The new head of the Jacksonville Salvation Army wants to start an information hotline for the homeless.
Captain Justian Corliss arrived in Jacksonville this summer as the new leader for the local Citadel.
He acknowledges the citadel, now on Wall Street, is not the ideal location for those in need. He says the number of meals served has dropped off since the move there.
Corliss has also served in St Charles and East St Louis. He says an idea he likes is a local 2-1-1 number, much like the 911 number. But Corliss says this hotline would help out those at the end of their line.
He says the homeless could call the number and find where to go to seek help, whether that be housing, food or clothing.
Corliss says it will easier to keep track of those who have been helped.
He says this would allow the program to track those who seek help, and find out if they followed through.
Corliss says the Salvation Army volunteers could man the line initially during the day weekdays. But, more help would be needed to keep the line going 24 hours a day.
He’s convinced Jacksonville can do better than what is being done now with the resources available.