(ABC 6 News) — The TABLE, or Team of Advisors Bringing Lived Experiences, held a community cookout on Saturday to advocate for the homeless community living in Rochester.

The cookout was hosted alongside the Zumbro Valley Medical Society.

“We just want to support the homeless here in this community and just advocate that we’re no different than anyone else in this community that’s housed,” Dusti Olson from the TABLE said.

Everyone who is a part of the TABLE has lived experience with homelessness, and they used the cookout as an opportunity to break the stigma around homelessness in Rochester.

Laurissa Bale was unhoused for five years after experiencing struggles with her mental health and not knowing where to go to get support.

With the help of local organizations in Rochester she was able to secure housing, and is now working to advocate and help those in Rochester who are going through similar situations.

“There’s a lot of value in supporrting people who are coming out of homelessness because we have stories, and those stories apparently are going to be changing lives,” Bale, who is a part of the TABLE, said.

Bale said showing empathy and understanding to those who are experiencing homelessness will help break the stigma that exists around it.

For those who are a part of the TABLE, being able to show support to unhoused people after they experienced it themselves is extremely important.

“There’s a lot of value in supporting people who are coming out of homelessness because we have stories, and those stories apparently are going to be changing lives,” Jamal Gayles from the TABLE, said.