On Friday, January 28, Spring Hill College staff and students participated in Project Homeless Connect which is a volunteering event that supports the homeless community.
Project Homeless Connect is an annual multiservice event that allows service providers to assist with legal matters, issue state identification cards, and conduct health assessments. Volunteers served as navigators at the event. In this role as navigators each person assisted a homeless client. They were able to guide and advocate for their client as they visited the services at the event. Clients were provided breakfast and given hygiene items, clothes, shoes and more at no expense.
Project Homeless Connect was held at The Grounds, 1035 Cody Rd. N. Mobile, AL. The volunteers arrived at 7:00 a.m. and the event lasted until 2:00 p.m. The director, Foley Community Service Center, Jennifer Irizarry said, “It is a privilege to serve our community at Project Homeless Connect and do a small part to help the vulnerable and marginalized. The integrity of our community web depends on the resiliency of every strand.”
This event allowed for collaborating and networking across colleges including Bishop State Community College, Spring Hill College, University of Mobile, and the University of South Alabama.
Community Engagement Volunteer Coordinator at the University of South Alabama, Laurie Childers said, “A big thank you to Spring Hill College for supporting this year’s Project Homeless Connect. The opportunity to collaborate across colleges and professions provides all involved with new connections, additional applied skills, and most importantly an understanding and appreciation for our brothers and sisters in the community who live without the most basic needs.”
In 2020, approximately 750 clients attended the event. The event was not held in 2021 due to the pandemic. This year Project Homeless Connect was able to help around 200 members from the community with more than 300 volunteers attending the event.
For more information about Project Homeless Connect visit: https://volunteer.uwswa.org/need/detail/?need_id=652018 where you can apply for Project Homeless Connect and other volunteer activities around the community.
