The 2023 Project Homeless Connect filled the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex conference rooms with clients and service providers on Tuesday, January 31st, providing services and assistance for the homeless and/or near homeless on the Central Kenai Peninsula.
The 12th Annual Project Homeless Connect provided assistance and services including (but not limited to) housing information, personal care services, employment & career guidance and lunch and health care.
Leslie Rohr from Love INC. discussed the venders and services provide through the Project Homeless Connect event.
“We have 37 venders, some of them new this year and here for the first time. It’s really been a blessing to see how our community has come together to put this event on. While we focus on this one day, we know that people that we serve are going to be in need of services for the entire year. To be able to connect them with the resources today allows them to access those services throughout the year.”
Rohr commented on 2022 numbers and repeat clients.
“If you look at last year’s (2022) numbers and 43% of the people that came through were first-time attenders; it will be interesting to see this year how many are first-time attenders. What I have noticed is a lot of the people that we used to see year-after-year have been moved into permanent housing placement and now no longer need our services here. That’s really great to see.”
Volunteers are the backbone of Project Homeless Connect. Rohr spotlighted the volunteers.
“We have over 100 volunteers here today. Everything from preparing and serving food to being escorts-helping people maneuver through the mass of people and vendors to try and make sure that each person gets to see the actual people they need to connect with.”
Similar Project Homeless Connect events will also be held in Homer and Anchor Point on January 31st.
For more information on Project Homeless Connect, Love INC and information on continued services available call: 907-262-5140 or housing services at 907-262-5169
