Assistance for area homeless people will be available today at Duluth's Project Homeless Connect.
The event will run from11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Edmund Fitzgerald Hall at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. During the event, people in need can find services and goods such as food, clothing, housing, employment, transportation assistance and medical and mental health care. Volunteers will distribute necessities including blankets, sleeping bags, toiletries and socks.
"Our main goal is to get the homeless population to come down and take advantage of the services we have available," said Paula Reed, president of the United Way of Greater Duluth and chairwoman of the Project Homeless Connect Committee.
Project Homeless Connect is designed both to help the homeless and to increase awareness of the issue in the community.
"Homelessness does exist here in Duluth," Reed said.
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According to St. Louis County Commissioner and social activist Steve O'Neil, more than 500 people in the Duluth area, including about 200 children and teenagers, are homeless.
About 245 people came to Duluth's first Project Homeless Connect event last year. According to organizers, at that event:
* Three households found homes.
* At least 24 people applied for permanent and transitional housing.
* Photo IDs were secured for 12 people.
* About 500 bus passes were given out for follow-up visits and appointments scheduled at the event.
* About 75 people received medical care or tests and 50 received flu shots.
Reed said the committee learned from last year's event. There will be fewer volunteers meeting attendees when they first arrive, since too many volunteers can intimidate some people. The entire event is focused more on services this year, and more thought went into what items will be most useful to attendees.
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The event is sponsored by a task force born out of a 10-year St. Louis County plan to end homelessness, local businesses, social services, citizens and faith-based groups.
