‘Homeless Connect’ showcases ‘spirit of Mat-Su’

WASILLA — As hundreds of local citizens perused information tables, munched on free lunch and chose new clothes at Project Homeless Connect, organizers and participants alike saw what United Way Executive Director Stephanie Allen called “the spirit of Mat-Su.”

“We have so much care here,” Allen said at the event Wednesday.

A plethora of service providers gathered at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center Jan. 28 to offer various resources — from free food and clothing to financial advice and medical checks — to those in need.

To Allen (among others), the sheer number of volunteers, businesses, nonprofits, government organizations and faith groups present from year to year demonstrates the community’s success and motivation to work to prevent and address homelessness.

“We really are a showcase for the rest of the state on how to coordinate with each other and meet people’s needs,” Allen said.

Haircuts, actually, have been one of the most popular services at the event in the past, she said, as the opportunity only comes once a year for some people.

Other hygiene services, such as foot washing, affect more than appearance.

“A lot of these people don’t even get their feet looked at, they don’t even understand they might have problems,” said parish nurse Judy Lewis.

For those who actually live on the street or in makeshift homes, standing and walking around all the time — especially in poor-quality shoes — can cause serious problems, she said.

But hygiene wasn’t the only issue addressed by foot washing. As longtime Alaskan Johnny Beauregard had his feet washed, he spoke highly of the mere fact that people made themselves available to help others for a few hours.

“I think all the people here are just doing such a wonderful job,” he said. “It’s so great of them to volunteer their time to do this.”

Beauregard also said he received some “good advice” from volunteers with senior service organizations.

One thing to keep in mind is that homelessness is not as straightforward as it sounds. Many event attendees, including Beauregard, rent or live in what would be a fairly permanent home, if not for their low income.

One young, single mother has such a situation. In addition to her 3-year-old and another little one on the way, she maintains custody of two toddlers. She’s facing eviction, she said, but lacks the time, for one thing, to work enough to earn sufficient income to support the children. While she has family in Anchorage who could help, she’s not really willing or able to move from the place she calls home.

“Everything I know is out here, and I don’t wanna move again while I’m pregnant,” she said.

So if nothing else, Homeless Connect was a way for her to walk around, gather some information and enjoy a free meal while someone else (event volunteers) took care of the kids.

“I’m pretty resourceful, but for people that aren’t like that I think (this) makes a big beneficial difference,” she said.

Another female Valley resident said she came to the event last year with direction from a shelter where she was staying as a result of domestic violence. She came back this year with her longtime friend and roommate, who is currently supporting himself with worker’s compensation.

It was good for them to get out of the house, she said, and the set-up of the event gave them an opportunity to follow up with MY House and the organization’s car detailing service. After finding it affordable, she decided it was probably time to bring in her vehicle.

But her roommate appreciated the event for more than himself.

“It gives (people) something to look back on and go the right direction from here,” he said.

Allen said there’s no “prove it” factor in coming to the event, either, so the focus is on helping. The intake form each attendee filled out, then was mainly used to determine which booths best fit the individual’s needs and to keep track of how many people attended.

“If you wanna be here, or if you feel like you need to be here,” you’re welcome, she said.

To view United Way Mat-Su’s most recent community health needs assessment and other related documents, visit unitedwaymatsu.org/localresources.php.

Contact Caitlin Skvorc at 352-2266 or caitlin.skvorc@frontiersman.com.