By Blake Haas

BLOOMINGTON – A homeless encampment on Bloomington’s east side is growing daily.

Over 20 people call the small tent city in a parking lot owned by Eastview Christian Church home.

Due to prior experiences, those individuals have nowhere else to go besides setting up a tent near Home Sweet Home Ministries.

“We are sitting down with every single individual camper, going through getting an understanding of their story, reviewing rules of the encampment,” Matt Burgess, Chief Executive Officer of HSHM said on WJBC. “And then we issue camping passes, essentially, that get zip tied to their tents. (We do that) so we know that they are people that we’ve processed into this community.”

For now, local nonprofits continue working with Bloomington city leaders to provide a dumpster and two port-a-potties.

“We’re wanting to work with them and try to help them identify grants and other ways for them to be able to expand capacity,” added Bloomington Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe.

Those staying at the encampment are to follow procedures and policies put in place by local nonprofits.

In a recent social media post, HSHM noted the need for the following items:

– Contractor garbage bags

– Heavy Duty work gloves

– Heavy Duty disposable nitrile gloves

– Hot hands

– Sticky hot Hands

– Water

– Rain poncho

– Ready-to-eat foods

– Plastic ware

– Flashlights

– Wet wipes/tissues/paper towels

– Change of socks, hats, gloves

– Small first aid kits

Donations can be dropped off from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. -5 at the Bread For Life Food Co-op in the rear portion of 301 East Oakland Ave. in Bloomington.

Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].