BUTTE, Mont. — A local man who’s dedicated his whole life to addressing the issue of homelessness will bring attention to it by spending 24 hours on a bench.
“Winter is coming, right? So, we need to be talking about these issues that are going on in our community,” Butte Rescue Mission Director Brayton Erickson said.
Watch full story below:
Erickson is participating in a national event called "Conversation on a Bench." On Oct. 8, he plans to stay on a bench at Butte’s Salvation Army building off Harrison Avenue.
“I’ll be there for 24 hours, rain or shine, we have people that this (patting the bench)often times become their home,” Erickson said.
As head of the Butte Rescue Mission, Erickson invites anyone to sit with him on the bench and talk about the issue along with what can be done about it.
“How do we work together as a community? Organization, church, community groups, government: How do we work together to solve this problem?” he said.
Jennifer Barnett has experienced homelessness herself and knows the difficulties it can present.
“If you’re not getting the right amount of sleep, and you’re not getting the right diet and you don’t feel safe, you need those resources, so that you can get back on your feet,” Barnett said.
The event will begin at 1 p.m., and Erickson will remain on the bench for 24 hours. Though it’s a fun way to talk about this issue, Erickson says homelessness is no joke.
“You know, we’ve seen it in October where it gets below zero and that can literally take lives if we’re not prepared to get people the resources they need,” Erickson said.
The Butte event will also be live streamed online at conversationsonabench.org
