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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 30, 2015)
10A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2015 Photos by JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian Volunteer guides, wearing yellow shirts, help individuals check in at the Project Homeless Connect event. Homeless: Event attendance is still a fraction of local homeless population Continued from Page 1A cate is often the most important step in overcoming homeless- ness, Seavert said. People are XQDEOHWR¿QGZRUNRUKRXVLQJ ZLWKRXWSURSHULGHQWL¿FDWLRQ CCA offers a mail service DW LWV RI¿FH LQ $VWRULD ZKHUH homeless people can come in RQFHDZHHNWRSLFNXSPDLO Area homeless shelters also connect homeless with post of- ¿FHER[DGGUHVVHVZKLFKLVNH\ IRU REWDLQLQJ DQ LGHQWL¿FDWLRQ from the state Department of Motor Vehicles. Michael Ruiz, the DMV manager in Astoria, said local agencies often write letters to the DMV to certify a homeless person’s given P.O. box, in or- der for the person to get an ID card. ³:HWU\WRZRUNZLWKGLIIHU- ent agencies and the public to OHWWKHPNQRZHYHQLI\RXDUH homeless, there are ways to get an ID,” Ruiz said. “The DMV UHDOO\ NQRZV QRW HYHU\RQH will have an ideal home, so we PDNHDOWHUQDWLYHJXLGHOLQHV´ Overall, seeing people move from booth to booth was OLNHZDWFKLQJWKHPSDVVKXUGOH after hurdle, organizers noted. Clatsop County’s Project Homeless Connect is held each Tony DeGoede, Clatsop Community Action staff mem- ber, said the event traditionally attracts about 200 homeless people each year. Having half that number this year is actually a positive sign for the commu- nity, DeGoede said. “Our goal is to reduce the numbers,” he said. The attendance at Homeless Connect is still a fraction of the local homeless population. In 2014, Clatsop County re- corded 638 homeless families and 1,038 individuals. Record- ings show 321 people were un- der the age of 18. CCA is conducting its annu- al homeless count for this year. The results are expected to be released by April. Homelessness includes peo- ple living with others due to losing their own housing and are “doubled up” which has be- come more common among the county’s youth. Of all the services offered, DeGoede said, the most popular is, of course, housing services. However, most of the hous- ing services could only offer Pamphlets about mental health sit on a table. waiting lists Wednesday and re- TXLUHGSURSHULGHQWL¿FDWLRQDQG clean legal history. DEL’S O.K. “All the barriers to housing, we try to help with,” DeGoede said. CCA’s Joanne Seavert col- lected 60 names of homeless YOUR #1 SOURCE FOR TIRES people needing help getting • CUSTOM WHEELS • LGHQWL¿FDWLRQRU¿OOLQJRXWELUWK • AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES • FHUWL¿FDWHRUGHUIRUPV6KHZDV able to help 49 people last year. Hours: 503-325-2861 35359 Business Hwy 101 (miles crossing) Mon-Fri 8-6 2EWDLQLQJSURSHULGHQWL¿FD- For emergencies Sat- 8-4 Astoria, OR 503-325-0233 WLRQRUDFTXLULQJDELUWKFHUWL¿- TIMBER forget that many of the agencies offer the same services year- round. “We do this, and then the QH[WGD\ZHDUHZRUNLQJZLWK housing and advocacy groups,” DeGoede said. “We don’t stop.” Join us! Community Health Fair February 14, 9am-2pm FESTIVAL & JOB FAIR Clatsop County Fairgrounds 92937 Walluski Loop, Astoria, OR Join the CMH/OHSU Cardiology Clinic on Valentine’s Day for a fun and informative, heart-friendly Community Health Fair. SATURDAY FEB. 7 th Free admission 10 AM - 5 PM Jerry Martin takes an eye exam to check for signs of glau- coma during the Project Homeless Connect event at the Seaside Civic and Convention Center Thursday. FREE! Fun for the whole family! ASTORIA Clatsop County Fairgounds year in honor of Jessica MacLay, the originator and organizer the ¿UVWWZR\HDUVZKRGLHGLQ from injuries suffered in a fatal car accident. The event has since been named in her memory. 7KH¿UVW\HDUWKHHYHQWZDV held in a Warrenton church, then moved to the convention center. Project Homeless Connect, founded in San Francisco, be- gan Dec. 8, 2005, in 26 cities across the country. The event is a helpful one- day, one-stop event, DeGoede said, but he hopes people do not Lo g g in g Co m p e titio n s Jo b Re so u rce s Histo ric & Ge ar Disp lays Lu m b e r jack Bre akfast Craft ve n d o r s ^ 3 WKE^KZ3z͗ 3'ƵƐƚĂĨƐŽŶ3>ŽŐŐŝŶŐ3ͻ3 3>ĞǁŝƐ3Θ3ůĂƌŬ3ͻ3KƌĞŐŽŶ3dŝŵďĞƌ 3ͻ3tŽŽĚͲDŝnjĞƌ͕3>>3ͻ3ŝƚLJ3ŽĨ34ƐƚŽƌŝĂ < Get basic health screenings. < Get advice from experts on heart health, medication interactions, orthopedic surgery and more. < Learn about local health & fitness programs. < Talk with local medical specialists. < Test your strength and balance. < Win prizes hourly! Fun for the whole family!! &YDIBOHF4USFFU"TUPSJB0SFHPOt XXXDPMVNCJBNFNPSJBMPSHt"1MBOFUSFF%FTJHOBUFE)PTQJUBM