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RI Project Homeless Connect in Westerly a one-stop success |
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Friday, 23 October 2009 |
Service providers come together at the Westerly Armory to provide for those who are homeless and in need.
WESTERLY – On Oct. 1, 2009 at the Westerly Armory there was an event that brought service providers together with people in need; taking small steps to make a huge difference in people’s lives. This unique event offered a one-stop opportunity for those who are homeless to connect with much needed services. Hence the event’s tagline: “connect with service providers in one day, in one location”.
The informal and comfortable atmosphere worked to everyone’s advantage, as volunteers mixed and mingled with people who were seeking the services. There were tables set up for each of the service providers as well as a meal area that was set up with complimentary breakfast supplied by Tim Horton’s and lunch supplied by Primetime Café. Coffee was served all day.
The Project Homeless Connect event was a unique opportunity that was brought to the Westerly area for the first time. It was coordinated by WARM (Westerly Area Rest Meals) Center, and lasted from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Laura Jaworski, one of the primary coordinators from WARM, said that “It was great to be able to bring the services to the people. Many people in the area struggle with transportation, so many providers would have been hard to get to.” She added “things that would’ve usually taken a matter of weeks, were able to be completed in just one day.”
The services that were available at the event included Housing Options, Photo ID Vouchers, Benefit Checks, Health Screening, Veterans Services, Mental Health Services and Legal Aid. With the Housing Options for example, there were four different services that had booths set up. Not only were the RI housing and Housing Network of RI present, but the Westerly Public Authority and Housing of VHS were also represented.
The volunteers and coordinators were extremely happy with the amount of people that attended the event. The WARM soup kitchen was temporarily moved to the Armory during the day of the event in order to “hit folks at all angles” according to Jaworski. When comparing the Westerly event to the Project Homeless Connect that took place in Providence a much more urban area, Laura affirmed, “This was a different type of traffic. We really wanted people to walk through our provider area.” And that they did. Between the volunteers and people seeking the services, the gymnasium was constantly buzzing with conversation, thus making the day an overall success.
The Annual RI Project Homeless Connect is part of a national effort to connect homeless persons with a variety of services in a single, one-stop service event organized by city governments and community organizations. More than 150 events have been held in over 115 cities in the past two years as part of the national Project Homeless Connect.
RI Project Homeless Connect in Westerly was coordinated by the WARM Center with support from: the Basic Needs Network of Greater Westerly, Staples, the Westerly Armory and JMack Studios. |
