KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — It's the season of giving and people in the Volunteer State have a heart for helping others.
However, some homeless outreach organizations are asking people to think twice about the way they give this season, saying they shouldn't directly give to people experiencing homelessness and should instead support outreach organizations.
The city monitors encampment sites and noticed a buildup of things like clothes, blankets as well as rotted fruits and vegetables.
"Many times, they're just duplicating the services already been provided," said Dr. Rick Emmett, the Downtown Coordinator with the City of Knoxville.
He said it's a hard thing to explain because Knoxville residents can be so generous.
"These groups that come into town and the churches are so compassionate, there's no doubt about it," Emmett said.
Good Samaritans bring clothes, blankets, food and toiletries; however, much of that gets left behind after people experiencing homelessness leave encampments. Sometimes, advocates say they're forced to leave those items behind while encampments are thrown away.
Around 800 people are experiencing homelessness on any given day in Knoxville. But, that number is not stagnant. People are constantly moving through the experience as many people search for a pathway out of homelessness.
According to the city, about 22% of Knoxville's homeless population is chronically homeless, meaning they have been homeless for over a year.
"They may have already been provided that same service just within the last few hours or days," Emmett said.
Outreach organizations like KARM, United Way, VMC and CAC said they target the needs of these people every day. However, some advocates say people experiencing homelessness often cannot find space through those services or are expected to follow strict guidelines to receive them.
Many people experiencing homelessness may not work with those organizations for a variety of reasons. And to survive through the cold and to eat meals, advocates say they may depend on the kindness of strangers.
Yet, outreach organizations say they provide necessities like food, water, clean clothes, bedding and resources meant to put the individual on a track toward housing.
"We are really just trying to engage, develop that relationship, build trust, and let people know we're there to help. And we really do want to try to connect them to the best resources," said Misty Hagy Goodwin, the social services director at CAC.
However, some people don't seek out those resources. Emmett said that helping people experiencing homelessness directly can be enabling negative and harmful behavior and said people could instead volunteer with outreach organizations.
Goodwin said cash donations go a long way, too. These funds can help outreach services meet more people where they're at.
"We will talk to people when it's cold outside, or really hot, and talk about going into a shelter. If there are barriers and reasons, or if they're not comfortable going into shelters, sort of talking through that and seeing if there are any other alternatives that might work," Goodwin said.
The city's said its ultimate goal is to get as many people as possible plugged into resources as possible.