Event to count, help Valley homeless

WASILLA — A family of five staying at local churches until they can get back on their feet will be among about 150 needy Mat-Su Valley residents expected to show up at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center Wednesday for the first Mat-Su Homeless Connect event.

“We’re going to go to the Menard center in order to be counted so that others who need help can get it,” the 20-year-old father of three said Monday. “I want to show my support.”

The family asked to remain anonymous for this story to preserve its privacy.

The Wasilla event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. is one of more than 100 similar events happening in major cities all over the country Wednesday offering housing assistance, food, medical check-ups, showers and even haircuts for senior citizens, veterans and homeless residents.

In the Valley, the Mat-Su Coalition on Housing and Homelessness is teaming up with local senior centers, Family Promise Mat-Su, Valley Residential Services, community leaders, the Veteran’s Administration and the Mat-Su Health Foundation to bring as many needy residents together in one place on one day to not only provide services for them, but to get an accurate count for future needs and funds.

“We’re sure the number of homeless families, seniors and others needing services is much higher than most people realize,” Lorie Rounds, executive director of Mid-Valley Senior Center, said last month. “I know I have two homeless seniors that come here to eat and I know there are more out there. We have to be able to identify them so that we can apply for funds to help them.”

After Wasilla Mayor Verne Rupright gave the green light to use the Menard center at no charge, Mat-Su Health Foundation pitched in $11,000 for the event and about $22,000 in in-kind services have been donated to make it happen, said Family Promise Mat-Su Director Laurie Kari.

Family Promise is a Valley organization that provides room and board to homeless families by coordinating weekly schedules with participating churches willing to take them in.

One of those families is made up of a 20-year-old man, his 25-year-old girlfriend and their children, ages 5, 4 and 2. They first camped out at Wasilla Christian Church for a week and are now at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Palmer.

“We’ve been lucky enough to get an actual mattress for us and the kids,” said the man, who is signing back up with the Army National Guard and expects to be deployed to Afghanistan at the end of the year. “We’ll only have to stay in the churches until I get my sign-on bonus, then I should be able to afford to get my family into an apartment.”

Mat-Su Homeless Connect Co-Coordinator Stephanie Campbell said Monday that they are now scrambling for another van and driver to help bring residents to and from Wednesday’s event.

Other than that, she said everything is coming together nicely, including the coordination of a variety of volunteers and vendors.

“We would welcome more volunteers the day of the event,” Campbell said, adding that volunteers who want to help out all day should plan to be there by 9 a.m. Mayor Rupright will hold a kick-off rally for workers and vendors at 9, but doors won’t be officially open until 10.

Lunch is provided by the Mat-Su Borough School District, haircuts are compliments of Shear Fire Design Academy, and bags of groceries to take home will come from the Food Pantry in Wasilla.

Warm clothing and hygiene supplies also will be provided, Campbell said.

“We’re not going to measure the success of the event based on the number served,” Campbell said. “It’s about the community coming together to provide services for those in need.”

For more information, ontact Stephanie Campbell at 715-9695 or Laurie Kari at 355-2405.

Contact K.T. McKee at kate.mckee@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.