There was little chill in the air when the men started gathering at the downtown church, and for that they were thankful.
Although each of them faces hard times, there was joy in their conversation. They talked about old friends, sports triumphs from years ago and where they could find a helping hand.
They were standing in the dark outside St. Bernard Ministry Center on South Broadway in Akron at 7 a.m., waiting for a sack lunch that wouldn’t be delivered for 90 minutes. What some of them didn’t know was that volunteers also were coming to participate in the Akron/Summit County Continuum of Care Ohio Point-in-Time Count of 2012.
It was the annual census of the area’s homeless population. The information would be used to attract federal funds.
By the end of the day, about 400 would be counted. About 80 percent were men. A more precise figure will be available later.
Joe Varner, 56, was reliving the days when he was a boxer, fighting in the ballroom of a downtown Akron hotel and seeing his name in the newspaper regularly. Now he’s living at the Haven of Rest and hoping to acquire a preaching license so he can spread God’s word.
He has been counted among the homeless a couple of times. He hopes to get a job and not be counted again, but concedes, “this is where I come from.”
In addition to a sandwich, an orange, a cookie and coffee, Eric T. Melson collected some much-needed personal items. A scarf, shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste, Q-Tips and a granola bar were in a paper bag. He collected the stuff from volunteers operating the count.
Melson is living in a shelter and getting just the basics “to survive.”
He would like a job, too, but his felony record — domestic violence and manslaughter — scare off most potential employers.
“It’s real hard for a guy with a record to get a job,” he said.
Happy to talk
Some of the men, and at least one woman, were happy to chat with a reporter but declined to give their names.
Volunteer Chris Freeman-Clark of Tallmadge said names are not requested as part of the count. At a minimum, they ask for a birth date and two letters from their last name to make it unlikely anyone will be counted twice.
The count continued all day Tuesday at 11 kitchens and other gathering places for the homeless, including the Metro Transit Center, Akron-Summit County Public Library and Barberton Salvation Army. Later in the day, volunteers went into wooded areas of Akron, looking for the homeless living in tents, under tarps and other accommodations.
100 live unsheltered
Fred Berry, an Info Line employee and coordinator of the count, said participants are listed in two basic categories: sheltered, those living under-roof at places like the Salvation Army or Haven of Rest; and unsheltered, those living under a blanket on the sidewalks or wooded areas.
Those living unsheltered numbered about 100 on Tuesday. That’s down from 146 unsheltered people counted last year. Berry thinks the good weather kept the homeless in more remote places where counters didn’t find them.
There is an etiquette to be followed in approaching the homeless, no matter where they are found.
“Be courteous and remember you are entering this person’s home,” explains a guideline for volunteers. “Someone approaching him/her and asking him/her to provide information may startle some individuals and he/she may be hesitant to participate.
‘‘If someone is not interested in participating in the count, do not push the subject, obtain as much of a physical description as possible and indicate that on the form.”
“It’s easy, nothing to it,” Robert A. Greathouse, 48, said of being counted. He is a laid-off home builder who has a variety of medical issues, including lung cancer.
“I’ve only been homeless a month.”
His goal is to eventually qualify for disability.
Dave Scott can be reached at 330-996-3577 or davescott@thebeaconjournal.com.