You need not be a New Deal Democrat to appreciate the memorable “Four Freedoms” speech delivered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In his third State of the Union address, in January 1941, FDR proposed four fundamental freedoms he felt humans everywhere in the world should enjoy. They included freedom of speech and expression, freedom of religion, freedom from want and freedom from fear.

Nearly 70 years later, the notion of “want” still haunts both policymakers and the nation’s poor. And yet, here in St. Joseph, there lives hope that a committed community can lift its less fortunate into a better life.

That explains the pooling of resources envisioned through a new program, Homeless Outreach Medical Express Unit (HOME). Northwest Health Services and the Social Welfare Board partnered to obtain a federal grant that will bring $320,000 to the community annually to provide improved health care and counseling services to the city’s homeless.

Nurses, a dental hygienist, a social worker and others will go wherever the homeless are. Starting this fall, they plan clinics in church basements, food kitchens and neighborhood centers. Screening for housing assistance eligibility will be part of the program.

The effort is notable for its long-range goal that extends far beyond meeting basic health needs. Linda Judah, executive director of the Social Welfare Board, said the focus is on helping each person served to “become a participating and healthy citizen.”

It’s not hard to understand how this works: A person who has shelter, medical care and other basic needs met can focus on securing education and a quality job; can take an interest in civic affairs and voting; and can consider giving something back to the community that has provided for him or her.

Without permanent housing, an individual may be living on the street, moving from shelter to shelter, or living in abandoned buildings or in a vehicle. Perhaps an economic reversal has left a family suddenly homeless or forced two or more families into cramped, unhealthy quarters.

Some 1,600 people in St. Joseph live in these circumstances. As a group, they hold enormous potential to make positive contributions to the community — but only if a way can be found to elevate them from the ranks of the perpetually homeless.