Project Homeless Connect Pivots to Meet More Needs

Due to social distancing restrictions mandated by the pandemic response, we were not able to host our summer Project Homeless Connect event in person. But that gave us an opportunity to creatively “pivot” to an alternative format, enabling us to reach a larger group of people throughout a wider portion of Pierce County.

Working together with our community partners, other direct service agencies and volunteers, we created Project Homeless Connect “community resource bags.” A total of 2,000 bags will be created containing resources designed to meet urgent needs of those experiencing homelessness. AM hosted a bag assembly event on Aug. 28 to put together the first 600 bags, which were promptly distributed to these agencies:

• New Hope
• Nativity House
• Sea Mar
• Salvation Army
• Puyallup Tribe
• Sumner Food Bank
• Eatonville Food Bank
• Orting Food Bank
• Key Peninsula
• Bethlehem Baptist Shelter

Each 16” x 16” nylon bag contains essential items such as hygiene kits, antibacterial soap, deodorant, hand sanitizer, socks, toilet paper, personal body wipes, hand warmers, washable face masks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, small first aid packets, bottled water, a heavy duty lunch bag, several healthy snacks, a notebook and resource flyers from key service providers.

It is our hope to resume in-person events in 2021, which will enable us to once again provide additional support such as medical screenings and dental services, haircuts, and interactions with service providers. We are grateful for supporters like you who are enabling us to provide these Project Homeless Connect community resource bags to our neighbors in need in the interim.