A recent incident at the Augusta Salvation Army demonstrates a recurring trend among areas with few resources for the homeless.
According to a report by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, on the evening of Sept. 26, Deputy Michael Rowe responded to a “suspicious situation” at the Salvation Army Center of Hope Shelter on Greene Street.
Upon arrival, Rowe encountered a homeless man named Clifford Cornell who said he had recently been released from a months-long lockup at the Columbia County jail and claimed the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office dropped him off at the shelter, without contacting the Salvation Army.
Cornell also said he was disabled, barely able to walk, the report said.
A report by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office confirms that a disabled, homeless Evans man named Clifford Cornell, 60, had been released from the Columbia County Detention Center and transported by sheriff’s deputies to the Salvation Army shelter on Greene on Sept. 26, alongside a homeless Grovetown man named James Lee Martin. The report also states that “both men were given a letter of clearance to reside at the facility.”
Richmond County’s report said that Salvation Army staff advised that they weren’t going to let Cornell inside due to his use of vulgar language while beating on the windows and doors trying to come in.
The shelter called Shawn Hargis-Rhodes, Code Enforcement Coordinator for the Richmond County Marshal’s Office to get Cornell to a safe place.
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“They may have been able to contact Adult Protective Services to get him placed in a personal care home,” said Hargis-Rhodes. “But he can’t disrupt the calm environment that these people need.”
Hargis-Rhodes, attempting to at least procure a wheelchair or walker for Cornell, was eventually able to contact his brother and ensure Cornell received medical care.
The line to check in at Center of Hope’s emergency shelter for men starts at 3:30 p.m., and check in is from 4:30 to 9 p.m.
Maj. Steve Morris with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office notes that when homeless inmates are released, deputies will provide transportation to a safe space of their choosing, drafting a letter identifying the person and providing clearance to stay in said space.
“If they have no place to go, and they request to go to Salvation Army, or we can find a spot for them at another shelter, we’ll do that,” said Morris.
Because Augusta has several resources to aid the homeless, especially compared to surrounding areas, its shelters have often served people in need from various counties.
“It is very common for the Salvation Army to receive people in need from all over the state, both South Carolina and Georgia,” said Derek Dugan, Development Director at Salvation Army Augusta. “Because the rural counties don’t have the resources to care for people so they know of the Salvation Army in Augusta, and that’s why they bring people here.”
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
