When he was 17, he had $7,000 to his name and it appeared that a blue-collar future of working a steady job would be his ticket to success. Two years later, that future never materialized. Beau is homeless. "It makes you jealous of the world," he said last month. "It makes me think, 'Why me?' " When Beau turned 21, his life started spiraling downhill. His girlfriend got pregnant. Drinking alcohol made matters worse. When he would drink, he couldn't stop. Too impaired to drive, he still got behind the wheel. Tickets accumulated from his reckless behavior. Today, he says he's quit drinking. He also pointed out that, unlike many other homeless people who battle substance abuse problems, he doesn't use drugs. He understands to get back on track he has to be clean. His parents either can't or won't help him. His dad lives somewhere in the area, but ignores his messages. His mother, who lives in Illinois, has her own problems to deal with. Beau sees his daughter, now 4 and who lived with him for her first two years, only sporadically. She has his matching blue eyes and lives with his former girlfriend's grandparents. He holds out hope that one day they will be reunited under the same roof. "I can't do anything for her," Beau said as he turns away to mask his disappointment. "I could use a break." The only money Beau has is what has been collected recently by working odd jobs. He's been trying to work part time at a fast-food restaurant in town, but it's hard to scrape together enough money to rent a place to sleep at night. Beau is not alone. Local agencies have seen a significant increase in the number of homeless people in the area. Kia Phillips, of the Missouri Career Center in Warrenton, said in past years she would try to find employment for three or four homeless people from time to time. Last month, she helped spearhead a community-wide effort to host a Thanksgiving meal for homeless veterans. At that time, she said there were approximately 22 living in the Warrenton area. While preparing for the feast, Phillips soon expanded her task to include all area homeless. While handing out fliers one evening at various parts of the Warrenton area, what she found was astonishing. Families with several children were living in pop-up tents at various places. Cars pulled into store parking lots late at night so they could maybe catch a couple hours of sleep. Everything a person owned was stuffed into a trunk. Approximately 100 people were fed at Holy Rosary on Nov. 22, though the figure included many low-income individuals on the cusp of becoming homeless. Homeless people in this area sleep in a variety of spots, whether it be in woods near Interstate 70 or next to the railroad tracks. Most of the time, darkness hides their cover. "It's very overwhelming," Phillips said. "No one believes there are homeless here." Phillips didn't have to make a believer out of Kathy Purcell, executive director at Agape Ministry of Warren County. Working for an agency that helps provide resources for low-income people, Purcell has seen the number of homeless increase substantially over the years. "There's been an explosion," Purcell stated. "I think the entire country should be concerned, including people living in Warren County." Similar to Beau's situation, Brian, 29, is eager for the opportunity to find a job with a steady income. He's a high school graduate, but found himself sleeping in a homeless shelter for a month in 2002 in St. Louis. Where he sleeps at night depends on his job situation. He normally works for temp agencies that send him anywhere from Wentzville to St. James to Quincy, Ill., in search of a paycheck to keep him going until the next job is located. At times, he can sleep at his mom's house. Most of the time, he might sleep on a friend's couch. Sometimes, he will sleep in his 1991 Geo Tracker. "I'm on the run all the time," Brian said. William is trying to do his best to make his life better. Despite living in a rugged camper south of Warrenton, he collects unemployment. He used to work at a gas station until it had to be closed. He hopes when it re-opens he can go back to work there. He believes he can use whatever entrepreneurial skills he possesses to sell a variety of merchandise at an area consignment store. "Some of them are working poor," Phillips noted. "Some people work and are homeless. They just cannot make enough money." Thanks to Phillips' help last month, Beau had a hotel to stay in for a Friday and Saturday night. On Sunday, he would be back to his regular day-to-day routine. He would be spending most of Sunday trying to figure out where he would sleep that night. "I can't win," he said. (Editor's Note: Last names have been omitted to protect identities).