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I volunteered at my first PHC event a year and a half ago and was AMAZED by the number, and variety of services offered. The other main thing I noticed was that the volunteers were well integrated into the consumer population and were, for the most part, providing a much needed service to many clients, someone to talk to. I have since had the privlidge to intern with PHC. It has been a wonderful, eye-opening, experience that I have learned alot from. A great Non-Profit!

Project Homeless Connect is a great way to address the problem of homelessness. The workers are extremely helpful and the services are so diverse that every homeless person who comes there can find something that they need. Despite this, I can’t help but feel that if I needed to choose between Project Homeless Connect every two months and a clinic with regular hours, I would choose the clinic. The reason for this is that Project Homeless is so infrequent that this makes it difficult for a person to get everything they need when they come in. First they need to stand in line to even get into the building. Once this problem is solved, they need to find where their particular needs are located in the building. Even with staff helping, its difficult to get around with so many people. Another problem is that once you get into the building and you find where your particular services are, you have to wait in line once again to use the services. The problem with this is that if you don’t get everything done in time you need to wait another two months to get the chance to try and to finish everything else up. Some people may come in hungry and by eating they may be wasting precious time that they could have spent standing in line to get their ID cards at the DMV. Although Project Homeless has its problems it also has may benefits that clinics may not have. It is convenient that all the services are in one building and that you don’t need to go far to get a haircut or Vision check up. A clinic would need to have the services spread out more if it could offer the same services at all. The clinic would also require that you wait in lines, however you would be more likely to get services sooner because if you miss one day you can always comeback another day. Project Homeless as well as the clinic would have their own problems and benefits, but the important thing is that they would both be very helpful to the people they service regardless of how frequent they are available. Thank you for letting us come to help and see for ourselves the wonderful services you provide! Kat94102

I really enjoyed participating in Project Homeless Connect. Although I have volunteered at homeless shelters like St. Anthony’s in the Tenderloin, I have never experienced anything like this. My job at Project Homeless Connect was a transporter, in that I was responsible for getting the participants from the registration room to their priority destination, whether that be shelter information, vision, DMV, and so on. Even though I only got to spend a maximum of about five minutes per person, I was able to engage in enlightening conversations and be attentive to these people that genuinely needed my help. I felt good about myself. It definitely changed my perspective of homeless people and their lifestyle. I realized that these people are just like any of us, they have feelings, needs, wants, and desires just like we do. And I was honored to be a part of a project like this that can possibly turn some of these people’s lives around. If I would have to choose between a clinic that was open regular hours or Project Homeless Connect that was only available to me every two months, I would undoubtedly choose Project Homeless Connect. Although a clinic may be open, say 9am-5pm, Monday through Friday, their services would most likely be limited. A clinic can only do so much. One specific clinic can only provide health services, another can offer shelter information, and another can educate on needle sterilization. The point is, not one shelter can provide all the services Project Homeless can at once. Granted it is only twice a month, however, twice a month, one can have a vision check up, rapid HIV testing, food, groceries, spiritual healing, DMV services, and even acupuncture. I believe this is a more effective way to help the homeless.

Participating in Project Homeless Connect brought what always seemed like a far distant concern, much closer to home. You hear about the large homeless population in the Bay Area all the time. You see countless stories on the news regarding the need for more shelters and resources as our economy takes a treacherous downturn and dozens of people are losing their jobs daily. But never could I imagine that standing in front of a homeless person could reinforce just how fortunate I am. Team USF took on two roles at this particular event. One was to escort homeless individuals into the auditorium to seek the services they had requested. The other was to assist the homeless clients with the completion of a mandatory intake form before they could participate in these free services. I spent the first half volunteering as an escort for the client. The available services included medical treatment, mental health services, vision and podiatry services, shelter, and housing and employment opportunities. Many people assume that a homeless person lacks the necessary skills to succeed in life. They are presumed to be lazy or addicted to illegal substances, but on the day of our team’s volunteer efforts, I saw a wide variety of HUMANS that were lost and in grave need of support. Homelessness has no boundaries with regard to age, gender, ethnicity or educational background. The youngest person I met was 22 years of age, and had been sleeping on the streets of the Tenderloin since it was the closest neighborhood to Glide Memorial Church, where he frequently sought comfort and assistance. After being laid off of his job and losing his apartment, he was desperately seeking shelter, clothing, and assistance with employment. How did he get to this place in life? Although he had been homeless had living on the streets for only a couple of months, the wear and tear of that life had visibly aged him. The oldest homeless individuals I met were a couple in their late fifties. It was obvious that they were each other’s support systems. They both wanted to seek shelter, DMV services, medical services, and food. They had been living on the streets as a married couple for years and considered themselves fortunate to be receiving the services provided by Project Homeless Connect. Were these services providing them a means to an end? Were these homeless individuals truly getting what they needed to assist them towards a better quality of life? If so, why had they been living on the streets for so long? Halfway through my day, I assisted other volunteers (at folding tables) with the mandatory intake process of all individuals seeking services that day. This provided me a greater opportunity to connect with the homeless on a one to one basis. Through this experience, I learned that not only were individuals distraught and embarrassed about their current living situation, but many did not know what services to ask for or which ones to prioritize. Unfortunately, it appeared that many were suffering from high levels of emotional and physical disparities. I found myself, out of concern for the individuals’ best interest, trying to encourage several people to seek the assistance from the medical or mental health service areas first. Much to my dissatisfaction, most of them were concerned with receiving DMV services and a free lunch. I began to wonder, if I were in their shoes, would I be most concerned about getting food in my stomach instead of seeking the medical care I obviously needed? It appeared as if several of these individuals either didn’t see them as needing medical assistance or were afraid of what that assistance would entail. From my clinical vantage point, I observed that several people smelled of alcohol, appeared shaky and unsteady, feverish or congested, and disoriented or confused about what day it was or what services would provide them the best help. Perhaps the thought that resonated with me the most at the end of the day was what happens to these individuals from here? With no phone to call them on and no address to follow up with, do they simply return to their alleyway and survive the harsh city climate? How many of these individuals seen at this event will overcome the adversity they are faced with? Although I think it is empowering and shows a tremendous sense of compassion for our community to put on an event of this magnitude, I hope that there is a way to create a better follow-up process with the necessary medical care and emotional support. I wonder if the homeless participants should be required to undergo a medical assessment prior to seeking the other services offered. It would be great if there were a basic software system that could track those individuals through thumb scans upon medical check-in to ensure that they have received proper follow-up health care when they return to Project Homeless Connect for future services. Overall, my experience was educational, enlightening, and humbling to say the least. I am grateful for the opportunities I have, the family that cares for me, the economic status I enjoy, and most importantly for my health and well-being. Although there may be no easy and quick answer to the hardships fellow members of our community endure, as long as we have members of our community that continue to care and seek reasonable answers, each and every homeless person has a chance at a happier and healthier tomorrow. Mrs. Nader

The project homeless event on Feb 11 th was an eye opening for me. The event brought together hundreds of volunteers, sponsors and public, private organizations to help thousands of homeless people in a single day. Services include medical, mental health, substance abuse, housing, dental, SSI benefits, legal counseling, eyeglasses, California ID, food, voicemail, employment counseling, telephone service, and job placement provided. I work as escort taking clients from the registration area to their first service and in a couple of occasion I had to stay with my client who is using wheelchair to go around. The client Mr. “A” was very courteous and appreciative. I learn that project homeless connect started in San Francisco in 2004 and now 170 more similar services are started in different parts of the country. Most of the services are given in free clinics or other social programs as I learned from most of the clients who I had a chance to talk to; these individuals are not going to these other services because of different problems. Some mentioned it takes a long time and some don’t have permanent address and means of communication to make appointments to the service agencies. The one day service at the project homeless connect provided different services in timely fashion and most agencies that usually are not found in same place like they are arranged at the event. That makes things easier for them to access the services and it also encouraging. Volunteering at the Project Homeless Connect helps me to appreciate what I have and also understand there are more elements to homelessness and it is a very complicated issue. I also met reformed homeless individuals who is giving back to the community and making good examples to others.