USM group joins Army unit to combat homelessness

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - The University of Southern Mississippi’s Institute for Disability Studies has partnered with the United States Army National Guard in an effort to combat homelessness.

The National Guard has been collecting non-perishables and hygiene products since October.

The partners met at a local storage unit to stow away the items.

“Things that we do are not just for us at the Institute for Disability Studies,” said Demetra Bates, a USM disability studies representative. “They’re for the community, just trying to work together because we can do so much more as a group instead of working individually. So, that’s why we’re here, to help people,”

The collected items will be given out next week to those in the homeless community as the fight to end homelessness continues in the Pine Belt.

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