From HIV Tests to Pet Care: A Project for the Homeless

by Indy · 2010-10-08 08:22:00 UTC
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Here's a homeless outreach event that doesn't presume to know what people's needs are:

Next Thursday, Oct. 14, the Tacoma Dome will host the area's 2010 Project Homeless Connect. This year, the program hopes to help 750 people. At this event, homeless people can access a variety of services such as medical, dental and vision. The offerings also include haircuts, pet care, rapid HIV testing, flu shots and a host of other things geared towards helping homeless people have a better life. Even round-trip transportation is provided to get homeless people to the event.

The interesting thing about this project is that it's run by volunteers. In fact, they're the one who serve as greeters at the door. When homeless people walk in, the first thing they're asked to do is name the three most important needs they have. The volunteers then help people navigate their way to the needed services. Each service provider will record the number of clients they see along with the types of services provided. The information collected helps the program find out who is getting served so that future needs can be addressed. Secure on-site childcare is offered to ensure that parents can get to the services they need. If you've been to Homeless Connect events in other areas, let us know in the comments if they were as user-centric.

If you click on the "Make a donation" button at the top of the Tacoma Project Homeless Connect page, you'll see that the devotion to transparency extends to fund-raising, too. For instance, $15.00 will buy lunch for one person while $75.00 will buy lunch for a family of five. Donations besides cash, including items such as hand warmers, socks, shoes, sleeping bags and cold weather gear, are also in high demand.

In Pierce County an estimated 2,000 people experience homelessness on any given night. An estimated 1,500 people showed up to access services at last year's event. A nice video on the site encourages people to get involved. I plan to. Do you?

Photo credit: Washington State Tourism

Indy is a single mother of two, working on a degree and occasionally teaching herself how to repair cars. She has been homeless since 2004.
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