Project Homeless Connect, Jackson County's first ever one-day, one-stop event for all homeless individuals and families, takes place Friday, June 5, 2009, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Medford Armory. Volunteers and more than 40 community organizations will be joining the Jackson County Community Services Consortium and Homeless Task Force for the event, which is designed to provide housing referrals, support services, and hospitality in a convenient one-stop format for people experiencing homelessness. A hot lunch, access to services and helpful items will be provided. The Medford Armory is located at 1701 S. Pacific Highway, Medford.
In conjunction with Project Homeless Connect, the Jackson County 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness will be released at 1 p.m. on the main stage. The release and kick-off of this special report will include presentations by federal, state and local officials. The plan was created by Jackson County Government, United Way of Jackson County, the Jackson County Homeless Task Force, and community partners.
Project Homeless Connect is brought to the community by the Jackson County Community Services Consortium and Homeless Task Force (HTF). Title sponsors include ACCESS, Inc., the Jackson County Bar Association, and the United Way of Jackson County and many other contributing sponsors.
The goal of Project Homeless Connect is to connect the community to the issue of homelessness and connect the homeless to essentials such as medical care, substance abuse and mental health counseling, housing, shelter, and other services. Anyone interested in attending this event is invited and encouraged to do so.
Jackson County Community Services Consortium and Homeless Task Force are honored to provide this service, which will be an additional resource to help the homeless in the Rogue Valley. "This volunteer effort began in San Francisco and was successfully duplicated in many other cities around the country," said Ed Angeletti, Planning Director for ACCESS Inc. "We are pleased to be able to partner with several different agencies to offer this event. The success of Project Homeless Connect is contingent upon the community joining together with local businesses, private corporations, hospitals, volunteers and a variety of providers to positively affect the lives of the homeless."
Among the agencies partnering with the Consortium for the Jackson County Project Homeless Connect 2009 include the Social Security Administration, Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles, Jackson County Health and Human Services, Rogue Valley Council of Governments Senior Disability Services, Center for Nonprofit Legal Services, LaClinica, DASIL, Housing Authority of Jackson County, and Easter Seals Oregon.
For more information, to volunteer, or to donate materials or services, please contact Ed Angeletti, ACCESS Inc. Planning Director at (541) 774-4330 or eangeletti@access-inc.org, or visit www.access-inc.org. Checks can be mailed to Jackson County Community Services Consortium, P.O. Box 1087, Medford, Oregon 97501.
