Homeless individuals and their families can receive same-day services ranging from healthcare to voter registration during an event in West Plains Tuesday.
This is the first time the city will host the Project Homeless Connect event, which will also take place in five other Missouri cities this fall. It is sponsored by the Governors Committee to End Homelessness and the Missouri Housing Development Commission.
Sarah Parsons, the commission’s Community Initiatives manager, said attendees will be guided through “all the possibilities that could help them enhance their lives.”
That includes housing, social services, birth certificates, identification, mental health, voter registration, child services, legal assistance, veteran’s services and more.
Project Homeless Connect was brought to Missouri in 2008. Parsons said she was inspired by a national conference to end homelessness and its life-changing affect.
“This is about services this is not about resources,” Parsons said. “We’re just so thankful that the governor supports these efforts and that we are able to make a dent in homelessness.”
Since the first event in Columbia in 2009, Project Homeless Connect has served 1,743 individuals in Missouri. Over that span, 300 service providers and 700 volunteers have assisted.
Tuesday’s event is from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the West Plains Civic Center.
In Howell County, officials this year counted 40 sheltered and five unsheltered homeless. The study was done as part of the Point-in Time count, required every other year by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Parsons notes, however, the survey is unable to completely capture the number of homeless individuals.
Same-day service events will also be available for Springfield’s homeless population. Hope Connection, according to the Community Partnership of the Ozarks, expects to serve over 650 homeless and poverty stricken individuals Nov. 16. Volunteers and vendors may register online.