Gallery: Outreach continues for people experiencing homelessness amid the COVID-19 outbreak
Mental Health Association Oklahoma and the City Lights Foundation continues to do outreach to people experiencing homelessness. They spent Tuesday morning delivering care packages and COVID-19 information sheets to encampments around Tulsa.
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Heather Sisson from Mental Health Association Oklahoma walks through an encampment of people experiencing homelessness below the levee west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Megan Smith (left) talks with James Knutson from Mental Health Association Oklahoma at her camp below the levee west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Jessica Kelly from Mental Health Association Oklahoma does outreach to encampments of people experiencing homelessness west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Amanda Pippin from Mental Health Association Oklahoma makes her way down to an encampment of people experiencing homelessness below the levee west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Creating a handbook of rights for people who have mental health challenges and needing legal help is among the projects of the Oklahoma Appleseed Center. This 2020 photo shows a social worker talking with a man who is living at an encampment near downtown. Many people who are homeless have interactions with law enforcement. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Amanda Pippin (left) and James Knutson from Mental Health Association Oklahoma walk along the Arkansas River while doing outreach to encampments of people experiencing homelessness west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Workers from City Lights Foundation and Mental Health Association Oklahoma make their way to encampments of people experiencing homelessness below the levee west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Robbie Riddle talks to outreach workers from from Mental Health Association Oklahoma his encampment below the levee west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Roland Johnson collects items given to him by outreach workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma at Johnson's encampment west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
A man who lives at an encampment below the levee west of downtown holds a COVID-19 information brochure he got from social workers doing outreach Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Megan Smith (left) talks with James Knutson from Mental Health Association Oklahoma at her camp below the levee west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Jennifer Rivera (left) from Mental Health Association Oklahoma takes her temperature before doing outreach with people experiencing homelessness Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. At right is Amanda Pippin, also with Mental Health Association Oklahoma. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Jennifer Rivera (left) and Jessica Kelly from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and Zak Bates of City Lights Foundation walk below the levee looking for encampments of people experiencing homelessness west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Megan Smith (left) talks with James Knutson and othter workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma at her camp below the levee west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Tulsa's homeless outreach
Heather Sisson from Mental Health Association Oklahoma approaches Matthew Gee's tent to leave him a care package and COVID-19 information at an encampment below the levee west of downtown Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Workers from Mental Health Association Oklahoma and City Lights Foundation continue deliver care packages and COVID-19 information to homeless camps throughout Tulsa. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World
Mike Simons
Tulsa World Staff Photographer
The state unemployment rate has nearly quadrupled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and falling energy prices.
"If the community wants to move faster on the strategies to eliminate homelessness, then fund it as robustly as law enforcement," says editorial writer Ginnie Graham
The goal of “Operation Direct and Connect” is to gather information to inform policy decisions while also directing those in need to social services.
"For people to get the help they need, they aren’t going to get it sleeping on the sidewalk; they are going to get it” elsewhere, Mayor G.T. Bynum told the Tulsa City Council on Wednesday.