PALM BAY, Fla. — Thomas Rebman reaches out to people living on the streets in Palm Bay, trying to let them know that someone cares. 

"(I'm) spending the time to build the relationship," Rebman says of meeting people on the streets. "If somebody just walks into a camp and says, 'Hey, what do you need? I'll take you to the shelter right away,' they're always going to turn them down."

Rebman doesn't just sit behind a desk, he walks around homeless camps, looking to help anyone who wants it.

"What I try to do is educate other people about homelessness," he said. "And at the same time, it makes me feel wonderful to help somebody."

For years, Rebman has reached out to people living on the streets, trying to let them know that someone cares. He believes face to face is the best way to do that. It's also the way to gain their trust, he said.

"To find out their story, you have to spend a lot of time doing outreach," he said.

Rebman has identified 27 homeless camps in the city of Palm Bay.

He said about 95 people live in those wooded places, scraping by with tents, chairs and relying on food and water donations from the community.

But he says there are so many others out there who could be homeless at any moment.

"There are lots of people right on the edge every day," he said.

Rebman's goal is education, and he's become the "go-to" guy for up-to-date information on the homeless population for the city council and local government.

There have been two recent public meetings about the issue and the opening of a cold night shelter.

He wants to turn around misconceptions that all homeless people are involved in alcohol and drugs.

Most he says, have hit hard financial times or were convicted of crimes to the point where landlords won't rent to them.

So, step by step, this homeless advocate will continue to walk toward the problem in the hope that people will one day be able to walk away from it.