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Local nonprofit founder urges compassion for people experiencing homelessness
Summary
Paul Ballesteros, founder of Emmanuel Labor, urged McKinney officials and residents to respond to people experiencing homelessness with small acts of care and personal connection, saying, "I can't do it alone. People need you."
Paul Ballesteros, founder of the local nonprofit Emmanuel Labor, told the McKinney City Council that the community's most useful response to people experiencing homelessness is to treat them as individuals and offer small, practical acts of help.
"I can't do it alone. People need you," Ballesteros said, urging residents to carry basic supplies such as socks and bottled water that can open conversations and lead to longer-term assistance. Ballesteros described his outreach as focusing on relationship-building rather than only emergency aid.
Ballesteros identified himself as a McKinney resident and nonprofit founder and described everyday actions he said have worked in his outreach. He asked the council and the public to look past avoidant or judgmental reactions and to consider compassion as a first step when encountering people holding signs asking for help.
The comment came during the meeting's public-comment period, after the council had issued proclamations and moved through consent and several regular agenda items. Ballesteros did not ask the council for a specific policy action at the meeting.
