Project Homeless Connect In Calgary

Project Homeless Connect Event Number 4 ocurred on February 28th 2009 from 9am - 4pm on location at Petro-Canada Centre in the heart of downtown Calgary: 150-6th Avenue S.W.

Organizers and Volunteers who set up these events typically expect and prepare for at more than 1000 marginalized low-income and Homeless individuals to attend the event, and the events provide:

* Access to employment and housing opportunities

* Medical Treatment

* Personal Identification documents

* Comfort Kits

* Meals

* Income Supports

* Clothing

* Hair Cuts

* Addiction-Recovery Supports

* and MUCH MORE!

Marginalized, low income individuals, homless individuals, people staying in shelters, and people who require low-income services are all able to access the Calgary Project Homeless Connect events.

Events are displayed in the media a few weeks before the event date, and times for opening of the event are posted at all the agencies involved and in the newspapers, television, etc.

All that marginalized people need do is show up in the morning and allow volunteers and agency workers at the events to assist in finding necessary resources and information.

Demographic information is taken as soon as possible after client individuals gain entry to the PHC event location.

SORRY ABOUT THE LINE-UPS OUTSIDE - PHC volunteers do their best to get coffee, water, and snacks out-of-doors for those who line up early and who are waiting to access services.

I am a PHC volunteer myself and I have to comment here

THE PEOPLE SHOWING UP TO THESE EVENTS FOR SERVICES ARE A-1 AWESOME in their patience with volunteers! Happy faces in the morning, pleasant chit-chat, and as already stated, plenty of patience while waiting to access the buildings that PHC is held in. I have been involved in 2 of the 3 events so far, even though I require low-income-service check-ups at the event, myself - and I have been extremely impressed by the courtesy of the marginalized individuals showing up for needed services!

I have laughed a few times at 'volunteer concerns' from new volunteers who have not experienced homelessness or who do not have previous volunteer experience with marginalized, homeless, low-income, street people. This has never been a snickering sort of derogatory chuckle, either - it has been a relieved one. I am just happy that new volunteers are having their fears allayed and previous misconceptions about marginalized people DISPELLED at each event - before 9am in the morning!

HOMELESS AND MARGINALIZED PEEPS - you ROCK!

...whoops - back to business here.

What happens at Project Homeless Connect events?

All good stuff, all good stuff...

After entry, clients are taken through an 'intake process' which is very flexible. Mainly 'demographic' information is taken at the 'intake area' where there are tables to sit at and volunteers to talk to.

For clients: these volunteers are sworn to keep your information private, however, there is also NO NEED if you're uncomfortable, to disclose any information about yourself.

The most important purpose of the 'intake' process is a 'head-count' and pertinent anonymous information. If clients are willing, some of the intake workers can help assist clients in finding appropriate services at the event so that their client needs are best met. This involves any of a number of questions that clients can choose to answer or choose to not answer. Any questions asked can be left blank, but if answered, might help the clients' tour around the PHC event more efficient.

After the intake process, individuals may go to whichever service or agency that is most needed or that they require information about or from. Although clients may be asked to name the 1, 2, or 3 most necessary services or resources they require on PHC event day, this DOES NOT EXCLUDE ANY INDIVIDUAL from accessing more services, agencies and resources. If a question is asked about "which 3 services are you most interested in at this event?" or "what is the main resource you require today at this event?" or similar questions, this is just for demographic purposes so that PHC agencies and volunteers can keep trying to problem solve for future events.

PEOPLE CAN STOP BY every single one of the agency areas or resource areas if they so wish. There is no limit to the number of areas one can access, stop and talk to workers and volunteers about.

CLIENTS - TAKE YOUR TIME - make sure you don't rush, so that you access the services and resources you truly need.

There are always A LOT of agencies, volunteers, information spots at these events and it is actually quite easy to overlook someone, something, some agency or resource presence on-site at the event, so everyone needs to take their time.

THERE ARE AREAS where people can rest if necessary, so if clients get tired, it is not a reason to have to leave the event before appropriate services and resources are visited.

There is typically a lunch of some sort at the event, however, this food resource changes from event to event (so far, anyway). Sometimes during times of clear skies and nice weather, the food is brought out-of-doors, while in winter months, the PHC committee has managed to secure healthy meals for clients indoors.

For Clients: If something is served at lunch that you cannot eat, PLEASE TELL A VOLUNTEER - ANY VOLUNTEER - so that an alternative arrangement can be made. * Note - this is not license to just be 'fussy' about lunch, but the PHC committee aims to provide a truly healthy lunch at these events that can be enjoyed by all, so if you really can't eat the planned meal, you do not have to go away hungry - be assertive and ask for what you need!

Addiction-Recovery Meetings on-site at PHC Events:

Some 12-step meetings have been attempted at previous PHC events in Calgary. Sometimes the planning for these goes awry but if you are interested in attending a meeting at any future PHC events, ASK A VOLUNTEER to set one up for you.

A.A. and N.A (Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous) members held AA and NA meetings at the PHC4 event, so these things are possible, even at an event that is a temporary set up for 1 day!

If you have arrived at the PHC event and you are 'unstable' - YOU ARE FINE TO PROCEED and enter the event.

"Unstable"=drug difficulties, emotional difficulties.

Please STILL enter the event, stay calm if you can through intake (intake really only takes about 2 minutes) and access the help you need inside the structure of the PHC event.

THERE ARE COUNSELLORS, ADDICTIONS SERVICES, DOCTORS and Mental Health professionals ready and waiting at the PHC events.

Don't let 'the shakes,' 'sketchiness,' 'nervousness,' or the like to deter you from attending and accessing services.

A mobile response team is also on-hand at the events, so if you enter the event and truly need additional and professional help for your emotional, physical, mental or spiritual help, the help is ready and waiting.

Beyond these things, the day should basically be one whereby clients feel free to wander around and ask whatever questins they'd like and aim these at the volunteers and agency workers. If someone cannot answer an important question at a particular location you're at within the event, ASK THE PERSON TO FIND SOMEONE who knows or will find out the answer!

There are typically over a hundred volunteers at these events. The volunteers are all present because THEY FEEL STRONGLY about assisting marginalized individuals for an entire day during each PHC event.

If a particular volunteer comes up 'blank' for an answer to an important question, there are over one hundred other sources to go for information - from people who volunteered for the event just to make sure that marginalized people have their needs met.

2008 - FINALLY!

After several years with wheels simply 'spinning' in homelessness and poverty issues, a concrete series of EVENTS has been implemented in the city of Calgary.

The goals of Project Homeless Connect gatherings/events are to have low-income services come together all in a concentrated area, easily accessible to low-income, homeless and otherwise marginalized individuals. The events aren't JUST for benefit of the marginalized people, but are also to enable various government, commercial and community services to learn about EACH OTHER.

Previously, many low-income agencies, organizations and services, have been unaware of the workings of peer agencies, organizations and services. This has often resulted in inefficient referral processes and complications in advocacy for the low income persons who require assistance.

At times, people who need assistance in many respects have been unaware of the locations, or even the existence of certain services, so Project Homeless Connect events will be geared to make services, organizations and agencies VISIBLE to the people who need them most.

In Calgary, the Project Homeless Connect events are patterned after same-name events that have proven helpful in the U.S. Basically, the successful elements of Project Homeless Connect in locations like San Francisco and over one hundred cities in the United States of America, have been implemented as far as possible in Calgary.

Efforts will be on-going, and the organizations, agencies and services appear to be interacting together with flexibility and long-term problem-solving in mind, so this could mean some real and CONCRETE solutions for marginalized Calgarians.

Although a 'full cure' for the problems within the Calgary homeless and low-income populations will not magically surface - homelessness will not be completely eradicated - just from one or two Project Homeless Connect functions, the benefits that PHC is bringing to Calgarians is certainly WELCOME and is a definite LEAP in the right direction.

To help as many marginalized people, one event at a time, with as many government, commercial and community service providers working together as can be gathered together in a day - then repeat - then repeat - then repeat - well, this idea surely cannot be a mistake.

A first and successful Project Homeless Connect (PHC) event was held in Calgary in April 2008.

PHC1 Was held in downtown Calgary at the TELUS Convention Centre on Saturday April 26, and the event was planned to run from 9am-4pm, however, visitors began to arrive for the event as early as 7am. Since the event was so obviously geared toward the homeless and marginalized in Calgary, arrivals at 7am shouldn't be considered all that unusual.

At many shelters in Calgary, people are up and out of the shelter buildings very early in the morning. On the morning of Saturday, April 26, 2008, those who exited the shelters and headed to the TELUS Convention Centre were able to access services ranging from haircuts and resume-writing services to intake appointments and referrals for housing, food bank and health services.

NOT the 'usual' Saturday for most shelter residents in Calgary, but it was definitely a day that brough benefit to a number of the more than six hundred visitors who showed up to access and browse services.

Many of the visitors to the PHC1 event walked away with much-needed items such as backpacks, toiletries and hygiene items, information packages, minor food items, valid I.D. cards and resumes. Some visitors managed to aquire the help they needed from addictions services, health services, housing agencies, and even income tax documents. Many Calgary citizens gained food bank, counselling, and other referrals, and during all of this, the services, agencies and organizations present learned more about the needs of marginalized Calgarians than they understood before.

For visitors, participation was VOLUNTARY, and offering personal information for any of the services was OPTIONAL and VOLUNTARY.

Certain general demographics were observered - with respect to everyone's privacy and individual rights. Basic head-counts and certain non-identifying data gathered from the PHC1 event has already been applied and analyzed in order to make a second Project Homeless Connect event an even better, more efficient gathering in the future.

PHC 2 is planned for Saturday, September 20, 2008.