Homeless connect less than 2 weeks away

WASILLA — Agencies and nonprofits are hard at work gearing up for the annual Mat-Su Homeless Connect.

The event, which brings together everything from housing programs to food pantries to legal aide programs to homeless shelters and thrift stores, has a dual purpose.

First it’s a means to connect the Valley’s homeless residents with services they need. Second, it serves as kind of a census for the Valley’s nonprofits.

“It’s really important actually for the point in time count for us to get as many of the folks in need to the event as possible so that our count is accurate,” said Laurie Kari, who heads up Family Promise Mat-Su and helps to organize the event.

Kari said in the run-up to Homeless Connect, agencies have been on the radio spreading the word and also giving talks at chambers of commerce and Rotary clubs and other community meetings. They’re working to get fliers posted on MASCOT buses and spread the word at places homeless people gather.

“United Way is heading up all of the outreach and volunteer registration, they’re doing a lot of the leg work,” Kari said.

Part of the United Way’s work, she said, involves manning a one-stop phone number — 745-5827— set up for people who want more information or want to volunteer. Organizations that want to have a booth at the show can also call that number, as well as people who need a ride.

“That number will be switched to dispatch the day of the event for transportation,” Kari said.

She said part of the tally could include a count of homeless camps, but from what she’s heard only one is inhabited this winter. If people know of an inhabited camp, they can also call that number to report it.

Kari said that in addition to the event, organizers are looking into the possibility of having booths at local grocery stores the day of the event to pass out fliers to let people know it’s going on and try and get them to go. The kiosks also will have sign-up sheets for the homelessness count.

She said the event is different from a similar one in Anchorage.

“It’s a festive air there, too. When you go into the Anchorage Homeless Connect, it’s more official and serious, I guess, whereas our homeless connect is more like going to the fair for homelessness services,” she said.

Sponsored by United Way Mat-Su, the Mat-Su Health Foundation and the Alaska Mental Health Trust, the event is slated from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Jan. 29 at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center in Wasilla. Volunteers are needed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the event.

Contact Andrew Wellner at 352-2270 or andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com.