Compassion Waco also does good work with the homeless, primarily with families. It's a transitional shelter allowing residents up to six months. They work on life skills, budgeting, job placement, and help with obstacles to job placement. (Proper clothes for an interview, medical/dental needs, glasses, etc.) They have a good track record with families that finish the program still on their own after a year with a place to live that they are paying for. Last I recall from when I was involved it was in excess of 60% of the families making it on their own a year after leaving the shelter.

Take a look at Mission Waco's Creekside Community that is about to go online. It is modeled on some successful projects in larger cities.


https://www.kwtx.com/video/2025/07/22/mission-waco-shares-update-creekside-community-village-how-you-can-help/
https://baylorlariat.com/2025/03/05/mission-wacos-creekside-community-village-to-counter-homelessness-in-waco/

We'll always have the poor and homeless. But why?

FrankFallonCalling said:

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Take a look at Mission Waco's Creekside Community that is about to go online. It is modeled on some successful projects in larger cities.


https://www.kwtx.com/video/2025/07/22/mission-waco-shares-update-creekside-community-village-how-you-can-help/
https://baylorlariat.com/2025/03/05/mission-wacos-creekside-community-village-to-counter-homelessness-in-waco/

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They are doing great work. Unfortunately, had a 4 million dollar federal grant cancelled earlier in the year, but still pressing onward.

UrsinusInfction said:

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FrankFallonCalling said:

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Take a look at Mission Waco's Creekside Community that is about to go online. It is modeled on some successful projects in larger cities.


https://www.kwtx.com/video/2025/07/22/mission-waco-shares-update-creekside-community-village-how-you-can-help/
https://baylorlariat.com/2025/03/05/mission-wacos-creekside-community-village-to-counter-homelessness-in-waco/

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They are doing great work. Unfortunately, had a 4 million dollar federal grant cancelled earlier in the year, but still pressing onward.

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i was very curious how this is being funded.

Volunteering at a Phoenix homeless shelter opened my eyes to a truer story of who/what the homeless are. The facility was a re-purposed warehouse that had several cots on the floor, a shower area and a dining area. Most of the clients would come in after work, shower, eat and go to bed. Several carried tool belts and other necessities of their trade.

Most of the working homeless were there because of a failed marriage or foreclosure and had nowhere else to go. For the most part these guys understood they were starting the climb again from the bottom rung. Most seemed to take it in their stride and most were saving up for the day when they could afford their own place.

One trait they all had in common was gratitude. There were a lot of sincere thank you and bless you greetings in that place.

My sister, (the bleeding heart liberal) had a much different experience with street people during her 20+ years working at the VA psych services and a women's protective services house after retirement.

At the VA she monitored several homeless vets who were diagnosed with PTSD and who also had fathered several children with multiple women. The $3600/month they received from the government could not be garnished to pay for child support, by law. These vets had to sit for a review of their mental health status at the VA every 3-4 months They were encouraged to find full-tome work and weave themselves back into society.

Those in the bunch who were the true grifters would only work day jobs for cash or some sort of helping-hand program where the employer could waive all withholding for a certain period of time. For the most part they did great work, she say's. Once the timeline ran out on the program and the vets were offered full-time work, they bolted, showed up drunk if at all and generally tanked any effort to bring them back into the mainstream.

For sure there are many vets who have chosen to be responsible with their lives, despite their dire circumstances. To those men/women I/we truly respect and honor.

The safe-house for women where my sister worked was truly bizarre. Several of the women taken in to the shelter had been the 'property' of gang leaders or drug lords. The bars on the windows and the security doors were in place to keep gangsters out as much as it was to keep their girlfriends in.

Much of the clientele were not happy in their surroundings and missed their hoochie-coo days on the dark side. You see, the beatings and mutilations are the rake for continuing to be members of the club. God help them.

Despite her experiences, my sis continues to think that government programs and taxpayer dollars are the answer to the problem...and better people, of course. Chortle, Chortle. God bless her.

This may be dated since your conversation with the business owner was over homecoming, but one suggestion for him rather than calling the police might be to reach out to the folks at Mission Waco to get their input and suggestions.

On a related front, here is a link to a recent article in the Waco Trib on the Creekside project. It sounds like they are close to getting the first 35 "little houses" up in the next month or so, and ultimately hope to have housing for 240 homeless and 60 others.

https://wacotrib.com/news/local/article_1324247e-9b08-4328-aa60-7016540aed8d.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share

Leonidas said:

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This may be dated since your conversation with the business owner was over homecoming, but one suggestion for him rather than calling the police might be to reach out to the folks at Mission Waco to get their input and suggestions.

On a related front, here is a link to a recent article in the Waco Trib on the Creekside project. It sounds like they are close to getting the first 35 "little houses" up in the next month or so, and ultimately hope to have housing for 240 homeless and 60 others.

https://wacotrib.com/news/local/article_1324247e-9b08-4328-aa60-7016540aed8d.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share

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Great thought. I may drive through there this week and see if I can find him. His thought re: the police was not to sweep the area, but to figure out a plan to move them along humanely. He doesn't want to evict them from the area, but wants to see if someone/something can manage the flow. It would be awesome if Mission Waco could help. Do you have a contact there? If so, I'd be happy to DM you the info on the biz and his interest in finding a good solution.

I do not have a contact there, sorry.

RightRevBear said:

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As a former employee, I suggest contacting their executive director, John Calaway. He will need to call the office at (254) 753-4900 explain that he is a local businessman that would like to talk to John. They will get you in contact with him as quickly as they can.

I would encourage him to frame the conversation that he is a local businessman that wants to help the homeless individuals that are around his business in an ethical way that helps them and also helps his business. Mission Waco usually desires to work with local businesses. This creates relationships that can lead to partnerships for jobs for people that are needing them, community engagement, and potential funding sources.

When I was there we had good relationships with numerous local businesses. Their top goal is to empower people to live with dignity, and that helping people get jobs and the support that they need is essential to this effort. A good relationship with local businesses is necessary to carry out this task.

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I appreciate all of this information and will pass it on to him.

ABC BEAR said:

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Volunteering at a Phoenix homeless shelter opened my eyes to a truer story of who/what the homeless are. The facility was a re-purposed warehouse that had several cots on the floor, a shower area and a dining area. Most of the clients would come in after work, shower, eat and go to bed. Several carried tool belts and other necessities of their trade.

Most of the working homeless were there because of a failed marriage or foreclosure and had nowhere else to go. For the most part these guys understood they were starting the climb again from the bottom rung. Most seemed to take it in their stride and most were saving up for the day when they could afford their own place.

One trait they all had in common was gratitude. There were a lot of sincere thank you and bless you greetings in that place.

My sister, (the bleeding heart liberal) had a much different experience with street people during her 20+ years working at the VA psych services and a women's protective services house after retirement.

At the VA she monitored several homeless vets who were diagnosed with PTSD and who also had fathered several children with multiple women. The $3600/month they received from the government could not be garnished to pay for child support, by law. These vets had to sit for a review of their mental health status at the VA every 3-4 months They were encouraged to find full-tome work and weave themselves back into society.

Those in the bunch who were the true grifters would only work day jobs for cash or some sort of helping-hand program where the employer could waive all withholding for a certain period of time. For the most part they did great work, she say's. Once the timeline ran out on the program and the vets were offered full-time work, they bolted, showed up drunk if at all and generally tanked any effort to bring them back into the mainstream.

For sure there are many vets who have chosen to be responsible with their lives, despite their dire circumstances. To those men/women I/we truly respect and honor.

The safe-house for women where my sister worked was truly bizarre. Several of the women taken in to the shelter had been the 'property' of gang leaders or drug lords. The bars on the windows and the security doors were in place to keep gangsters out as much as it was to keep their girlfriends in.

Much of the clientele were not happy in their surroundings and missed their hoochie-coo days on the dark side. You see, the beatings and mutilations are the rake for continuing to be members of the club. God help them.

Despite her experiences, my sis continues to think that government programs and taxpayer dollars are the answer to the problem...and better people, of course. Chortle, Chortle. God bless her.

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When we lived in Scottsdale, we would volunteer at a/the homeless shelter in Phoenix. I agree that so many folks were trying to get that first traction/footing on way back up.

What shocked (maybe not the right word) me was the impact on their small kids. Man, the kids were so negatively impacted by the stress.

BUAL said:

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ABC BEAR said:

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Volunteering at a Phoenix homeless shelter opened my eyes to a truer story of who/what the homeless are. The facility was a re-purposed warehouse that had several cots on the floor, a shower area and a dining area. Most of the clients would come in after work, shower, eat and go to bed. Several carried tool belts and other necessities of their trade.

Most of the working homeless were there because of a failed marriage or foreclosure and had nowhere else to go. For the most part these guys understood they were starting the climb again from the bottom rung. Most seemed to take it in their stride and most were saving up for the day when they could afford their own place.

One trait they all had in common was gratitude. There were a lot of sincere thank you and bless you greetings in that place.

My sister, (the bleeding heart liberal) had a much different experience with street people during her 20+ years working at the VA psych services and a women's protective services house after retirement.

At the VA she monitored several homeless vets who were diagnosed with PTSD and who also had fathered several children with multiple women. The $3600/month they received from the government could not be garnished to pay for child support, by law. These vets had to sit for a review of their mental health status at the VA every 3-4 months They were encouraged to find full-tome work and weave themselves back into society.

Those in the bunch who were the true grifters would only work day jobs for cash or some sort of helping-hand program where the employer could waive all withholding for a certain period of time. For the most part they did great work, she say's. Once the timeline ran out on the program and the vets were offered full-time work, they bolted, showed up drunk if at all and generally tanked any effort to bring them back into the mainstream.

For sure there are many vets who have chosen to be responsible with their lives, despite their dire circumstances. To those men/women I/we truly respect and honor.

The safe-house for women where my sister worked was truly bizarre. Several of the women taken in to the shelter had been the 'property' of gang leaders or drug lords. The bars on the windows and the security doors were in place to keep gangsters out as much as it was to keep their girlfriends in.

Much of the clientele were not happy in their surroundings and missed their hoochie-coo days on the dark side. You see, the beatings and mutilations are the rake for continuing to be members of the club. God help them.

Despite her experiences, my sis continues to think that government programs and taxpayer dollars are the answer to the problem...and better people, of course. Chortle, Chortle. God bless her.

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When we lived in Scottsdale, we would volunteer at a/the homeless shelter in Phoenix. I agree that so many folks were trying to get that first traction/footing on way back up.

What shocked (maybe not the right word) me was the impact on their small kids. Man, the kids were so negatively impacted by the stress.

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The kids have a concept of what 'normal' looks like and the shelter isn't it. There is really no one they can go to for support. They can't talk to friends out of embarrassment or family because of the tension and tempers it might trigger. Some kids have to make serious life decisions at a young age.