Though not as active in seeking grants as it was a few years ago, the Madison County Homeless Task Force meets monthly.

Generally, there are three areas of homelessness: people living in emergency or transitional shelters; those without addresses (living on the street or in campsites, for example) and those who have lost their home and are living with relatives or friends.

The U.S. Census keeps some figures on those in shelters, based on cities over 100,000 with more than 100 in shelters. In the 2000 Census, Indiana recorded 2,384 such residents; of those 615 were under 18.

Those figures don’t tell the entire story. The best local guess may be in determining the number of beds (more than 100) in area shelters. However, there is no shelter in the area where families - evicted or homeless - can live together.

Christian Center Rescue Ministries (649-4264) houses about 50 men a night in its emergency shelter and men’s recovery area. The shelter hopes to expand to help about 70 men nightly after a 4 percent increase has recorded in the first four months of 2009 over the previous year.

Others offer similar emergency or transtional shelter.

- Beauty for Ashes (724-3454) in Alexandria can house 10 women

- Alternatives Inc. (643-0200) in Anderson, for women and children facing domestic violence, can take 30 in emergency beds and has five units for transitional housing

- House of Hope of Madison County (644-0786) offers 15 beds for men recovering from drug or alcohol dependencies

- Dove Harbor (642-1853) has 10 units for transitional housing for women and children

- Stepping Stones (648-1101) asists veterans in various stages of transition

— By Scott L. Miley, The Herald Bulletin