Andrea Loohuizen - Noah's Ark and the Community Table Project (Bob Montgomery photo)Andrea Loohuizen - Noah's Ark and the Community Table Project (Bob Montgomery photo)
Midwestern

Exeter organization working to help the homeless

An advocate for homeless people in the Exeter area says it's a growing problem.

Andrea Loohuizen says they served 7,500 plates of food between September of 2018 to June of this year.

Loohuizen is with the Noah's Ark and the Community Table Project and they also provide blankets and clothes to people who are sleeping on the streets.

“We would love to see a shelter in Exeter," said Loohuizen. "That is definitely our dream and we would love to see that happen. But it has to go beyond that because once they get out of the shelter, if it's an emergency shelter they're only allowed to stay there for so long, then we need to go up to affordable housing.”

Loohuizen was one of two advocates from the Exeter area to present to Huron County council recently.

She says they have agreed to put together some form of directory to include agencies and the services they provide so they can start working together to address homelessness in Exeter.

“Even if it's a book, or whatever it might be, where all the agencies are together with what they provide, with what they can do," added Loohuizen. "So if somebody does approaches us, it gives us the ability, you know, to say I can't do that but I know someone who can."

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