Different Priorities Bring An End To Project Homeless Connect in Everett

Was reading Julie Muhlstein’s column in The Herald today about the Amen Everett Free Clinic. We did a story on that over the weekend. In her column she noted that Project Homeless Connect was not going to be held this year. MyEverettNews.com has covered the event every year since we started in 2011. We reached out to United Way of Snohomish County by email regarding this year’s event and received the following response from Allison Matsumoto, Director of Marketing and Communications at United Way of Snohomish County.

Thanks for reaching out. There were many reasons and much discussion with community partners around this decision. The content on this page should help to answer any questions you might have: https://www.uwsc.org/phcsnoco

PROJECT HOMELESS CONNECT

Project Homeless Connect (PHC) is a community event that United Way of Snohomish County has taken a lead logistical role in for the past few years. This lead role has been held by numerous agencies since the event’s inception. Funding and location for the event changes, year-to-year, depending on community resources and capacity.

As of March 1, adequate funding for the event had not been secured, the venue where PHC was previously held was not available, and no alternate location had been identified.

Unfortunately, United Way of Snohomish County no longer has the capacity to serve as the lead coordinator for this event. Multiple nonprofit and public partners were approached to take on the lead role this year, but they do not have the capacity to plan the event, either.

The Homeless Policy Taskforce spearheaded the creation of the event 10 years ago to help raise public and political awareness of the complexities of homelessness in Snohomish County. Since PHC’s inception, services for those experiencing homelessness in Snohomish County have evolved. The event coordination and number of services provided by PHC were not available a decade ago. Since then, however, public awareness of homelessness has increased, and services are more readily available year-round.

While the basic need outreach and services provided by PHC were vital, the increasing number of attendees served points to a growing need for more than just one day of support.

Resources
See below for a list of services and resources typically found at Project Homeless Connect. This list will be updated periodically.

AMEN Everett
Free medical, dental, and vision clinic.

Friday, April 20 and Sunday, April 22 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Community Ice Rink at Angel of The Winds Arena
2000 Hewitt Ave., Everett

Veterans Stand Down—SAVE THE DATE!
The original Stand Down for homeless veterans was modeled after the Stand Down concept used during the Vietnam War to provide a safe retreat for units returning from combat operations. At secure base camp areas, troops were able to take care of personal hygiene; get clean uniforms; enjoy warm meals; receive medical and dental care, mail, and ;letters; and enjoy the camaraderie of friends in a safe environment.

Monday, June 25, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. (Dental starts at 7 a.m. )
VFW Post 2100
2711 Oakes Ave., Everett

Puget Sound Christian Clinic
Comprehensive dental care to patients at a highly reduced, sliding scale fee. Services include treatment planning, x-rays, cleanings, fillings, root canals, crowns, bridges, extractions, and dentures. Puget Sound Christian Clinic does not currently offer implants or work with orthodontics.

Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m. -4 p.m.

2nd Floor of The Community Life Center
19820 Scriber Lake Rd, Lynnwood

SeaMar Dental Clinic
SeaMar’s professional team works together to serve patients of any age, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation and regardless of income, occupation, gender, immigration status, or citizenship status. Many of their providers and staff speak more than one language, helping them better serve diverse communities.

Mondays-Saturdays, 8 a.m. -5 p.m.
1920 100th Street SE, Suite C2, Everett

Community Health Center of Snohomish County
Providing high quality care at discount fee prices for all low-income and uninsured people.

Muktiple Locations across Snohomish County.

North Sound 2-1-1
Washington 211 is a network of 7 regional call centers. Call 2-1-1 and get connected to health and human services, referrals, and other assistance in your area.

United Way of Snohomish County also continues to align our limited resources and focus on our CORE work, fundamentally shifting the conversation around poverty from a siloed system of services to a collaborative approach for young children 0-8 and their families. Historically, families with young children made up only 10% of the guests served at PHC.

This year, we are taking the opportunity to partner on a one-day event focused on families—the 3rd annual Youth & Family Wellness Fair. On Saturday, May 5, the Wellness Fair is free and open to all families and will include access to basic needs services such as dental checks and haircuts. The event will also provide educational workshops for youth and family on topics such as early childhood development, bullying, suicide prevention, and parenting strategies; and offer free food, music, and fun activities for the whole family.

United Way of Snohomish County has been proud to have been a part of Project Homeless Connect and will continue to work alongside our community partners to create collaborative solutions that not only support those experiencing homelessness but move families out of the traps of poverty for generations to come.