Art Alley mural brings attention to homelessness issue
Assistant Police Chief Don Hedrick and Mayor Steve Allender join members of the Rapid City Youth Task Force in front of a new mural in Art Alley. The mural was dedicated Monday to bring attention to the issue of homelessness in the community and nation.
(City Photo)
Rapid City Mayor Steve Allender and Assistant Police Chief Don Hedrick participated in a pair of events Monday, focusing the spotlight on homelessness and its many related issues in the community.
At a kickoff event at the HOPE Center announcing various community awareness activities, Mayor Allender presented two proclamations. The proclamations declared November 12-20 at National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week in Rapid City, and November as National Runaway Prevention Month. Both proclamations profiled the severity of hunger, homelessness and runaways in the community and nation and Mayor Allender shared it takes a community to address the problems and a community to solve the problems.
Mayor Allender and Assistant Chief Hedrick then accompanied the Rapid City Youth Task Force to Art Alley for the dedication of a new mural raising attention on the issue of homelessness in the community. Members of the Youth Task Force painted the mural to focus attention on the impact of homelessness and the need for the community to come together on addressing possible solutions.