LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — (KTHV) – Canvas Community Church is working to hire people to help get Little Rock’s homeless trash clean-up program off the ground.
Canvas Community Church will run the “Bridge To Work” program through a trial period of about six months. Little Rock City Board passed $80,000 in funding Tuesday to help pay the homeless $9.25 an hour to pick up trash. Associate pastor Paul Atkins said homeless people are already asking for work.
"People have been like 'OK! When are we starting? We're ready to go!'" he said.
Trash clean-up starts Monday, April 1, so Atkins said he has been working to fill certain rolls in the meantime.
"We're going to hire two people to be the drivers and supervisors every day,” Atkins said.
He said the position would be perfect for someone who is retired. He is also looking for volunteers who would like to help guide the homeless.
“To walk with them side by side, to mentor them,” he said. "You're going to learn where they're coming from as much as you have something to offer."
Atkins said the $80,000 in funding will be enough to pay about 8-10 homeless people a day. He said the church is working to figure how to give everybody a fair shot at working. He said the homeless will be paid in cash and fed at the end of the day.
"We're keeping track of the numbers. The number of people that participate total. How many days they participate,” Atkins said.
He also said the ultimate goal is to get homeless people connected to services through this program for education, job training and housing. Atkins says the city will be checking in in the summer to see if Bridge to Work, is working out. From there, the city will decide to extend the program beyond six months.
“Come April 1, we’re definitely going to figure out how this needs to happen and there will be some blind allies where we have to go Oh! That didn’t work and we’ll have to try something different,” Atkins said.
If you are interested in becoming a driver or volunteer, you can reach out to Atkins here.