2009 PHC Event
More than 800 hundred people who are homeless accessed a complete array of services to help them become self-sufficient at the 2nd annual Project Homeless Connect on November 5, 2009. The event took place in three simultaneous locations – Hanford, Porterville and Visalia from 7 am to 1 pm.
The local events were organized by the Kings/Tulare Continuum of Care on Homelessness (Continuum) with support from hundreds of sponsors and volunteers.
“The goal of Project Homeless Connect is to connect as many homeless people with resources that will help them find homes and strengthen their individual capacity for self-sufficiency,” said Betsy McGovern-Garcia, president of the Continuum. “We have discovered that most of the homeless aren’t resistant to getting services — they just don’t know how or where to go.” McGovern-Garcia said.
What makes it so special is that everything in it is free — including the services of hundreds of volunteers who were on hand to assist participants throughout the day. The Continuum fundraises for the event, to pay for much-needed services such as free ID cards, birth certificates, and phone calls. Capital Source Bank and EMQ Families First were among the cash sponsors for the event.
At each event, clients were able to access a wide range of services from mental health to dental health, immunizations and pet vaccinations. Other services included things as simple as haircuts, access to mainstream benefits, legal assistance and housing resources. DMV was on hand to offer CA ID cards and Google provided lifetime voicemail cards to those without a phone. Services were geared towards all ages, from children and youth to adults and seniors. There was even veterinary services available to take care of homeless pets.
For information about event outcomes, click one of the links below: