BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Homelessness is a growing issue in the U.S. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, about 3,000 people across Louisiana experience homelessness a night.  For a portion of the homeless population, mental health plays a big factor in their housing situations. “I had done nothing wrong, you know, like my crime was being depressed and like, my crime was being depressed and poor," said Angela Pereira, Denham Springs resident. Homelessness is an issue that impacts every community. However, how one becomes homeless can vary. “I would say that probably one of the biggest misconceptions is that anybody who's homeless is lazy. They're on drugs or they want to be homeless," said Dr. Brian Sleeth, executive director of the Christian Outreach Center. Louisiana lawmakers look back at COVID-19 pandemic response across the state For Pereira, a Baton Rouge native and now Denham Springs resident, her struggles with mental health resulted in her once being homeless. “It's like a delusion, you know? It's like a delusion that had come over me and it was like the only life that I knew. I didn't know that life could be any different, that life could be any better," said Pereira. In the early 2000s, Sleeth went to metro Detroit to start a church. Unfortunately, his church was forced to close during the 2008 recession. “We ended up losing our house up in Michigan. And, you know, and pretty much everything. So, a lot of things got, got burned into my DNA in terms of, you know, the importance of timely help and the right kind of help," said Sleeth. New Baton Rouge General clinic helps treat patients with autoimmune diseases Although Sleeth’s sister-in-law in Denham Springs opened her doors to his family, the ordained pastor says personal hardships triggered mental health concerns within him. “But I experienced my first panic attack as a result and anxiety as a result of that experience. So, I sympathize with the trauma that comes from homelessness," said Sleeth. Both Pereira and Sleeth say having family support is key. “These are forgotten people. You know, these people don't most of the time have family that cares enough about them," said Pereira. Sleeth says there are two types of homelessness. People who are physically sleeping on the streets and those who are temporary guests in someone else’s home. Woman’s Hospital gynecologic cancer event includes free food and talks for community “The amount of people who are that type of homeless, it's, it's thousands in the area. And it's hard, it's hard to measure because you don't register in a system anywhere," said Sleeth. According to Sleeth, about 400 people are living on the streets or in shelters in Baton Rouge. He says most people are a few paychecks away from being homeless. “Back then, it was a lot cheaper to live. And now it's, it's even harder on people," said Pereira. By definition, homelessness is the condition of lacking stable, safe and functional housing. Sleeth says homelessness is more than just a lack of material resources. “It's a feeling of helplessness. It's a feeling of hopelessness. It's a feeling of I've lost my voice, I've lost my you know, it's, it's a very emotional relational experience, in addition to not having resources," said Sleeth. Thrift stores, like the Purple Cow, provide funding to the Christian Outreach Center’s programs that provide resources to those in need. There are three Purple Cow thrift stores in the capital region. “Our essential services would be food banks, hygiene kits, ID’s, bus passes, and our weekly grocery distribution to 140 households. And then our sustainability services we provided financial education and job readiness training," said Sleeth. Although she didn’t receive help from this group, Pereira says it was organizations in her neighborhood that helped her along the way. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now BRProud Daily News SIGN UP NOW “The Lord did put people in my life to help me along the way, you know, to help me to, you know, give me advice on how to be an adult, how to budget my money," said Pereira. Starting in October, the outreach center will launch a seven-week course to give people job-readiness training. “It was, it was a very powerful experience that, that God used to inform the work that I do now," said Sleeth. Sleeth says homelessness is an issue we should tackle as a community. To learn more about the class or to get involved with local non-profits, like the Christian Outreach Center, 1427 Main Street in Baton Rouge, click here. Latest News One person holds $1 million Mega Millions ticket in Louisiana What residents need to know about homelessness, mental health in the capital region Big Game Bound: Can the Steelers remain perfect, or will the Colts play spoiler? Man accused of impersonating police officer, hitting potential burglary suspect with gun arrested Senate sends bill to avert government shutdown to Biden's desk