Project Community Connect

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

Where can someone obtain eligibility for healthcare, get hired for a job on the spot, secure housing, obtain legal assistance, have a meal, and connect with an array of social services all in one day at one location? You can do all of this and more at Project Community Connect (PCC). The goal of PCC is to expedite the process for receiving services, helping as many people as possible find services they need, under one roof, in one day. PCC occurs annually and serves Carver and Scott Counties. It was developed 8 years ago in response to Heading Home Carver and Scott County’s Plan to End Homelessness. It costs approximately $5,000.00 dollars each year to host the event. The return in investment to the community far exceeds that cost. At the 2017 event, a total of 112 service providers, 20 employers, and 132 volunteers, assisted 489 guests. 80% to 90% of those guests were currently experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Services provided include a job fair, healthcare, education assistance, legal assistance, veteran’s services, haircuts, food, energy assistance, housing and homeless services, and vouchers to help obtain birth certificates, ID cards, drivers licenses, gas, food, hotels for the homeless and much more. The event allows people to get the help they need, beyond what social services generally provides. A haircut, shower, a meal, and a good night’s sleep are often the only thing standing between a person who is homeless and a job. PCC also engages the needs of providers by helping them outreach to the community. It engages the public to educate them on poverty and homelessness, while giving low income and homeless households the help they need to improve their lives.