Homelessness in Athens is a growing issue, but shelters like Bigger Vision of Athens are doing everything they can to combat this concern. They have served the Athens community since 1998 and opened their permanent shelter on North Avenue in 2012.
Bigger Vision offers daily meals and a bed to sleep in each night. They are currently able to bed 36 people which amounts to roughly 10% of the total homeless population in Athens-Clarke County.
Interim Executive Director Debra Hess hopes to find funding to expand the shelter in the near future to accommodate homeless individuals with higher needs.
“One of the things I would really like for Athens, Clark County, is to get a facility for people who cannot take care of themselves and are homeless,” said Hess.