Being Neighborly

This October, Metro Library is furthering its partnership with the Homeless Alliance to provide resources and a space for dialogue and education about homelessness.

In 2023, according to the Homeless Alliance's annual Point in Time count, over 20 thousand people were served by programs in the Homeless Management Information System. The city's unsheltered populate currently sits at 31%, and the poverty rate sits at 13.29% for adults and 26.8% for children.

According to a 2015 Pew Research study, 37% of those living in homes with annual incomes of $30,000 or less say the possibility of closing their public library would have a major impact. And 52% of those in that income bracket said they have visited a library within the past year.

Fresh StART is a unique open-studio art program for people experiencing homelessness. The program operates twice a week out of the Homeless Alliance Day Shelter.

Kim Haywood, the volunteer coordinator for the Homeless Alliance said the biweekly class serves as an opportunity to slow down and be fully immersed in a peaceful space, focusing only on their art, and taking space away from what may be a more uprooted daily life.

The Fresh StART program puts on three art shows a year: two at the Homeless Alliance and one at DNA Galleries in January.

Fresh StART Show

October 2 - October 24, 2023 • Downtown Library

This show is a preview of the upcoming show at the Homeless Alliance on October 27.

Fresh StART Opening Reception
October 5, 2023 • 4-6 p.m. • Downtown Library

Guests will be able to meet the artists and enjoy light refreshments.