I am a mother of two girls who have been raised in Chapel Hill. We live less than a mile from Homestead Park. I worked for six years at a preschool across the street from the future site of the men's homeless shelter. I was a soccer coach in those fields for both of my daughters. I am also a mental health professional working in an inpatient psychiatric unit. I have worked with a multitude of homeless men with both mental health and substance abuse issues.

Recently, I received a disturbing flier from Kevin Wolff indicating that my family will be in danger if the men's shelter is built near my home (CHN Oct. 23). Mr. Wolff is clearly uneducated on this issue.

These men currently live in the woods behind my home, his home, and countless others. They are already in our neighborhoods, and having the shelter in this area will not change that. This flier indicated that EVERY homeless man is a criminal or a pedophile. This is a terrible misconception. These men have endured hardships in life or perhaps by their own choices, but being homeless is not a crime. I would rather know that they are in a safe, structured environment, receiving services that could offset their homelessness versus having them wandering in the woods or parks of our community.

The ads that Mr. Wolff is using in the hopes of becoming the next mayor are regrettable and discriminating against a population which he simply does not understand. I am a mother. I live near Homestead Park. I have no problem with the location of the men's homeless shelter. I am proud to live in a community that can identify a problem and is strong enough to work together to find a solution.

Allison Palmer

Chape Hill