Project Homeless Connect, an effort underwritten by the San Diego Housing Commission, recently carried out worked to help San Diego's homeless population.
The Project, which took over San Diego's downtown venue of Golden Hall for the day, provided donated blankets, clothes, and toiletries to those in need on January 28. It also set up a battery of essential services and made them available as well, creating a sort of ‘one-stop shop’ for the event.
Among the services offered were dental check-ups, health screenings, flu shots, and haircuts. Participants were also able to receive help with housing, get ID cards from the Department of Motor Vehicles, speak one-on-one with an attorney, and enroll in health plans. Melissa Peterman, spokesperson for the San Diego Housing Commission, said mental health organizations were also participating.
Event organizers anticipated that between 800 and 900 San Diegans would be likely to attend the event, which this year will use a computerized system to manage the data collected on attendees. The system will allow local agencies that serve the homeless to coordinate their efforts more easily.
Project Homeless Connect organizers might want to work with brochure printers on a booklet for wide distribution that uses information from this event to explain the organization's purpose, and also to suggest ways people can help the cause.
