The annual Community Resource Connect event brought together about 30 agencies offering immediate help, and connections to longer-term support.
The event welcomes anyone experiencing financial instability, houselessness, or the risk of losing housing. Organizers also provided transportation to the rec center from communities as far north as Ninilchik.
Annie Garay is with South Peninsula Hospital. She said the event relies on collaboration rather than a single provider.
"There's nursing students giving flu shots and blood pressure checks… they've got ice cleats and first aid kits and a whole bunch of gear over there. We have a mobile clinic van outside, and they can provide on-site screenings, testing, wound care, medication, things like that," Garay said.
Garay said it’s part of a larger event called Project Homeless Connect, which is held around the state and nationally on the last Tuesday of January each year. And similar events took place the same day around the Kenai Peninsula.
Beyond medical care, rec center attendees in Homer could get haircuts, groceries, dog food, and supplies like sleeping bags and blankets. Volunteers paired guests with helpers called “navigators,” who carried supplies and guided people to resources.
The event also served as a Point in Time count, a nationwide effort to track housing instability, which also happens each year on the last Tuesday in January.
Lia Shelton is the homeless assistance program manager with Homer Haven House. She said the anonymous, optional survey asks where people slept the night before and helps agencies secure funding.
"It's important to see, like, how many homeless people do we have? How many have we had in the past years? Like, what are our barriers right now, like what age group are they in?" Shelton said.
Shelton said the data helps organizers identify gaps in services and improve the event each year. Homer’s results are compiled into a local report and included in a broader Kenai Peninsula count.
Shelton said help remains available year-round. Haven House assists with housing, rent, utilities, and emergency lodging, including heating fuel during the winter.
"A big thing that we help with is propane and heating oil, especially like right now when it's cold," Shelton said.
The Homer Food Pantry also continues to serve as a central hub for assistance and referrals every Monday.
