Tupelo team works hard to provide a hand up to local homeless population

That means checking on reports of new encampments, like this one,  near a popular restaurant. Peck, who is also a certified police officer, is familiar with Brittany, who lives in the makeshift camp.

“We got a call, someone saw someone walking back through here, talked to a couple of other officers, they are familiar with the area. Brittany has been back here, we heard for a while, she says she has been at this location for two months,” Peck said.

The goal of each outreach is simple: to find out who lives at the camps and let people know about the services and resources available.

There are many folks like Brittany in Tupelo, living just out of sight of the public. That is why the task force works hard to get them off the streets. But sometimes,  people and groups with good intentions hinder those efforts.

“We do have some very well-meaning people in Tupelo. Church, civic groups, and individuals. We see a lot of tents, sleeping bags given out, in the winter, a lot of coats and jackets. The reality is what you see over here is kind of what we end up with, and unfortunately, sometimes homelessness needs to be a little uncomfortable, to force that change, to force someone to do something for themselves,” Peck said.

Hannah Maharrey is chairman of the city’s Homelessness Task Force. She says there is no cookie-cutter approach to the issue.

“No two homeless individuals are alike,  they didn’t have the same childhood or same circumstances that led to them being unhoused, so we have to look at each person as individuals that have needs and what solutions exist for them and not as homelessness in general,” Maharrey said.

And while no one can be forced to accept help, the task force will keep making contact and keep trying to help those who want to get off the streets and make positive changes in their lives.