Project Homeless Connect provides free resources for needy

A group of 100 volunteers and 64 service providers presented �a day of yes� to those in need Friday during the seventh annual Project Homeless Connect at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau.

The event offered employment and education services, housing resources, clothing, health and beauty services, medical services and groceries free of charge.

Melissa Stickel, executive director of Community Caring Council, said attendees were already lined up by 6 a.m. Friday.

�Everything is free; all of our services, everything that�s being given out,� she said. �We don�t turn anybody away. If people are needing something and we can provide it, that�s what it�s about.�

Among the many other businesses and organizations represented Friday, Stickel said Chick-fil-A provided sandwiches for lunch and Starbucks provided coffee. Seven stylists from JC Penney Salon gave free haircuts.

Mary Oster browses clothing racks Friday during the Project Homeless Connect event at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau.TYLER GRAEF ~ tgraef@semissourian.com

Stylist Kayla Williams said this was the first year JC Penney has participated in the event. By 11 a.m., Williams said the salon had given five people free haircuts.

Stickel said many service providers returned this year, along with some new ones.

�Salvation Army provides a lot of clothes and canned goods, and they�re here every year,� she said.

The event focused on making access to resources easier for people who have transportation barriers, Stickel said.

Friday�s event was for anyone struggling financially as well as people who are homeless.

Bob Masterson sits for a free haircut and beard trimming by stylist Tracie Johnson on Friday during the Project Homeless Connect event at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau.TYLER GRAEF ~ tgraef@semissourian.com

�We don�t want to say we want to see more, because we don�t want to see more,� she said. �You want to see less and less people in need. But we want to serve the maximum amount of people. The need is there. ...�

Dorothy Hopkins just moved to Southeast Missouri and said she enjoyed the event. She was surprised to see the children and family resources available.

�It was nice; it was very nice,� Hopkins said as she stood next to several boxes of gathered items. �I saw some stuff in there that I thought was not here.�

Lt. Matt Degonia of the Salvation Army said the organization helps organize the event, which is put on by a committee.

�We work with St. Vincent�s,� Degonia said. �They make these blankets, but we pass them out and make sure they get into the community. We are also giving away bread today.�

Degonia said clothing also �is a big thing.�

�We�re making sure everybody has enough clothes,� he said.

And by 11 a.m., Degonia said The Salvation Army had already given away 77 blankets.

Nathan Tuschhoff, Procter & Gamble Cape Consumer Care Team lead, said he and his team of seven volunteers were helping at the event for the first time, giving away bags containing rolls of Bounty paper towels, Puffs tissues and cleaning wipes.

Tuschhoff said the goal was 200 giveaways for the team, and by 11:30 a.m. they had given away nearly 100.

Casey Guzman of the Southeast Missouri Food Bank offered foodstuff from a truck loaded with 7,100 pounds of food. Free supplies included snacks, canned food and produce.

�I load a truck up, I bring it here, and we distribute to as many families and households as we possibly can,� Guzman said.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

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