Local film to shed a light on homelessness

GHT ON HOMELESSNESS...SOMETHIN THAT IMPACTS EVERYSINGLE COUNTY IN TEXAS.

ROUJARELL BAKER HAS AOO LKTONIGHT...AT THE EFFORT TOPROFILE THOSE...SEARCHING FORA HOME...AND A NEW START.EVERY PERSON WITHOUT A HEOMHAS A STORY... "NOTEVERYBODY'S THERE BECAUSETHEIR DRUG ADDICTS, DRUNKS,CAUSING TROUBLE OR LAZY.

SEOMPEOPLE ARE JUST DOWN AND OUTAND DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO GO."AND THAT'S WHY SERENITY ANDANTONIO EDWARD ARE WORKING...WITH CENTRAL TEXAS ACTOR..S.TO PRODUCE A RAW AND GRIPPINGORSHT FILM.

"PEOPLE ANTICIPATETHE BAD AND THEY EXPECT THEBAD GARAGE DOOR IS NOT B AADLOT OF STORES ARE NOT BAD."THE FILMMAKERS SAY THE MOVIE,8 BUCKS, IS BASED OF THEIRWN OEXPERIENCE& WHEN THEY AL HADSONO PLACE TO CALL HOME.

"WE HADTO GET OURSELVES OUT OF THAT.IF WE DIDN'T WORK HARD TOWARDSTHAT WE WOULD BE ON OF THOSE"LAZY" ONES THAT WOULDPROBABLY BE STILL HOMELESSTODAY.

NOT EVERY HOMELSESPERSON IS LIKE THAT, THERE ARESOME THAT ARE TRYING TO GETOUT OF THAT SITUATION AND THATWAS US." THE EDWARDS SAY THEYWERE LAID OFF FROM THERE 6-FIGURE JOBS IN ARIZONA SEVERALYEARAGS O... AND HAD TO ENDUREMONTHS OF HOMELESSNESS INTEXAS UNTIL THEY GOT BACONKTHEIR FEET.

DURING TTHATIME... THEY REMEMBER OTHERSIN THE HOMELESS COMMITUNCOMING TOGETHER... TO GIVEFOOD, MONEY AND SUPPORT."THERE IS A COMMUNITY OUTTHERE AND THEY DO TAKE CARE OFEACH OTHER IN A CORNER.

NOTSAYING EVERY COMMUNITY IS LIKETHAT BUT AT LEAST ONE THAT WEARE INVOLVED IN.

WE LTFESAFE." "ALL THEY NEED IS ACHANCE AND A OPPORTUNITY LIKEWE DID WHEN WE WERE HOMELESS."THE FILMMAKER SATHY EY'RE ALSOSHARING OTHER STORIES&THOSEWHO WERE REJECTED BECAUSE OFTHEISER XUALITY, DOWN ON THEIRLUCK AFTER A DIVORCE,SUFFERING FROM ADDICTION ANDMORE.

THEY BELIEVE THAT THEFILM WILL SHED A LIGHT ON THEHOMELESS COMMUNITY... AND SHOWTHAT THEY'RE PEOPLE WITHPRIDE, HOPE AND EADRMS. INKILLEEN JAREL BAKER 25 NS.EWTHE COUPLE RECEIVED A GRANFROM THE KILLEEN ARTCOMMISONSI TO HELP FUND THEFILM.

IT SHOULD DEBUT IN MARCHOF NEXT YEAR.ACCORDING TO THE U.S.INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ONHOMELESSNESS, TEXAS HAS OVER27 THOUSAND HOMELESS PPLEOEACROSS THE STATE.

FOURTHOUSAND WERE HOMELESS FOR ATLEAST A YEAR.

TEXAS HAS ONOFETHE HIGHEST PERCENTAGES IN THECOUNTRY...WITH FOUR POINTSEVEN PERCENT OF THE STETAHOMELESS.

THAT IS BEHIND JUSTCALIFORNIA, NEW YORK ANDFLORIDA.

.THE CITYF OWACO IS TRYING TOBREAK THE SIGMA AND MYSTHSURROUNDING HOMELESSNESS.

MANYAREN'T LAZY...BUT ESCANGPIABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS ANDDON'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO GO.MYTH: HOMELESS PEOPLE SHOULDGET A JOB.

IT IS ALMOSTIMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO GET AJOB WITHOUT AN ADDRESS ORCONTACT INFORMATION...O.SMETHING THAT'S A STRUGGLE.MYTH: HOMELESS PEOPLE CATN'LEAD PRODUCTIVE LIVES.

MANINYTHE HOMELESS POPULATION WERERESPECTED MEMBERS OF SOCTYIEBEFORE BECOMING HOMELE.SSMYTH: THE HOMELESS IS NOT MYRESPONSIBILITY.

THEY AREMEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITYWE.ALL NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TOMAKE OUR COMMUNITY A BETTER