ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — A group called People Helping People, run by a couple, is working to bridge the gap between the public and how they view homelessness in Albany.

Four days a week, Junie Turner and Rod Collins hit the streets of Albany, going downtown, to the east side, the west side and other areas to find people who need help.

“Just to give them something or to listen at what they have to say to you, that means a lot to them,” Junie Turner said. “Because, you know, no one knows their struggles.”

Personal connections to the cause

Both Junie and Rod say they have a reason why they started the work. For Junie, the death of her brother in 2022 was a starting point.

“He suffered with mental illness, and he left home to go and be homeless,” Turner said. “So, mental illness plays a big part in the homeless community as well.”

For Rod, his service in the military was his reason.

“To go on and, you know, volunteer and fight for your country. And then to come back and to be homeless, that’s just inhumane,” Rod Collins said.

Recording conversations online

Junie and Rod have started recording their conversations with the people they meet, and the videos have taken off online. They said the videos are not just viral content, but people sharing their stories.

Taucha Blackshear was interviewed and described their childhood.

“My childhood, I guess it was good. You know, it was 12 kids. My mama raised us by herself. You know, my daddy, he passed away. And so, my mama, she’s struggling. So, I kind of like, know what the struggle is like. But I don’t want to be in this though. But, you know, I know what the struggle is like when I come to this point. You know, I know God got me.”

The people they meet include veterans, people battling addiction and people who say they fell on hard times.

“What brought you to this point right now?” Rachel Price was asked.

“Very bad decisions. And I’m not good with people. I don’t know how to read them. And yeah, I make dumb decisions,” Price said.

Collins said the videos have raised awareness.

“I was in the convenience store the other day. And the lady in there was working the casualty. She noticed me, you know. And she said that I didn’t know that this was going on in Albany. That makes us, you know, know that, hey, you know, it’s not in vain,” Collins said. “You know, we are making awareness that, you know, these things are actually going on.”

Help beyond food

Their help goes beyond handing out food. Recently, donations helped them get one person they met in Albany back home to Plant City, Florida.

They said homelessness can happen to anyone, and while compassion matters, so do solutions, including housing.

“You know, people could just pop up and say, hey, we got food today. We got breakfast. And you don’t have to ride on the east side, ride on the west side, go to the south side,” Collins said. “So, if we can kind of eliminate that part and just somehow, some way, you know, come up with their own organized community. And give them some housing.”

For Junie and Rod, the answer to Albany’s problem starts with showing up for the people who need it most.

“You can do something to help someone and kind of change the trajectory of what’s really going on,” Turner said.

How to help

People who want to donate or volunteer with People Helping People can reach out through the following:

• Email: [email protected]
• Cash App: $PeopleHPeople
• Venmo: @Junieturner
• GoFundMe: gofund.me/junie-well-14apr

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