Submitted by Grays Harbor Public Health & Social Services
This month, Grays Harbor County’s Project Homeless Connect will pair the county’s unsheltered with a variety of needed services, while at the same time performing a census of sorts to identify the number of unsheltered people residing in the county.
There are four events, organized by the Coastal Community Action Program (CCAP) and Grays Harbor County Public Health, all held between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.:
- February 22, Rotary Log Pavilion, 1401 Sargent Blvd, Aberdeen
- February 23, Chaplains on the Harbor, 281 W. Spokane Ave., Westport
- February 24, Ocean Shores Lions Club, 832 Ocean Shores Blvd. NW, Ocean Shores
- February 25, 318 W. Young St., Elma
Organizers have been lining up providers for everything from haircuts to DSHS and Social Security eligibility screening. Other services that have been offered at past events include vision screening, medical and dental care, acupuncture, homeless veteran outreach, animal care, housing information, and medical and dental care.
Free box lunches will be provided for participants at each location. There may also be a limited supply of clothing, hygiene products and backpacks at each location.
“These events provide one-stop, one-location access to services, and you can be a part of life-changing stories,” said Grays Harbor Public Health Housing Program Coordinator Natali Paccione, one of the event coordinators. That includes getting involved by providing items to fill some 250 donated backpacks with waterproof items like gloves, hats and lightweight, hooded rain jackets.
The homeless population census, known as the Point in Time count, assesses the number of unsheltered in the county. That information is used by local, state and federal funding sources to more accurately estimate the resources required for needed services for the homeless or those who may become homeless within Grays Harbor County.
