Mesa hosts innovative outreach event

Valley of the Sun United Way brings Project Homeless Connect to Mesa on Friday, Apr. 23 to provide people experiencing homelessness immediate access to services in one central location.

The outreach event takes place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Central Christian Church, 933 North Lindsay Road, where more than 20 services providers offer instant access to driver’s licenses, employment services, wellness checks, shelter, counseling, food, clothing, haircuts, among many other services.

“The issue of homelessness is complex and calls for collaboration among nonprofits, government, the faith community, businesses and concerned community members to improve conditions across the Valley,” Valley of the Sun United Way Senior Vice President for Community Impact Brian Spicker said.

This marks the second Project Homeless Connect event to be hosted in Mesa and helps tackle one of the most difficult challenges facing homeless individuals -- access to services.

“Homelessness does not impact one city or community in isolation,”  Mesa Councilmember Dina Higgins said.  “We are proud to collaborate with so many organizations and bring rich resources to people facing tough times right here in our community,” she added.

Project Homeless Connect is part of Valley of the Sun United Way’s broader community work to end homelessness in Maricopa County. Working alongside a diverse cross section of partners, United Way is expanding Project Homeless Connect into the West Valley, East Valley and the city of Phoenix throughout the year to address the issue of homelessness on a regional level. 

For more information call 602-631-4800.

About Project Homeless Connect:
Project Homeless Connect is a national model and recognized best practice for connecting homeless individuals with vital human services. It is modeled after military stand-downs for Veterans and replicated among nonprofits and municipal entities to assist people in times of crisis and aid in the journey to self-sufficiency.

About Valley of the Sun United Way
Valley of the Sun United Way is working to advance the common good by focusing on education, income and health. Through programs such as Project Homeless Connect and the development of a Permanent Supportive Housing Pilot, VSUW is working to end homelessness in Maricopa County.  Our goal is to create long-lasting and measurable changes that improve the quality of life for struggling individuals, families and children in our community. For more information, visit www.vsuw.org.