homeless

Mike Johnson, considered an expert in dealing with homelessness says he wasn't contacted by the city before the council voted last week

Their local city council isn't doing anything about it, so the neighbors and business owners are ticked off.

Each year hundreds of homeless people in Yakima seek winter shelter at the Yakima Union Gospel Mission and at area churches.

It's reality check time. Giving money to panhandlers makes you part of the problem.

The police are out there arresting the drunk drivers or the shop lifters and don't have time for your cat stuck in a tree or the neighbors fist fighting in their front yard. They are on their property and there is no deadly weapon present.

Johnson will talk with The Morning News at 7:15 Thursday morning on KIT. Don't miss our conversation.

In addition to donating your time and resources to charity organizations, you can also fill your need to help your fellow humankind by donating money to total strangers in their time of need on GoFundMe.com.

For the first time since 1980 no count of homeless will happen in King County because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can find information and donate at YUGM.org/207

The latest death happened on Monday when a 54-year-old woman who was last staying at the Mission died of hypothermia near Myron Lake in west Yakima.