Homeless Connect offers basic needs, big opportunities

Merced’s Homeless Connect event on Friday helped those in need put together some of the small pieces that are part of the larger puzzle in front of them.

The event offered technical and cosmetic services that others often take for granted, such as getting a birth certificate, a haircut or a leash for a dog.

“It’s a great day because our service providers have come together to provide basic services,” said Steve Carrigan, Merced’s city manager and chairman of the Merced County Continuum of Care. “The homeless are lined up outside. They really do need our help. They can get signed up for Social Security, which will help get them an income, which helps get them food. It’s basic services we all take for granted.”

The event took place on Canal Street at the Merced County Rescue Mission and Central Presbyterian Church’s Hoffmeister Center, where more than 30 agencies set up tables to help the homeless lined up at the door.

Phil Schmauss, the marketing director for the rescue mission, said the crowd this year seemed smaller than in years past, which he said was a good sign.

“My hope is that means more people have been housed or there’s been reunification of families,” he said.

Schmauss pointed to this year’s homeless count, which fell 42 percent from 2015.

More than 350 adults were living without shelter, according to the 2016 Merced County Homeless County and Survey. More than half of those were considered chronically homeless.

Housing will be the focus of outreach workers on the city’s new Housing to Homeless Team, also known as the H2H Team, funded by a $730,000 grant from the state Housing and Community Development Department.

The outreach workers will go into the streets, parks, shelters and other places where homeless people congregate to help connect them to services and housing. The team’s approach will be “rapid rehousing,” which coincides with the Continuum of Care’s housing-first policy.

The team also will collect data and enter it into a system accessible by local service providers in an attempt to reduce the number of people who “fall through the cracks,” city officials said.

After receiving a backpack filled with a tarp, socks, canned food, sunblock and more from HopeMill, based in Van Nuys, 65-year-old Michael Kurpiel’s goal was to find housing at the Friday event.

Recently, Kurpiel lost his wife of 30 years and his income. He earned money from In-Home Support Services by caring for her. He receives Social Security, but he needs to find a place to stay.

“I’ve got all I really need,” he said. “I just need a roof over my head.”

Across the street, 51-year-old Jesus Hernandez said he appreciated getting his hair cut by 17-year-old Jena Backus.

Also at the rescue mission, ready to help, was veterinarian Eileen Wise, from All Creatures Veterinary Hospital in Mariposa. She administered vaccines for the four-legged companions of the homeless and handed out supplies such as leashes. She also gave advice, looked at the pets’ skin, cleaned their ears and gave them pedicures.

“They have a real connection with the pets,” Wise said of the homeless. “They’re with them 100 percent of the time. The animals have a close relationship with their owner, too. It sometimes means a reason for them to keep going.”

That was true for Gilbert Guerrero, 53, and his dog, Nay, who trotted closely behind Guerrero’s cart along the street.

“I’ve had him since he was a puppy,” Guerrero said. “He’s like my son. This is the only thing I’ve got left. He goes everywhere with me.”

City Council member Mike Murphy said the event is a “one-stop shop to help people get back on their feet.”

“It’s important help for those who surely need it,” he said. “We have to take care of the most vulnerable population.”

This story was originally published September 23, 2016 at 6:47 PM with the headline "Homeless Connect offers basic needs, big opportunities."