For the 14th year, Project Homeless Connect will gather resources, services and assistance for those experiencing housing insecurity. The event is scheduled to run Tuesday, Jan. 28, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex.
Like in previous years, Project Homeless Connect will feature a broad collection of vendors offering free services to meet many potential needs. There will be haircuts, free hot food, employment guidance, massages, pet food, hats, gloves, vaccines, medical testing and resources for child care, health care, mental health, disability and recovery.
Organizer Jodi Stuart said last year that the services aren’t limited to people who are entirely unhoused — instead they are intended to help “anybody that finds themselves in a difficult spot.” That includes people with bad rental history, who are dealing with the aftermath of incarceration or recovery, who have struggled with finding places to live, or who otherwise require the services being provided.
Each year, Stuart said, the program has grown — more vendors and more volunteers coming on — to the point they’re using effectively all of the space available to them at the center.
For the second year, Alaska Cab and the Central Area Rural Transit System are together offering free transportation for all participants to and from the event from their homes. People in Soldotna or Kenai can call Alaska Cab at 907-262-1555 for pickup and drop-off. People who live in areas outside of town, such as Sterling, Kasilof, Kalifornsky Beach or Nikiski, can call CARTS at 907-262-8900.
Last year, 140 people attended, and 73% said they were attending for the first time. Organizers have said that’s a sign the services being provided are working — because people don’t come back year after year.
Similar resource events are scheduled for Homer and Anchor Point, called the Community Resource Connect, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the SPARC in Homer and at the Virl “Pa” Haga VFW Post 10221 in Anchor Point.
For more information about Project Homeless Connect in Soldotna, visit kenaipeninsulahomeless.org.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
