Monthly Archives: May 2018

Organizations Seek to Help Area Homeless

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By Kimberely Blackburn
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO – With many of the Delta’s residents living without a home, area organizations assist in putting lives back together.

After being homeless for seven years, Travis Howard said he doesn’t like living on the streets. He said his parents raised him to live better than he currently does.

“My momma told me one time: ‘Before I die, I want to see you get better,'” Howard said. “(She said) I know it’s in you.”

The grandfather of three boys began coming to Jonesboro’s Helping Underserved Belong after its opening. The HUB assisted Howard in getting his birth certificate and insurance to help him find his way back from living on the streets.

Howard’s journey to homelessness began after he worked for many years in various jobs, including an assistant manager position. He said he attended two years of college and still likes to try and keep his mind sharp. He goes to the public library every day, reading newspapers.

Untreated physical and mental problems caused his downward spiral. He said he began drinking alcohol at the age of 13, but no one tried to get him into an alcohol-treatment program until he came to the HUB. Howard said he doesn’t blame others for his situation, he knows he can do better … but he needs help. Many, he said, don’t want to help, they just want to lock him up.

Providing Help

Kimberly Bartee, director of the HUB, said she hears stories similar to Howard’s too often. Many need help after a single event caused their lives to spiral out of control. She said after the HUB volunteers grow to know their guests as people, they begin to understand what needs to be done to truly help.

“They may have gone through drug rehab, but that was yesterday,” she said. “Who is that person today? Who do we want that person to be? Who does that person want to be?”

After being concerned with the homeless situation in Jonesboro, Mayor Harold Perrin created a task force in 2016 to determine how best to help. He said they created Jonesboro’s HUB after visiting a similar facility in Memphis. Perrin said while he plans to take the program further and build a shelter, more can be done now.

Hoping to help area panhandlers, Perrin said he authorized city employees to assist the homeless in finding work within the city organization. Finding a way to put them back into society will help them to help themselves, he said.

Director of Community Involvement Tiffny Calloway said Jonesboro receives Community Development Block Grant Funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This grant provides funding to aid in issues low-to-moderate income families face in their daily lives. She said the city allocated part of the funding to help Jonesboro’s homeless. These funds help fund the HUB and provide transportation and other basic services.

Jonesboro also received the Continuum of Care grant to provide housing and utility assistance to eight individuals for a year. Calloway said the grant will pay 100 percent of the utilities for the first few months, 75 percent for the next few months and gradually decrease to help the recipients get on their feet and save money.

A Place to Stay

The HUB works with Mission Outreach in Paragould to provide emergency shelter for Jonesboro’s homeless. Program director Cheri Peters said they assist Northeast Arkansas and parts of Missouri in providing shelter for those who need it. The facility holds 58 individuals and they house men, women and families in separate dorms.

The philosophy of Mission Outreach seems similar to the HUB’s as they both seek to determine what each individual needs, and works with those in the community to provide services. Mission Outreach works with Families Inc. to provide counseling services and local government offices to find needed identification documents.

Peters said after an individual obtains an identification card, they must find employment within two weeks. Mission Outreach provides transportation to and from their work and each one must save 75 percent of their wages.

While not an emergency shelter, Jacob’s Place in Searcy assists area women and families needing help getting back on their feet. Melanie Kiihnl, program director, said Searcy Ministerial Alliance established the shelter after a Searcy High School student did a study on the homeless situation in the area. The 2007 study found 80 homeless families in White County.

Jacob’s Place houses up to 15 individuals and those seeking shelter must submit to a criminal background check and drug screen. Kiihnl said they try to work with other area programs to assist when an individual fails either test. She said they often work with Wilbur D. Mills drug-treatment facility when one fails a drug screen.

Those staying in Jacob’s Place must obtain a job and save 40 percent of their wages.

Both Mission Outreach and Jacob’s Place enforce strict rules and regulations upon those staying at their shelters. All must do chores and be inside the facility by curfew. Mission Outreach’s doors lock at 9 p.m., and Jacob’s Place residents must be back by 10 p.m. Peters said the rules help to maintain order and maintain relationships with other families living near the facility.

While Jonesboro officials currently search for a place to establish a homeless shelter, Perrin said he believes the citizens of Jonesboro will take care of the needs of their own.

Howard said he wished a shelter existed in Jonesboro. He said it’s difficult to get and keep employment when one cannot keep up with personal hygiene. He often attempts to clean up in area hospital bathrooms, but can only take what he calls “bird baths.”

Until the city completes a shelter, Bartee said HUB volunteers will continue to help those in need, whatever their situation.

“To the druggie on the street who has a habit that they cannot beat, we’ve got resources for you,” she said. “To the person who just lost their house in a fire, we’ve got resources for you. To the grandparent who needs custody of their grandchildren or whatever they should need, we’ve got resources for you.”

Listen to Howard’s full interview

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Editor’s Note: Featured photo by Jason Snyder [CC BY-SA 2.0]

Business Provides Pharmaceuticals Alternative

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Kayce Wilson
Delta Digital News Service

BROOKLAND, Ark. – Arkansas residents may get away from pharmaceuticals because of the benefits of the cannabidiol oil derived from the hemp plant.

Many Arkansas businesses submitted their applications for a dispensary license in September 2017, but they will not receive clarification until official announcements expected sometime this year. One NEA business, Emerald’s Triangle LLC of Brookland, still awaits its results. Owner Richard Johnston said they planned to get into the medical marijuana industry once the store opened in 2016.

“I went to a convention in Los Angeles in February (2017) that was the big industry show that had to do with vape, CBD and medical marijuana. That’s where I decided to pick up my first company when it comes to CBD: Blue Moon Hemp,” Johnston said.

The store began to sell CBD products and contains CBD tinctures, topicals and powder in its selection. Buyers can purchase it in vape oil, edible and shatter form as well.

Employee Alfred Holland continually researches CBD.

“Israel has been on the forefront of CBD, and they’ve been doing research for over a decade,” Holland said. “It can be used for anything from fibromyalgia, general inflammation in all of the major parts of the body, osteoporosis, diabetes and some psychological issues like PTSD, depression, seizures and anxiety. Some even buy it for their animals.”

Emerald’s Triangle LLC continues to see a positive response from the community. Employee Zach Slater said the stigmas associated with the marijuana industry remain their main hurdle.

“The reception of the CBD has been great as more people learn the information, like what it does and doesn’t do, so some of the stigma behind the cannabinoid is kind of being dematerialized. I think that it will just grow bigger and bigger,” Slater said. “Some people need to realize that it’s not a fad dietary trend; we’re all at the very beginning of a new era.”

Emerald’s Triangle owns a closed group on Facebook where users can provide their input on CBD and find answers to their questions.

Paragould resident Hannah Foster said the use of CBD changed her life drastically.

“It helps with my insomnia, vomiting and nausea, eases the pain in my joints and bones, dulls my lisp so I can speak clearly, as in it helps slow down my talking and it helps anxiety dramatically,” Foster said. “You can put the tincture in any food or drink — I love it in my tea — or you can take it directly by mouth.”

What is CBD?

As the compound extracted from hemp plants, CBD allows the user to reap the physical benefits without the “high” associated with marijuana. CBD oil contains little to no traces of tetrahydrocannabinol, the chemical which causes the psychoactive effects associated with marijuana. You can read more information here.

CBD affects the endocannabinoid system within the body that regulate the body’s functions, such as sleep, pain, mood and autoimmune responses. The therapeutic effects happen when the cannabinol interacts with the endocannabinoid receptors located throughout the body system.

CBD helps to reduce inflammation, a condition that worsens many pre-existing health issues. The secret to seeing positive results from CBD involves figuring out the right method and amount that will suit the condition.

Dr. Betsy Hendricks of Conway works at the Arkansas Center for the Study of Integrative Medicine. The center’s mission combines the mental, spiritual and physical aspects of health to heal and relieve those of their pain.

Food and Health Study Group member Elene Murray said Hendricks does her research.

“She’s a super sleuth. She’s traditionally trained but uses supplements and knows the labs to run for food sensitivities,” Murray said. “She helps people heal as where traditional medication just runs around in circles.”

CBD

Shaman’s Reach, a CBD product line manufactured in Brookland. (photo by Kayce Wilson)

The staff at Emerald’s Triangle LLC recently released Shaman’s Reach, a line of CBD products that they manufacture in Brookland.

Shaman’s Reach combines CBD and medicinal herbs aiming to target inflammation, pain, fatigue and even allergies. The most popular form of this product is a tincture, which is to be dripped under the tongue. There are also capsules, salves, isolates and infused honey as well as smokable products, which makes the product accessible to all. Their informational website regarding medical marijuana can be accessed here.

As the uses for CBD increase, many common issues are expected to decrease. The staff at Emerald’s Triangle said there’s a change coming.

“It’s happened in many other states and now Arkansas has a chance. They’re going to see that the opioid epidemic is going to drop, the addiction problems will drop, the prescriptions will drop. The state will save tons of money on insurance,” Johnston said.

Emerald’s Triangle LLC. recently opened a store in downtown Jonesboro where shoppers can get access to CBD and its other products. For more information on Emerald’s Triangle and CBD, click here.