Project Homeless Connect Friday

Project Homeless Connect is returning to Porterville on Friday, January 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Grand Avenue United Methodist Church.

Project Homeless Connect is a oneday, one-stop event designed to provide housing, services, and hospitality in a convenient forum directly to people experiencing homelessness.

On any given night, more than 1,000 people are homeless in Kings and Tulare counties alone. They may be homeless because of an untreated mental illness, domestic violence, addiction issues or a financial crisis. People who experience homelessness often feel alienated and alone.

Every January, the Kings/tulare Homeless Alliance hosts four simultaneous Project Homeless Connect (PHC) events in Hanford, Porterville, Tulare and Visalia. The event connects those who are homeless or near homelessness with a wide variety of immediate, on-site services and support for unmet needs. Some of the services include: veterinary care, employment, medical, dental, eye care, family support services, child care, domestic violence, HIV testing, DMV IDS, legal, housing, veterans, lunches, behavioral health and substance abuse services.

Project Homeless Connect is a nationwide best practice model for helping the homeless community by bringing together services to meet unmet needs in a one-stop, convenient venue. The model has been recognized by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) and has been replicated in nearly 300 cities throughout the United States.

The 2020 Project Homeless Connect events will be held at the following dates/locations:

Hanford on January 23 at the Salvation Army; Porterville on January 24 at the Grand Avenue United Methodist Church; Tulare on January 23 at the Tulare First Baptist Church and; Visalia on January 23 at the St. Paul’s

Episcopal Church.

Volunteers are needed for the event. The following is a list of positions volunteers can apply to help with; bike repair, cart storage, event set-up, exit table, food servers, greeters, hospitality, intake, parking attendant, pet servicing, service guides, shuttle guides, vendor/ volunteer reps, and vision. Volunteers are also needed for a point in time surveys that will take place on Saturday. To volunteer for any of these positions, visit https://timecounts.org/ ktha/events/16499.