Denise D. Tucker dtucker@argusleader.com Published in the Argus Leader, 2/4/200.
For the past three months, Jack McMullen has called the St. Francis House - a temporary shelter - home.
It's a step up from his car, which he lived in for about a year after his divorce.
McMullen, 57, of Sioux Falls said he appreciates the opportunity he has been given to straighten out his life. On Tuesday, he took part in a citywide demonstration to bring the issue of homelessness to light.
About 90 people dispersed throughout the city and stood at some of the busiest intersections to hold up cardboard signs with homelessness statistics and a Web address on where to go for more information.
The signs' messages included "260 kids here are homeless" and "Room temperature for the homeless today is 10 degrees."
The two-hour demonstration - called H.O.M.E., or Homeless Outreach Morning Exercise - began at 7:30 a.m. and was sponsored by Pay It Forward, a local group that raises money publicly and gives it away anonymously. Participants included students, volunteers, homeless people and representatives of several local agencies.
"What I'll remember is watching the faces of people trying to read our signs," said John Beranek, spokesman for Pay It Forward. "But what I'll really remember is people trying to ignore we were there."
Beranek stood alone at the corner of 10th Street and Minnesota Avenue. Within five minutes, he said, someone rolled down their window and told him to get a job.
Beranek said homelessness is an issue that deserves greater attention.
"Sioux Falls is a thriving community and is capable of doing something about it before it becomes a major problem," he said.
A homeless count conducted Sept. 24 showed there are 512 homeless people in Sioux Falls. Of those, 29 percent rely on family or friends for shelter and 22 percent are in emergency shelters or transitional housing.
Where the homeless go in the bitter cold is a mystery to McMullen. He said he has seen people sleep under bridges to get out of the wind. Others stay with family members or friends when the weather is bad.
McMullen said he hopes Tuesday's demonstration will make a difference.
"I did it because I wanted to give back some of what was given to me," he said.
