Press Release - Dec. 8, 2010 PDF Print E-mail

1,347 ATTEND PROJECT HOMELESS CONNECT RECEIVING THOUSANDS OF SERVICES IN ONE DAY

 

 

Nashville, Tenn. (Dec. 8, 2010) – End-of-the-day tallies show that 1,347 homeless individuals and families as well as people on the brink of homelessness registered to receive thousands of services from more than 70 service providers within six hours at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds on Wednesday.
 
Project Homeless Connect is a one-day, one-stop event that removes barriers to housing.
The event provides people struggling with homelessness with access to a broad range of services including medical screenings, legal services, employment assistance, foot care, pet care, haircuts, foreclosure prevention services, and more.
 
Clifton Harris, executive director of The Key Alliance, the nonprofit fundraising arm of the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission, said he was pleased with the outcome of the event.
 
“The solution to homelessness is housing,” Harris said. “That’s why The Key Alliance promotes Housing First, an approach that takes homeless people where they are and places them in low-income housing units where they receive individualized case management. Project Homeless Connect is a first step to remove housing barriers and connect people to work.”
At least 14 individuals found employment through Project Homeless Connect with companies including Kroger, Peoplelink Staffing, Adecco, and Krystal. An additional 87 individuals received services through the Social Security benefits program, which hopefully will lead to income that allows them to pay for rent.
 
Judge Dan Eisenstein has freed his docket to hear cases referred to him through community court at Project Homeless Connect. His docket is open for Project Homeless Connect participants on Monday, Dec. 13, at 10 a.m. in court room 1B at the AA Birch Building.
 
“Opening my docket to people from Project Homeless Connect makes court more efficient for them because this population is dealing with similar issues,” Judge Eisenstein said.
 
The Key Alliance event coordinator Mary Beth Ritchie said she was pleased with the outcome of Project Homeless Connect.
 
“Serving so many people in one day is only possible because of the outstanding volunteers who signed up and the more than 70 service providers who participated,” Ritchie said. “Project Homeless Connect is about connecting people with services that remove barriers to housing. We were able to connect at least 100 people with services to replace their I.D.s. Without identification, they cannot get into housing.”
 
During the first year’s Project Homeless Connect, 1,078 people were served, a number that increased to 1,558 last year.
 
“The number we saw this year is in line with the past two years because we saw more families, which were registered as one guest unit,” Harris said. “In reality we easily had 1,500 individuals come through Project Homeless Connect this year.
 
“Today’s event showed once more how big and urgent the need for housing is,” Harris said. “If we come together as a community, we can make a difference.”
 
People who want to help can join The Key Alliance at www.thekeyalliance.org to keep informed about homelessness in Nashville, needs, solutions, and opportunities to help.
 
 
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To donate online, click on the "Join The Key Alliance" button.
The Key Alliance is a
501(c)3 nonprofit organization that partners with the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission to bring together the community to collaborate around permanent solutions to homelessness in Nashville.

NEWSTICKER

Upcoming Events:

End Homelessness Eraselets
The Key Alliance together with the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission is utilizing a new marketing tool called Eraselets, which are wristbands that also serve as erasers. The message on the Eraselets is End Homelessness. Eraselet inventor Bryan Ricci became homeless at the age of 15. Currently he is trying to get his product into Wal-Mart.

Operation Stand Down
The 20th Annual Operation Stand Down Event has been scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 12, 13 and 14, 2012 at the old TN Preparatory School (TPS) Gymnasium Please note this is a return to our regular weekend format! The address is 1164 Foster Avenue, Nashville, TN 37210.

Community Calendar
The Key Alliance hosts a new feature on its Website: A Community Calendar (view tab on the left). Service providers are invited to email details of their events and happenings they would like to be listed on our Community Calendar to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Contributor goes to twice monthly
On Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, The Contributor, Nashville's successful street newspaper, will publish two issues per month. "In a time when print media is on the decline, street newspapers all around the world have seen major increases in distribution. The Contributor, now the highest-distributing street newspaper in North America, is a leader in the global street newspaper movement’s success. Thanks to the hard work and determination of its vendors and staff, as well as the generosity of its donors, The Contributor has grown exponentially over the last two years, enabling approximately one-third of the paper’s vendors to earn enough money to obtain housing." - Andrew Krinks, The Contributor's editor, in a recent press release.

Volunteer Award
The Key Alliance is proud to announce that our volunteer, Ben Morton, was honored with the Phyllis M. Frank Volunteer Award by the Nashville Coaltion for the Homeless for his outstanding efforts to help the local homeless community. Read the press release here.

Adopt A Unit
The Key Alliance, in partnership with the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission, has launched a new program called Adopt A Unit that invites congregations to help formerly homeless individuals establish a household.
For more information, click here.

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The next MHC meeting is scheduled for Friday, March 2, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. in the Sonny West Conference Room of the Howard Office Building (Fulton Complex), 700 Second Ave. South.
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A Summary Report of the Committee on Police/Homeless Issues of the MHC is posted here.
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Adopt A Meter Program
The Key Alliance has partnered with NashVitality to promote its Adopt A Meter program.
The program places refurbished "parking" meters in high foot traffic areas Downtown. All change collected will benefit homeless outreach with the goal to place people into Housing First. For a $1,000 sponsorship, contact Clifton Harris at 862-6401 or email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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The Key Alliance launched a Speaker's Bureau program. We are available to speak to groups larger than 10 members including businesses, neighborhood associations, civic groups and congregations.
Contact Judy Tackett at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to set up YOUR meeting.
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To date the Metropolitan Homelessness Commission and MDHA have been able to connect 37 homeless individuals who lost everything in the May floods with Section 8 Housing vouchers. The Homelessness Commission has closed the program. All Section 8 Voucher applicants have to go through MDHA's Secion 8 Office at 620 Dew Street.
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If you would like to be included on our volunteer e-mail list for special events and other opportunities, or sign up for our newsletter, please contact Judy Tackett at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
For media inquiries
call Judy Tackett at 517-7000.