It has not been a good week for Tom Atchison, CEO of New Beginnings, a Tampa homeless program offering food, shelter and counseling for homeless individuals looking to get off the street.

On Saturday the Tampa Bay Times published a lengthy, eviscerating story about Atchison and his program, equating it to indentured servitude. The story essentially accused Atchison of exploiting those he was supposed to be helping by making them work at sporting event concession stands the agency was being paid to staff, then pocketing the money in lieu of giving the workers wages.

It got worse when County Commissioner Kevin Beckner called for the feds as well as the county to investigate.

With a handful of allies in tow at Wednesday's Hillsborough County Commission meeting, Atchin said the Times story was B.S.

“I was reading this article, and if I didn't know me, I'd be ready to want to do something about me, too," he said. “Everything in that is a total lie.”

The story also said Atchison was pocketing Social Security checks and food stamps and called his theology doctorate into question. It relied heavily on interviews with former residents and staffers, experts in homeless shelter management and public records. Interviews with Atchison and some of the people who say New Beginnings helped them softened the blow a little, but the piece was still scathing — scathing enough that some national outlets have picked it up.

“Listen to the credible people, not some people that we kicked out of the program, that have gone to the press,” he said.

A handful of past and current residents spoke in support of him.

"They just welcomed me with open arms.” said Sean Harper, who recently came to Tampa from St. Louis. “It gives me courage. It gives me a chance to start all over again… I don't agree with what I read in the article. I believe that was a total abomination in my personal view.”

Commissioner Victor Crist asked a few of them if they had been forced to work against their will, to which each said "no."

New Beginnings had put in a bid to run a new county homeless shelter, but on Wedneesday the contract was given to a competitor.

This article appears in Nov 27 – Dec 3, 2014.