Consistent with its mission, Brookland-Lakeview Empowerment Center (BLEC) is addressing a critical community need that is both obvious and intractable, preparing meals for people living without permanent housing.
Leon Blackmon, logistics coordinator at BLEC, is leading the effort. Blackmon, along with BLEC volunteers, spend evenings and weekends cooking various menus to feed the
homeless.
“BLEC is grateful to Leon and volunteers for their intervention and commitment to tackling this aspect of homelessness,” said Dr. Cindye Richburg Cotton, BLEC executive director. “It is a humanitarian effort that is purposeful and brings immense value to the
mission of BLEC.” According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), over 582,000 persons experience homelessness on any given night in the United States. Additionally, about 127,705 individuals are considered chronically unhoused, a 16 percent increase between 2020 and 2022.
HUD also estimates that over 67,000 of all homeless persons are veterans, comprising 10.6 percent of all unhoused persons in the United States.
Blackmon and volunteers are responding to these statistics in the Columbia area by feeding unhoused persons who typically gather near the Transitions Homeless Center, the Richland County Library Main Branch, and other parts of downtown Columbia. Without exaggeration, Blackmon has cultivated a reputation as a trusted advocate for the home-
“The homeless people are all about trust and they will not accept you or share information
with you unless there is trust,” Blackmon said. “I believe due to COVID, the homeless population in Columbia has increased mainly due to the lack of affordable housing. People can’t afford a nlace to live “
He added: “In my interactions, I have observed an influx of homeless people from other counties to include Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and other coastal areas. Unfortunately, an increasing number of veterans are among the homeless population. As a veteran myself, I want to continue to serve by giving back and helping my community and particularly those who served our country.”
