Project Homeless Connect to provide services to those in need on Jan. 26

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Clark County’s annual Project Homeless Connect event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 400 S. Andresen Road in Vancouver. 

The one-day event aims to help people who are living without homes easily access a variety of resources in one location, stated a news release from the Council for the Homeless.

Offerings will include housing information, vision exams and glasses, haircuts, help signing up for social service benefits and health care, employment resources, clothing, hygiene items, foot washing, a pet clinic, and lunch.

“Anyone throughout the county who is without a home is encouraged to attend,” stated the release.

Interpreters will be at the event to assist people who speak American Sign Language, Chuukese, Spanish and Russian. Shuttles to and from the event from locations around the county will be available throughout the day.  Locations include shelters, Share House, Living Hope Church and encampments.

Thrive2Survive is organizing volunteers and logistics for the event. Amerigroup of WA, Molina Healthcare, and Trinity Lutheran Church Foundation are event sponsors. St. Joseph Catholic Church donates use of their facility, refreshments, volunteers and lunch.

The same day, the annual countywide census of persons without homes, known as the Point In Time (PIT) Count, will take place.



“The count provides a one-night snapshot of what homelessness looks like in our community and contributes to state and national data and funding decisions and resources,” stated the release. “During the last 10 days of January, agencies and volunteers from across Washington state will collect data to comply with Washington State Department of Commerce requirements.”

Data from the Point In Time Count will be released in May of 2023 after the data is de-duplicated and analyzed.

Staff from the Council for the Homeless and from partner agencies divide the county into outreach zones during the effort. The teams travel to the zones early on Thursday morning and throughout the day to ask survey questions of people living outside, in a tent, in a trailer with no running water, in their car, or those who are escaping domestic violence, stated the release.

Additional outreach staff this year means teams will cover more areas and engage with more people.

The PIT survey includes voluntary questions regarding a person’s last permanent zip code, demographics, and the circumstances that contributed to homelessness. 

“An important aspect of the count is to ‘de-duplicate’ people who may be counted more than once that day in order to provide a more accurate count,” stated the release. “Those staying in Clark County shelters and transitional housing will all be counted through the local Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).”