Reaching the Homeless in Chantilly

"They need help and support," Jim Putzlocker, Advisory Team Member of New Hope Fellowship, said of the homeless.

Led by Pastor Pat Deevers, New Hope Fellowship meets at the in Chantilly.  Its mission is to serve the homeless in the area and spread awarness to the community.  

Jim Putzlocker said that every Sunday, members of the church pick up homeless people from different locations in the area, such as the and the . They are then fed breakfast, lunch and dinner and offered clothing and cash that has been donated. 

The in Chantilly donates food once a month for 50-70 people. The owner/operator, Peter Kim "admires their work to serve the homeless community in Fairfax and wanted to help support them," said Rebekah Knable, a representative of Chick-fil-A at Chantilly Place.

According to Fairfax County, there are more than 1,700 homeless women, men and children in the Fairfax County/Falls Church area.  A majority of the homeless are children and working families. Low incomes and lack of affordable housing is the main cause of homelessness in the area, according to the Fairfax County website.

Community members can help fight homelessness in the immediate future by serving food and donating clothing. As for a long-term solution, Putzlocker said that many homeless men and women that he works with need jobs that provide a sense of responsibilty.  

There are local government programs in place such as the Hypothermia Prevention Program, as well as a community plan to prevent and end homelessness.

However, Putzlocker belives that homelessness intiatives would be more effective "if the government let faith-based organizations run programs."

Editor's Note: A previous version of this article included locations of homeless campsites. Those locations have been removed.