Re: the May 31 guest opinion "Center for homeless women a victim of compassion fatigue."
Stephen Paul in his May 31 commentary claims that the downtown is overwhelmed by the number of homeless service agencies located there. I wonder, though, what it would look like without organizations like Neighbors Feeding Neighbors operating from St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Armory Park, Casa Maria and Primavera, all of whom do more than hand out sandwiches and disappear into their comfortable homes.
If you are poor, you live where you can survive. Without affordable housing and cheap and reliable public transportation, the choices are few. Homeless families and individuals are spread out all through Pima County, to be sure, but the sad reality is that unless we meet the problem head-on, both with compassion and expertise, the problem will surely continue to spiral, both in the increasingly vibrant downtown and in the pockets of poverty throughout the city.
Thanks to our churches and social services working together, we continue to address this shameful and growing problem.
Nancy Bissell
Downtown
