TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL)-- Hundreds of people in Tallahassee live day to day wondering where they'll get their next meal and if they'll have a place to sleep at night.
But The Shelter on Tennessee and Macomb Streets is working to address those needs and help the homeless get back on their feet.
Despite stereotypes some people have about the homeless population,
workers at the shelter say you can't judge a book by its cover.
Te-Sharie Spaulding volunteers at The Shelter because she likes being able to help people. She tells ABC27 the dynamics of the homeless population has changed. "You have many people that are here because of things that went wrong financially with jobs and things like that. You have some people with substance abuse but it's not the habit of having substance abuse some people are learning how to deal with the situation that they're in."
The director of The Shelter added that people from all walks of life can experience homelessness.
"We've seen so many different people come through our doors; men, women, families with children, the working class, people who lost their jobs, or have a job that's not paying enough and there's a lack of affordable housing. All sorts of people experience homelessness giving horrible circumstances that happens sometimes medical catastrophes," said Jacob Reiter.
The shelter serves more than 200 people on a regular basis, including men, women, and families. Residents at the facility tell ABC27 the experience has been life changing.
James Roberson has been at The Shelter for 5 months now and attributes it to helping him grow as a person.
"I'm an entrepreneur, self made. I like wholesale retail merchandise. I came by choice. I wasn't homeless I was hungry. It's a difference. I wanted more, so I came here and built myself in order to go out and get more. It built me. It made me a better man that I already was and it's took me to another level," said Roberson.
The Shelter provides services 365 days a year 24 hours a day. Its goal is to connect residents with resources in the community so they can land a job and finally find a place to call "home."
