Contacts: Pearl Wolfe, Project Homeless Connect Co-Chair and Human Services Commission supervisor, 541-682-4629; Judy Riedl, Project Homeless Connect coordinator 541-682-3798 (message phone)

Project Dates:  One Night Homeless Count, this Wednesday, January 27; Project Homeless Connect is planned for Thursday, March 18.

Planning is underway for the fourth annual Project Homeless Connect for Lane County – an event that helps meet the needs of homeless community members living in Lane County. The event will be held Thursday, March 18 at the Lane Events Center at the Fairgrounds. This one-day, one-stop event invites community members who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless, to come and receive basic necessities and services to help them move out of homelessness.

Project Homeless Connect offers guests free medical, dental and vision checkups, hot meals, haircuts and giveaways of basic provisions. Information on housing, employment, schools, and services available for youth, families, seniors and veterans is also provided.

“Project Homeless Connect makes a huge difference in the lives of homeless guests, community volunteers and service providers that offer help at the event,” said Pearl Wolfe, event co-chair. “The benefits of this one-day event connect people with assistance to move forward in their lives. It also provides community members with an opportunity to understand homelessness by meeting and learning from their homeless neighbors.”

Last year’s Project Homeless Connect event served 1,548 guests with the help of 401 service providers and more than 600 community volunteers.

A variety of donations are needed for this year’s event. Organizers are seeking coats, sleeping bags, backpacks, hats, gloves, socks, children’s clothing, hand sanitizer and other personal hygiene products. Anyone wishing to donate these items may do so by bringing items to St. Vincent de Paul store locations in Eugene, Springfield or Florence. Donations must be clearly labeled “For Project Homeless Connect.”

Donation barrels are also available for those interested in collecting items at business or organization venues. Financial contributions may be made via: United Way of Lane County – Project Homeless Connect, 3171 Gateway Loop, Springfield, Oregon 97477.

For more information about Project Homeless Connect, visit www.homelessconnect.org.

Both the Project Homeless Connect event and annual One Night Homeless Count work together to raise awareness about homelessness in our community and ask residents to take action, according to Wolfe.

The Human Services Commission, Lane County’s antipoverty program, along with its nonprofit partners will be conducting One Night Homeless Count this Wednesday, Jan. 27.

One Night Homeless Count partners (including 20 agencies who administer multiple programs that have contact with people who are homeless) will count people on the streets, under bridges, in parks, camps and other locations not fit for habitation as well as drop-in centers, emergency shelters and transitional housing. They will distribute socks, gloves and toiletries while providing information about area resources for homeless people including Project Homeless Connect.

Last year’s annual one-night count revealed that 2,684 community members were living in temporary shelters or on the street that given night. Throughout the year more than 11,000 Lane County residents were homeless at the time they sought help from one of the county’s 28 service programs.

Questions? Want to help? Contact Judy Riedl, Project Homeless Connect Coordinator, at 541-682-3798 or Judy.Riedl@co.lane.or.us; Pearl Wolfe, Project Homeless Connect Co-Chair and Human Services Commission Supervisor: pearl.wolfe@co.lane.or.us.

The Human Services Commission is an intergovernmental organization that operates on behalf of Lane County and the cities of Eugene and Springfield.

Amber Fossen

Public Information Officer

Lane County Government

125 E. Eighth Ave.

Eugene, Oregon 97401

541.682.3718