Salvation Army in Sacramento prepares for influx of homeless people after Newsom's executive order
SACRAMENTO – Following California Gov. Gavin Newsom's executive order to begin removing homeless encampments in California, the big question now is where will everyone go?
As encampments start to come down, thousands of people are going to need a place to go.
"Yeah, I think everyone is kind of bracing themselves at their own unique location thinking who they can serve and how they can serve them best," Rio Ray said.
Major Rio Ray is with the Salvation Army in Sacramento.
"I think that none of us want to see the homeless living on the street," Ray said.
The Salvation Army has several shelters and as they prepare to provide a place to stay, they want to use this as an opportunity to offer a new beginning.
"The hope is to not only provide that shelter and that meal though, but provide a way out and to get people help they need so they're no longer part of that program, so they're no longer part of that cycle," Ray said.
And he's hoping people will pitch in to help because it's a problem that will take a lot of time, a lot of money, and a lot of compassion.
"If you have nothing to give, I always encourage people to say a prayer, to volunteer your time, to commit to helping people in that capacity," Ray said.
While Newsom cannot order local authorities to act, his administration can apply pressure by withholding money for counties and cities.