Lori Harris and her daughter, Shania, look through racks of donated clothing during Flagstaff’s Project Connent on Oct. 10. The project helped people receive items they needed. Jennifer Hilderbrand / The Lumberjack

Hundreds of people turned out at Project Connect last Saturday where nonprofit organizations, businesses and government agencies from northern Arizona helped provide resources and services to low income and homeless members of the community.

The Trinity Heights United Methodist Church in Flagstaff hosted the event, which included services ranging from health, food and shelter services to free showers, haircuts and clothing. Project Connect began in January of 2008 and occurs every few months in an effort to end poverty and provide assistance for people in need.

Organizations present included the St. Mary’s Food Bank, Hope Cottage and NAU’s Newman Center.

Wenda Meyer, the senior program coordinator of Coconino County Community Services, helps run Project Connect.

“There is a lot of difficulty for homeless people to get assistance because services are scattered all around,” Meyer said. “People become isolated, and we wanted to come up with creative options. Our goal is to help people meet their needs and let them know they have options. A lot of people don’t realize that they can get these services.”

Throughout the church, Project Connect set up tables for more than 35 social service agencies where guests could find the assistance they need. Outside, volunteers provided a free meal of donated food. Guests also had the opportunity to take showers, receive a haircut from trained stylists, or congregate with other families and individuals in the community.

Bill Packard of St. Vincent de Paul is the co-chair program director for the event.

“The program does two things: It provides services all in one location, but more importantly, the people who serve as guides make a contact with a guest,” Packard said. “Everyone who comes gets a personal guide who prioritizes their needs and takes them to the correct people for assistance. We’ve had over 600 people through here today, and with the economy, we have more people every time.”

Anna Palyga decided to volunteer as a guide after learning about Project Connect in the Arizona Daily Sun.

“I saw a need in the community,” Palyga said. “Northern Arizona is a rather impoverished place, especially Flagstaff.”

James Kennedy is the outreach coordinator at the Open Inn Inc. Alternatives Center in Flagstaff, one of the many nonprofit organizations that attended the event.

Jo Hale prepares vegetables for Flagstaff's project Connect. The project helped anyone in need in the Flagstaff community with specific needs, health check-ups and food. Jennifer Hilderbrand / The Lumberjack

“One of our primary functions is to help runaway homeless kids,” Kennedy said. “They can stay in our shelter, and pregnant teenagers who don’t have a home can also come so they have a place to live.”

Several medical procedures were also on hand, including flu shots; screenings for diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and HIV; dental checkups; and assistance for mental health needs.

Ron Paul from Southwest Behavioral Health Services said the organization reaches out to people by offering psychiatric care, medication and counseling.

“A lot of people are homeless because they have a mental-health issue,” Paul said. “We want to help them become successful.”

One room in the church was turned into a clothing shop for the day. Guests received donated clothing from Goodwill of Northern Arizona. Participants could pick from a room full of shirts, coats and boots.

Merrie Heath, the director of Mission Services at Goodwill, said Goodwill is focusing on providing winter clothing for the upcoming season.

“People need all the help they can get,” Heath said. “We want to uplift people in the long term and help them move on.”

By the parking lot in front of the church, a shuttle came by intermittently to give people a free ride along a route that went to the Wal-Mart and back.

Terrance Woodard waited for the shuttle and found the experience to be positive for him and his wife Sandra.

“It’s great for the community,” Terrence Woodward said. “They treat people with respect. [The guide] stood there with us the whole time and treated us right.”

Daniel Lomell, a first-time volunteer at Project Connect, said he found the experience particularly rewarding.

“I was close to being homeless, and I can relate to them,” Lomell said. “One guy, Elden, came in and took a shower and looked completely different. He went home happy as hell, wherever home is.”

Guide, Dea Greenwood and Johnny Jiron sit together at a table going through a check list of items and specific needs offered by Flagstaff's project Connect at Trinity Heights United Methodist Church on Oct. 10. Jennifer Hilderbrand / The Lumberjack