Jane McNichol heads the Connecticut Coalition for the Homeless, which includes 40 shelters and concerned individuals.

Jane McNichol, executive director of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, said she is doubly concerned because the state's homeless population appears to be growing.

In Connecticut last year, nearly 25,000 homeless people used shelters at least once, according to the Connecticut Coalition for the Homeless.

Jane McNichol, executive director of the Connecticut Coalition for the Homeless, said: "Panhandlers are just people who need money.

The Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence can be reached at 800-281-1481.

Q. What services are provided by the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence?

The number of adult men and women using state-funded shelters has increased by approximately 10 percent over last year, according to the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness.

Southern New England Telephone Company and the Connecticut Coalition for the Homeless are among the center's list of clients.

In 2003, people were turned away from state shelters 37,500 times, an increase of 38 percent from 2002, said the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, a nonprofit group.

"It sends the message that poor people are the problem," said Mary McAtee, executive director of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness.