FORT SMITH (KFSM) — The new homeless center in Fort Smith is full, which has lead those in charge to think the homeless population is more than they originally thought.
“We figured when it got really cold around Christmas and stuff like that that’s when we would get full… but what this tells us is maybe there’s a whole lot more homeless people here in Fort Smith than what we know of,” said Hope Campus Board President Greg Pair.
Pair said within four days of opening the doors all 85 beds were full.
“We’re serving over 200 meals a day, that quickly,” he added.
Pair said Movie Lounge, a business that recently closed their doors in Fort Smith donated all their food items to the shelter. He also said the community has been generous in donating food items.
Volunteers are hoping to add 20 more beds to the shelter. They will cost right at $300 per bed.
“If somebody wants to drop by and give us $300 for a bed, we would love it. We really need to raise that money quickly so we can house more people,” he explained.
