Past Lockport mayor Michael Tucker is the newly appointed coordinator of the City of Lockport Homeless Alliance.
In the unpaid role, Tucker is acting as the city’s liaison to local volunteers and nonprofit groups trying to aid homeless people in the city. The intent of the alliance, he said, is “to have a coalition of nonprofits…working together to tackle homelessness, instead of everybody doing their own thing.”
Tucker’s appointment was announced Thursday via press release from the office of Mayor John Lombardi III. The duties of the homeless coordinator are to “coordinate special efforts of volunteers, and manage recruitment and training of future volunteers,” the release states. “Mike Tucker will also work closely with local agencies, shelters, and community partners to create a cohesive and supported environment.”
Tucker said he pitched the idea of a volunteer homeless coordinator to Lombardi after seeing a recent Facebook post about city employees clearing a homeless encampment on public property in the area of Stevens Street and State Road.
“It was the tipping point for me. I understand the city’s perspective… but pulling up their tents and throwing what little (possessions) they have in the garbage doesn’t solve anything,” he said.
For the past month or so, Tucker said, he has been accompanying volunteers on visits to encampments around the city to distribute coats, boots, bottled water, and other relief supplies. While they’re at it, volunteers strike up conversation and listen for clues to what this individual, that family, needs to regain stability. They inquire about backstories, share names, locations and phone numbers of known local service providers, and as it seems appropriate, encourage people to reach out.
Since the weather turned, volunteers also try to encourage homeless residents to spend wintry nights at the Code Blue shelter. The emphasis is on “try,” according to Cindy Davis, who has been doing outreach to homeless on her own for several years. Going over to the Salvation Army overnight means leaving one’s possessions behind, unguarded, and many are not willing to do that, Davis said. One very cold night earlier this week, more than 20 people turned up at the shelter — a fraction of the local homeless population, she added.
Alongside check-ins with homeless residents, Tucker said he’s aiming to get meetings with every human service-oriented nonprofit in the area, lesser known ones included. He introduced the City of Lockport Homeless Alliance to the Lockport Focus Group, a nonprofit collective, on Tuesday, and is pursuing one-on-one meetings with its members to learn what they do. The twofold mission is: obtaining additional referrals to resources for homeless residents, and encouraging service providers to coordinate their efforts for greater impact.
Tina Lamont, a retired nurse who’s been doing outreach to homeless for the past six years, said ultimately the quest is to secure housing for people and hopefully landlords will be part of the alliance.
“There’s hope, it’s just a matter of helping,” she said. “You can’t help ‘em all, but if you can help even one, that’s something.”
Interested service providers can contact Tucker at helphomeless@lockportny.gov or 716-383-7501.