Jackson Free Press

"Quite often, we see people on the street, and we just ride by them, and we can't even look at them," says Linda Townes, director of Mississippi State Hospital Stubbs Homeless Program. "But these are people with real problems and real issues. They are just like anyone else."

Townes, who wrote a play titled "Boxmen" in conjunction with Project Homeless Connect Week, hopes to raise awareness about a population that is 
often forgotten.

Townes said she wants people to see that homeless people are not just nameless faces; they are people with real problems, including unemployment and substance abuse.

"Boxmen" features two characters living in a homemade box, played by Bob Muse and local artist Anthony DiFatta. Townsend said Muse brings a personal quality to the performance because he has lived on the streets since his mother died of cancer two years ago.

The larger goal of Project Homeless Connect Week is to bring people of all backgrounds together to search for solutions to the number of homeless people in Jackson.

In addition to the play, Project Homeless Connect Week will also feature the art exhibit, "Anonymous: Faces on the Street," featuring works of art that focus on homeless people, including pieces from Muse and DiFatta .

The exhibit will run Sept. 21 through Oct. 4 at the Eudora Welty Library (300 N. State St.) A noontime concert will take place at Smith Park 9302 Amite St.) on Sept. 24.

See "Boxmen" Sept. 23 at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. and Sept. 24 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the Eudora Welty Library. Admission is free. Contact Linda Townes at 601-351-8523 for more information.