Homeless Connect set for Friday
Event runs from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The 10th annual Project Homeless Connect event will be in Porterville from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 26 at the First United Methodist Church, 344 E. Morton Ave.
Project Homeless Connect is a one-day, onestop event designed to provide housing, services, and hospitality in a convenient forum directly to people experiencing homelessness.
Free services include medical, dental and vision screening, employment counseling, housing information, veterinary care, personal grooming, bicycle repair and much more.
Ashley Sizemore, a planning committee member for the event, said this year the Tulare County Public Health will provide Hepatitis A vaccinations.
Kathy Guinn, the chair of this year’s event, said the event will also provide several types of services for veterans.
In addition to free services, meals will also be provided along with blessing bags filled with necessary supplies.
Sizemore said she is expecting at least 150 people to attend this year’s event.
“We had 150 people attend last year and so we are thinking it will be the same,” Sizemore said, adding that the event is definitely invaluable. “It is an opportunity for them to get the services they need that isn’t necessarily found at community fairs or resource fairs such as haircuts, dental screenings, flu shots and that sort of thing.”
Sizemore said the event not only helps homeless people, but also agencies at the local, state and federal level in understanding how many people are affected by homelessness due to the Point-intime survey.
According to the Kings Tulare Homeless Alliance website, the survey results provide a depth of information pertaining to patterns in the homeless population within the Kings andtul are counties. A Point-in-time count, the website stated, provides service agencies, local governments and policy makers the opportunity to spot trends in homelessness and to evaluate the success of existing programs. It also serves as a tool for agencies and their partners to apply for funding and to plan for programs and services to meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness within the community.