated to helping the homeless population. “What’s happening is that there is a set of developers that are buying those apartments and they’re planning to tear them down,” Eiler said. “Currently, there are 60 housing units there that take Section 8.” Section 8 is a government-funded voucher program for low-income houses that allows them to find their own living space. However, the landlord...
by Brianne Welch | Oct 31, 2012 | Uncategorized
Safe Haven Family Shelter is a family homelessness organization that not only provides care for the homeless but also offers programs to get families out of poverty. Community Relations Manager Stephanie Tinnell, who is also a Lipscomb grad, said the shelter was originally able to house five families at a time, but the shelter is looking to double the occupancy in the next year. “This summer we will expand to ten families,” Tinnell said. The shelter is currently in the process of renovating the facility, so they are in a temporary location, but the renovations should bring an abundant amount of help to the shelter, she explained. “We are going to double in capacity, so we can expand our programs.” One of the main programs Safe Haven is excited about expanding is its therapy wing. Safe Haven offers different kinds of therapy programs for adults as well as children. “One of the biggest components of family homelessness is emotional and physical abuse, and we want to help the families get through that and on their own again,” Tinnell said. The plans for expansion include group therapy and a play therapy area that will be used alongside the therapy programs that are already in place. Safe Haven’s programs are designed to aid and benefit the families who come to them for help, but Tinnell says the families are not the only ones who benefit. Tinnell said her job is mainly to get word out to the public about Safe Haven and different events the shelter hosts, but she is also a volunteer who loves working with the children. “Making sure...
by Clay Smith | Apr 4, 2012 | News Slider
Should it be a crime to be homeless? Many Lipscomb students think not, but a new state law makes it illegal to “sleep, cook or camp on state property.” More than a hundred Nashvillians attended the Rally for the Right to Exist in the Legislative Plaza on Sunday, arguing that the new law criminalizes both the homeless and Occupy Nashville protestors. At least 15 Lipscomb students camped out in the plaza overnight to protest the law. Gov. Bill Haslam signed House Bill 2638/ Senate Bill 2508 into law in March. Violators can face up to a year in jail or a fine of up to $2,500 or both. Proponents of the law say that camping in public places is damaging to public property and that the public’s camping increases health and sanitation problems. The Rally for the Right to Exist was created to address the repercussions the new law has for the homeless community. The Rally featured a potluck dinner, “teach-ins,” a documentary screening and culminated with an overnight “sleep-in” on the Legislative Plaza. Some policy makers in Nashville have said that the law was only intended to target Occupy Nashville Protestors, not the homeless. However, many Lipscomb students feel that the new law is detrimental because it “socially profiles” the homeless. “Certain things that are just a part of daily living can be criminalized for the homeless,” said Grant Winter, a senior American Studies major. “Sitting down on a sidewalk can be considered ‘obstructing a passageway.’ A homeless person who cuts through a private driveway might be charged with trespassing where someone who doesn’t ‘look homeless’ would never be...
by Amy Estepp | Nov 16, 2010 | News Slider
Lipscomb junior Jordan Lewis, a nursing major from Chattanooga, Tenn., has developed a strong friendship with one of “The Contributor” retailers. At times, Lewis’ friend, Michael “Bama” Farley, is seen selling the newspapers — that help get the homeless off the street — by the Kroger on Gallatin Pike. “The Contributor” strives to print a monthly paper that provides both a diversity of perspectives on homelessness and poverty and a source of income for homeless and formerly homeless individuals, while creating community between vendors and customers. “The Contributor” employs more than 250 vendors, some of whom are homeless, while others have managed to get off the streets. Both homeless and non-homeless people write for the paper. Lewis and Bama met at Tent City when he and his wife were living there in April 2010. Since then, they have kept in contact. Working as a vendor, Bama is now able to provide the groceries that he and his wife need. “[‘The Contributor’] gives the sellers hope,” Lewis said. “It is a job that anyone can do and it opens the door for more opportunities. They are working for the next step; they either want to be the best at selling ‘The Contributor,’ or they are trying to find another job.” Not only does the paper make an impact on the vendors, but Lewis says it’s also an eye-opener for the Nashville community. “It is reaching out to the rich people to see that there are homeless people that are working for money, not just panhandling,” Lewis said. Bama and Stacy are currently living at the Hobson House in East Nashville. They are...
by Rachel Carden | Nov 4, 2010 | News Slider
On September 9, Room in the Inn’s new downtown Nashville campus at 705 Drexel Street officially opened its doors and welcomed in all those who don’t have a place to call home. November 1 began the 2010-2011 Room in the Inn season with more than 160 congregations around the city opening their doors to the homeless for one night when the downtown campus closes. The new $13 million, 44,000 square foot state-of-the-art building features a café and stage, 13 classrooms, storage facilities, a chapel, a rooftop garden, a built-in giant chess board and three stories of permanent and affordable apartments. It is the completion of a dream 25 years in the making by founder Father Charlie Strobel. “It’s amazing how much difference a peanut butter and jelly sandwich can make,” are the words of Strobel displayed in the lobby of the building for all to see. Room in the Inn operates under seven missions: “Through the power of spirituality and the practice of love, Room In The Inn’s Campus for Human Development provides hospitality with a respect that offers hope in a community of non-violence.” They strive to provide these fundamental needs to the over 400 visitors struggling with homelessness every day. One of the main goals of Room in the Inn is to educate its members so they one day can get back on their feet and provide for themselves. Literacy programs, computer skills training, and art and music classes are just a few of the many programs offered to anyone who is willing to take them. Vanderbilt University Law School and Belmont University assist with these programs as well...
