Salvation Army offering salvation to 'Tent City' refguees

THROUGH OCTOBERFOR A LIST OF THOSE EVENTS, HEADTO OUR WEBSITE, KRISTV.COMREPORTING LIVE FROM LA PALMERAMALL, PATRICK JOHNSTONE, KRIS 6NEWS{***WIPE**}{***REBOUND STILLSTORE**}DON’T FORGET, IF YOU’VE GOT ASTORY IDEA FOR OUR REBOUNDSEGMENT, WE WANT TO HEAR FROMYOU.JUST EMAIL US... ATREBOUND-AT-KRIS-T-V-DOT-COM.{***WX PLASMA VO**}ADVOCATES ARE WORKING TORELOCATE THE HOMELESS... FROM ACOMMUNITY THEY CREATED.AS WE’VE REPORTED... SEVERALHOMELESS PEOPLE BUILT ACOMMUNITY IN A PARK IN A MOSTLYDESERTED NEIGHBORHOOD ON THECITY’S NORTH SIDE.THAT COMMUNITY... IS NOW UNSAFEFOR THEM.GREG CHANDLER HAS MORE ON ONEAGENCY’S EFFORTS... TO GET THEMOUT.{***PKG**}{***SOT FULL**}WILSON: Things were going reallywell, there was a community thatwas forming.HOMELESS ADVOCATE FATHER BRUCEWILSON SAYS THE NORTH SIDE TENTCITY WASN’T A PERFECTSOLUTION... BUT IT KEPT THOSELIVING THERE... AWAY FROMTROUBLE.BUT RECENTLY... THAT COMMUNITYHAS BEEN OVERRUN... WILSONSAYS... BY THE WRONG ELEMENTS.DRUGS... GANGS... AND VIOLENCE.{***SOT FULL**}FR.

BRUCE WILSON/HOMELESSADVOCATE: It was immediatelyclear this was not a safesituation, we immediately neededto improve the legitimatehomeless people.{***SOT FULL**}CAPT.

PATRICK GESNER/COMMANDINGOFFICER, SALVATION ARMY OF THECOASTAL BEND: Several of themover this past weekend actuallycame to us and said they wereready to make a change.ENTER THE SALVATION ARMY OF THECOASTAL BEND... WHO USED MONEYFROM CITY GRANTS AND PRIVATEDONORS... TO FIND MEMBERS OFTHIS HOMELESS COMMUNITY... A NEWPLACE TO STAY.{***SOT FULL**}GESNER: We’ve been putting theminto a hotel, temporarily, untilwe can find more affordablehousing available long-term forthem.LOCAL COMMANDING OFFICER CAPTAINPATRICK GESNER SAYS THE IDEA...IS TO GET PEOPLE OFF THESTREET... AND INTO A NEW LIFE.SO FAR... 41 PEOPLE HAVE SIGNEDUP.{***SOT FULL**}GESNER: Some of those people aresingle, but some have children,small children, and they’re sickand tired of living this way,they want to get out.

That’sthe goal, to get people intohousing.IN CORPUS CHRISTI... GREGCHANDLER... KRIS 6 NEWS.{***OTS**}CAPTAIN GESNER SAYS THESALVATION ARMY HAS ENOUGH MONEYTO CONTINUE