A Schuylkill County man wants to create a central program to help the homeless.

Jeff Dunkel of Palo Alto calls his proposed coalition TORN, or Transitional Housing, Outrreach, Resources and Nourishment. TORN would be a coalition of agencies which would work together to help the homeless — especially veterans.

Dunkel was inspired by a program he saw in North Carolina.

“The facility in North Carolina has housing, a soup kitchen — all the resources to help under one roof,” Dunkel said. “There are funding programs, like the Neighborhood Assistance Program — which could apply. In North Carolina, businesses were also involved.”

Dunkel said the program is needed now more than ever.

“Homelessness is skyrocketing,” Dunkel said. “We lost our soup kitchen recently. If you drive through Pottsville, you see the homeless near storefronts, on stoops, and near ATMs. This task force could offer shelter, food, housing, all in one building, In North Carolina, they even offer classes at a community college.”

Wednesday morning, the county commissioners approved a proclamation endorsing the work of the Schuylkill County Mental Health/Developmental Services and Drug and Alcohol Programs, along with other county organizations involved, to complete the Jan. 22 Point-In Time Count to eradicate homelessness in the county.

Elaine Gilbert, the county’s MH/DS/D&A director, said the Point-In-Time Count is meant to identify the homeless so the right people can get to them to help them.

“But some homeless people don’t want to be helped,” Gilbert said, “And there are some who are working, but can’t make ends meet.”

In the proclamation, the commissioners also recognized the county’s Children and Youth, the county’s Office of Senior Services, Schuylkill Community Action, Servants to All, veterans’ offices, police and churches in the county and Services Access and Management, Inc.

Other business

• The commissioners voted to extend funds for administrative expenses to June 30 for federal Community Development Block Grant funds to complete the installation of walking paths for physically-challenged people at the North Ward Playground in Tamaqua, and a home rehabilitation program in West Penn Township.

• Also, the commissioners approved the certification of $103,147.80 for the purchase of agricultural conservation easements. The funds are a match from county revenues plus the total interest collected from Clean and Green rollback tax penalties in 2024.

• John Halibura of Orwigsburg was reappointed, and Josiah Meck was appointed, to the Schuylkill County Agricultural Land Preservation Board for three-year terms ending Dec. 31, 2027.

• The commissioners approved Keith Masser of Sacramento to continue to serve as chairman of the land preservation board, and to accept the resignation of Bill Wehry of Klingerstown from the board.

• The commissioners also appointed Charles Lech to fill the unexpired term of Aaron Earlosky as the resident board member on the Schuylkill County Housing Authority board for a three-year term ending Jan. 1, 2027.

• They reappointed Colonel J. Craig Ray to the county airport authority board for a five-year term ending Dec. 31, 2029.