SID ambassador Darryl notified the homeless outreach team that there was an individual at the Greyhound station who needed help returning to Raleigh, NC. The individual, Tony, had arrived from Raleigh with the promise of a place to live and work doing odd jobs for a family friend. However, upon his arrival, he learned that the plan had been canceled.

Outreach specialist Bill asked Tony what his living situation had been back in North Carolina. Tony had been living in an adult group home and was able to share the name of the facility.

Bill contacted the organization and learned that Tony had a guardian but had walked away from the group home without alerting anyone. The home had made a missing person’s report and was very relieved to know his whereabouts. 

Bill facilitated a call with Tony’s guardian and then assisted the group home organization to purchase an online Greyhound ticket for his return. Bill then helped Tony to pick up his ticket from the Greyhound Dispatch desk and to get food from a local sandwich line for his trip. Tony is now safely back in Raleigh.

Tony’s support team in Raleigh was amazed at the services available in Columbus for individuals like Tony and was very grateful for the help. Tony’s guardian explained that Tony suffers from dementia related to Parkinson’s disease and other health issues, so his life was very much in danger. Bill is grateful to the ambassador team for being “eyes on the street” and helping direct people like Tony to the help they need.

Each year the Outreach Team helps hundreds of people experiencing homelessness by connecting them to resources and helping them get off the street. To date, the team has assisted 236 people off the street. If you see someone experiencing homelessness, please call the SID Hotline at (614) 228-5718.  If you would like to provide a donation to help the team with their efforts, please click here.