2024 Mat-Su Project Homeless Connect held at Menard Sports Center

WASILLA — The 2024 Mat-Su Project Homeless Connect event was held at the Menard Sports Center Tuesday, Jan. 30.

The Mat-Su Coalition on Housing and Homelessness hosts this annual event with numerous local nonprofits and community organizations to support local homeless members of the community.

There was a variety of booths designed to connect visitors to important services such as health and wellness screenings, employment assistance, legal assistance, and housing assistance.

Visitors also had access to free clothing, food, haircuts, and grab bags filled with useful items available throughout the event.

“It's just the biggest day of the year where you can put all these things in one room," United Way Mat-Su outreach coordinator Michele Harmeling said. “It’s really productive.”

Harmeling said that Mat-Su Project Homeless Connect serves a very important purpose in the community. On top of offering various resources to those in need, the event is an annual opportunity to gather data on the local homeless population to better inform future endeavors.

“Especially when it’s this cold out, I couldn’t imagine not doing it," Harmeling said. “People really need it.”

Numerous returning groups and organizations such as Family Promise Mat-Su, United Way Mat-Su, Palmer Lions Club, Knik Tribal Council, Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Alaska Job Corps, and the Mat-Su Borough School District's Families in Transition program participated this year.

“We had great, great vendor participation,” Harmeling said.

Valley Charities homeless services coordinator Dave Rose told the Frontiersman that it’s very encouraging to have so many people from across the community working together to make this event happen each year.

“It makes you feel good about living in the Mat-Su Valley. There's just a whole lot of people who care and it's nice to be a part of that," Rose said.

Food for visitors was provided by Alaska Job Corps with Beta Sigma Phi Laureate Eta members helping serve the food during the event. Beta Sigma Phi Laureate Eta chapter President Kathy Christensen said they help out wherever they can and their group has been involved since the event started.

“We love it. It's rewarding. Its to be able to help people," Christensen said. “We feel good when we go home.”

Christensen said that Mat-Su Homeless Connect makes a positive impact in the community.

"It's a big thing in the Valley and it’s needed," Christensen said.

For more information, visit unitedwaymatsu.org/project-homeless-connect.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com