Clallam County’s Homelessness Task Force is seeking volunteers to help with January expositions in Port Angeles and Forks to connect homeless people with resources to help them.
The task force is organizing Homeless Connect events at two locations on Jan. 28. They will be at the Port Angeles’ Vern Burton Center, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the Olympic Community Action Building in Forks, with no time set as yet.
Among the volunteers who have signed up to help with the event are Port Angeles attorneys Joe Lavin, Mark Baumann and Steve Robins, as well as attorneys from the Clallam County Public Defender’s Office, a prepared statement from the task force said.
Homeless Connect is a comprehensive exposition designed to connect people who are homeless with all the resources in their community that could help them end their homelessness.
The fourth Thursday in January was chosen to coincide with the annual federally designated Point In Time Count of homeless people.
Everyone who’s interested in eliminating homelessness in Clallam County will find opportunities to help with the Homeless Connect, the task force said.
Volunteer arrangements
Volunteers may help make arrangements ahead of time, spend the day greeting or serving food, give an hour to help set up or take down, or donate supplies.
Medical and other professionals are especially needed to provide services on-site, the task force said. The attorneys, for example, will help people resolve legal issues that have made it difficult for them to obtain housing.
“I’m a good fit for this,” said Lavin, who has devoted his practice to Social Security Insurance disability cases for well over 20 years.
Although Thursdays are administrative hearings days for him, Lavin said he will make time to help those whose homelessness may be related to unresolved SSI claims.
Baumann will help with traffic and criminal court cases, plus mediation and family law issues. Past work at Clallam County pro bono clinics has given him the experience to provide effective help quickly, he said.
Robins’ specialty is representing low-income clients in civil cases. As lead attorney at the Northwest Justice Project’s Port Angeles office, he said he offered to help at the Homeless Connect because “it’s something I strongly believe in personally, and it’s part of our mission.”
Other professionals interested in volunteering services at the Homeless Connect in Port Angeles can contact Serenity House Deputy Director Cindy Burdine at 360-452-9866 or e-mail cindybserenity@yahoo.com.
To help in other ways or to donate, phone Jill Dole at Clallam County Health & Human Services at 360-565-2608 or e-mail jdole@co.clallam.wa.us.
To volunteer at the Forks Homeless Connect, contact Ruth King at ruthk@forkshospital.org or Cheri Fleck at cherif@forkshospital.org at West End Outreach Services, 360-374-6177.
