PORT ANGELES — Edward Lopez never thought he would be in this situation.
A successful banker for more than a decade, Lopez was laid off six months ago and joined the 9 percent who are unemployed in the U.S.
Lopez was one of an estimated 300 homeless or at-risk-for-homelessness guests who accessed a wide range of services Thursday at the second annual Clallam County Project Homeless Connect.
The event at the Vern Burton Community Center in Port Angeles was part of a nationwide effort in more than 250 cities to end homelessness.
“You never think you’re going to find yourself in this position,” Lopez said.
“Not that there’s anything wrong with this, but I never thought that I’d have to come to a place like this and look for some of the free services that they have to offer.
“I think the county’s doing a great job as far as trying to help out everybody.”
The event featured 40 service providers and 225 volunteers from service agencies and the community.
Service agencies and volunteers offered information on everything from housing referrals and placement, employment services, medical care, mental health and substance abuse care, insurance benefits advice and enrollment, giveaways and clothing, legal services and veterans services.
“When guests come in, we greet them as if they’ve just walked into a five-star hotel — having their needs met right now with a smile,” said Jill Dole, co-chairwoman of Project Homeless Connect with Cindy Burdine of Serenity House and a Clallam County Homelessness Task Force coordinator.
“I’m happy to see people welcoming homeless and at-risk people back into the mainstream of their community.”
Although she said Clallam County does a good job of keeping people off the streets, Dole described a “new face of homelessness.”
“It’s people who are just falling through the cracks in our economic downturn,” Dole said.
Project Homeless Connect wasn’t just for people.
The Olympic Peninsula Humane Society had a mobile unit outside for vaccinations and pet checkups. Humane Society manager and veterinarian Suzy Zustiak said she had vaccinated nine dogs for rabies.
Back inside the center, Port Angeles Food Bank chefs were serving chili dogs, mashed potatoes and healthier foods. The food bank provided breakfast and lunch for the guests and volunteers.
Lopez was waiting at the most popular booth — free haircuts — to improve his job prospects.
“I’m pretty strapped for cash, you know,” Lopez said.
“And I think the haircut will help me look a little bit better for interviews.”
Lopez said he goes to WorkSource every day and finds a crowd. He praised the workers there who maintain positive attitudes amid the high demand.
Since moving to Port Angeles from Arizona in December, Lopez has been sleeping on friends’ couches.
“I think everybody needs a little bit of help every now and then,” Lopez said of the event.
After his haircut, Lopez planned to speak with volunteers from the Housing Authority of Clallam County, which had a table set up nearby.
“A lot of people don’t know where to go to find affordable housing,” said Melanie Barnes, who was staffing the Housing Authority booth with Tiffany McKellard.
A Department of Social and Health Services bus was stationed in the parking lot. DSHS workers provided food stamps, medical benefits and child support services to more than 20 people in the mobile office.
“We’ve been pretty busy,” said Alexis Marx, an outreach specialist with the DSHS Mobile Community Services Office.
The state Department of Licensing offered driver’s licenses or identification cards for free.
Last year, 360 showed up for Project Homeless Connect. It coincided last year with the annual Point-in-Time Homeless Count.
“We hope that less and less come,” Dole said.
“It means we have less and less of a need.
“We’re reducing the number of homeless year by year.”
Clallam Transit provided free transportation to Project Homeless Connect.
Fifteen local agencies supported the event, with Clallam County as the main sponsor.
“Very little public money needed to be spent because the community offered all the services for free,” Dole said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.