Project Homeless Connect

Teresa and I were among hundreds who volunteered on Wednesday, April 18, for Project Homeless Connect at Norfolk Scope. This event provided services to the Hampton Roads Homeless. Below are our personal accounts of the day. Our job was to pair up with individual homeless to guide them through the maze of service providers and be their personal advocate. It was a very rewarding day for me personally.

My first guest was Jessie. He is recently paroled, homeless, and unemployed. Jessie was able to get an ID card, find a place to stay, set up job interviews, get a haircut, and receive a hot meal. My second guest was Eugene. He took advantage of the medical service area with cholesterol and HIV testing, as well as a tetanus shot. Natasha was my final guest of the day whose main goal was to find transitional housing out of a shelter environment. This involved her filling out a six page survey that will be input into a national data base for her to qualify for the 1,000 Homes for 1,000 Virginians program.

   Bobby Sharon

My first guest was Douglas. I spent the first half of my day with him; from a haircut and a shave, housing, employment, glasses, blood pressure, TDAP shot to having seven teeth pulled.  My second guest was Cindy, who was interested in employment and housing. She seemed very shy and nervous. She didn’t want to wait around in the long lines for the services she came for, so she decided she could get the services in Virginia Beach. And lastly I escorted Carl around the event. He got a glucose test, glasses, a haircut and a shave.  It was an eye opening experience and sad in a way, but a mostly cheery bunch they were!

    Teresa McLaughlin