Community Corner

Attendees Pack Venue for One-Stop Homeless Aid

Project Homeless Connect brings together various agencies to assist the homeless and low-income residents of Gilroy.

More than 200 people–including several families–went to Gilroy’s Project Homeless Connect Friday, a countywide effort to bring together services that are available to homeless and low-income residents.

This is the third time the event was held in Gilroy, which has the highest per-person rate of homelessness in the county, said project coordinator, Andrew Hening.

“The whole idea is to streamline the process,” said Hening. “These services are often very spread out.”

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Attendees could walk around the room at and connect with a wide spectrum of aid, including housing and health care. Many local and regional organizations attended, including , and Gardner Family Health Network.

There was even a station for hair cutting and styling, courtesy of the  Cosmetology program and Licensed Cosmetologist Erma Charles.

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“Getting a haircut is like starting a new day,” said Charles, who has volunteered free hair styling for two years, said.

Many volunteers said they noticed an increase in the number of families, as well as larger overall attendance, at the event.

“We’ve done these Homeless Connects in different areas, and this is huge,” said Nick Colombo, representing the youth-oriented mental health assistance organization, Reach.

“There is a big need in Gilroy,” said Marty Estrada, homeless outreach coordinator for St. Joseph’s Family Center. “We’re seeing a lot more families.”

Church-based programs like St. Joseph's provide a wide range of help, but it still doesn’t match the kind of permanent, one-stop programs available elsewhere in Santa Clara County.

“If you want to compare apples to oranges, we’re worse than San Jose,” said Estrada, “We have the least resources.”

, conducted two years ago, found 599 homeless residents in Gilroy. New numbers are expected in May.

One volunteer at the event, Jim Currier, has offered to donate a warehouse to the city for use as a year-round shelter and one-stop center. Yet, the building needs insulation and other work, so the future of the project still remains unclear.

“In the absence of a one-stop, this fits the bill,” Bob Dolci, Santa Clara County’s homeless coordinator, said at the event. “It’s hard to find funding for things right now.”

Gilroy’s only homeless shelter, at the National Guard Armory, is open from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. during the coldest months and offers 125 beds.

Every Monday, Gardner’s Healthcare for the Homeless program visits the armory in a specially modified RV to provide primary health care at no cost. They were also at the event.

“We have clients who have been coming to us for 8-10 years. We are their primary care,” said Roberta Gundersen, program coordinator at Gardner.

Gundersen said she had also seen the number of homeless families and kids increase over her 25 years at Gardner, with diabetes being one of the most prevalent health problems. They see around 3,000 people around the county every year; 13,000 visits.

Project Homeless Connect, under the umbrella of San Jose’s Department of Housing, operates frequent events around Santa Clara County. The next one is scheduled for Wednesday at the Opportunity Health Center in Palo Alto.

Ultimately, Hening said he would like to see several city-run one-stop facilities opened around the county. In a difficult economy, many people are living a paycheck away from homelessness. 

“It’s amazing how one bad thing can happen, and all of the sudden, you’re on the street.,” he said.


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