Homelessness

Homeless in Waco Documentary, click on button below to view

Homelessness is defined by the federal government as: “an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; and an individual who has a primary nighttime residence that is - A) a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the mentally ill); B) an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or C) a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.”

Cost of chronic homelessness in Waco Cost Per Person Per Year $39,000 Total Annual Cost $3.5 million

Where can a person experiencing the daily suffering of homelessness in Waco find relief from hunger, a job, dental care, and a bag of free clothing? Only at Waco’s Project Homeless Connect! This annual event is held the last week of January and combines the Continuum of Care services and Stand Down event with Project Homeless Connect day.  This year’s event featured the normal services of a Homeless Connect day including agency information, clothing, and a free lunch; however, there were some very innovative provisions as well.

Some unexpected services included the donation of wireless service for the day from Grandecom. The wireless network was available throughout the entire First Lutheran church where the event was held. This allowed the Heart of Texas Workforce to connect people with possible employment immediately. It also allowed for approval for food stamps, veteran’s benefits, and social security sign-up to be done right there on the spot. But those were not the only things happening that day.

Over forty volunteers were there helping show people around, direct agency workers, and help make the day run smoothly. These volunteers included City staff members, McLennan Community College Mental Health students, Baylor School of Social Work students, and members of local churches. Donations came in many forms including 25 boxes of suits and dress shirts from Men’s Warehouse to be given to those seeking employment; hamburgers and side items prepared by a local church; health screenings, foot care, and afternoon appointments by Family Health Services including van transportation and accompaniment by various local agencies;  dental screenings followed by van transportation for much needed procedures such as full and partial dentures, tooth extractions, and periodontal sealants provided during afternoon appointments at a local dental office; not to mention various clothing, food supplies, and monetary donations for the event by various local agencies and community members.

Thanks to all the help from the community, agencies, and businesses in the area this year’s Project Homeless Connect was able to serve 97 individuals in need of services.  Some of those services included free haircuts, information about substance abuse programs, children’s agencies, youth services, domestic violence assistance, and of course Veteran’s Affairs. One unique addition to this year’s event was thanks to the help of a podiatrist and two local dentists. Dr. Patel and Dr. Schultz provided a valuable service by screening dozens of individuals for dental needs. They did several extractions, cleanings, and some dentures because of their generosity, an article in the Waco Tribune-Herald, and some kind donations from Member’s Choice Credit Union, the Homeless Coalition, First Baptist Woodway Church, a social worker at Baylor University, Caritas, and a few other anonymous donors.

With the help of agencies, health care providers conducting screenings, doing HIV testing, glucose tests, and blood pressure measurements, dentists offering care, and Veteran’s Affairs providing information and a room full of clothing, bags, and other personal items to veteran’s only, several needs were met that day. One man was even hired at the event by a local employer. This year’s Project Homeless Connect day could be called nothing less than a huge success. 

Waco’s Project Homeless Connect 2008 makes the nationally recognized
United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) Newsletter

Recently Waco was recognized again for its effort to reach out to some of their neediest neighbors through their annual Project Homeless Connect Day.  The Heart of Texas Homeless Coalition (HOTHC) along with the City of Waco and the Veterans Administration merged together in 2007.  The merge was an effort to bring all agencies together to provide outreach and services needed by the homeless.  Each group has a specific duty in mind from providing outreach to the chronic homeless population to performing the bi- annual count required for the Continuum of Care grant while continuing the longstanding Standown sponsored by the Veterans Administration to reach Veterans to become what is now known as what the USICH have deemed as Project Homeless Connect Day.   Below is an excerpt from their February 8, 2008 newsletter:

IN THE CITIES AND COUNTIES:
PROJECT HOMELESS CONNECT EVENTS "WELCOME" NEIGHBORS IN TEXAS AND OREGON

WACO, TEXAS. Waco, Texas extended a community-wide "welcome" to homeless neighbors as the city convened its second annual Project Homeless Connect event recently. More than 95 community volunteers - including city staff members, McLennan Community College Mental Health students, Baylor School of Social Work students, agency staff, and members of local churches - escorted an almost equal number of guests, offered resources, provided screenings, and provided support for the event. Waco's 10-Year Plan, under the leadership of Mayor Virginia DuPuy, is in implementation.
Many resources were available including: 25 boxes of suits and dress shirts from Men's Warehouse for those seeking employment; hamburgers and side items prepared by a local church; health screenings, foot care, and afternoon medical treatments by Family Health Services; dental screenings followed by van transportation for much needed procedures such as dentures, tooth extractions, and periodontal sealants provided during afternoon appointments at a local dental office; and monetary donations for the event by various local agencies and community members.
Innovative resources offered included the donation of wireless service for the day from Grandecom. The wireless network was available throughout the entire First Lutheran Church, the event venue. This allowed the Heart of Texas Workforce to connect people with possible employment immediately. It also allowed for approval for Food Stamps, veteran's benefits, and Social Security sign-up to on the spot.
One addition to this year's event was the help of a podiatrist and two local dentists. The dentists provided a valuable service by screening dozens of individuals for dental needs. Waco-McLennan County Health District completed HIV/AIDS screening tests, and VA nurses performed blood pressure and glucose checks.