LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The winter months are especially difficult for Kentucky’s homeless population. With the Safer Kentucky Act in effect, which includes a no-camping provision, volunteer groups doing outreach have noticed a change in recent months.

It’s during the coldest months of the year Bill Leavell is out in the elements. He’s searching for Kentuckians who live on the street.

“Would you like some coffee?” Leavell asked a man under an I-65 overpass.

Leavell volunteers for Wayside Christian Mission, making rounds during the winter months. Wayside operates the largest low-barrier homeless shelter in Louisville, and Leavell encourages people to seek shelter.

“What we would like for more of them to do is, if they so choose, would be to go into the low-barrier shelter within wayside Christian Mission," Leavell said. "But really, a very small percentage of people do that." 

On a recent day, Leavell traveled with two other volunteers. All three men are members of the Southeast Christian Church in Louisville. Their SUV is loaded up with prepackaged meals, hand warmers and a large container of brewed coffee.

Over the past few weeks, Leavell said he has noticed a significant change while connecting with Louisville’s homeless residents. It has been nearly six months since the Safer Kentucky Act went into effect, and Leavell said the city’s large encampments are all but gone.

“Well, we think this is the last camp that was in downtown Louisville,” Leavell said, after arriving to an area near the train tracks by Liberty Street. "We were here last week, and it was here, but you can see they cleared a lot of it out."

He said he doesn’t know if that means there are fewer homeless individuals in Louisville but perhaps more spread out. Latest numbers from the Coalition for the Homeless suggest there are more than 1,500 people experiencing homelessness on any given night in Louisville, an increase from five years ago.

“Oh, you can find shelter space when you want to come in, but it’s up to the person to come in," said Steve Jackson, as he took a cup of coffee. "And most people around this time, they don’t want to come in."

Jackson said he stays in shelters at night and sees what Leavell does: smaller groups spread out across the city.

“We’re taught when we go to church, and read the Bible, that we are supposed to be the hands and feet of the lord here on Earth," Leavell said. "So that’s what a lot of us attempt to do." 

At the end of the day, Leavell and his fellow volunteers are choosing to cover more ground because there are still people in need, even if they are harder to find.