Volunteers are still needed for Project Homeless Connect 6 (PHC 6), a one-day event at DU’s Ritchie Center on Friday, May 9.
PHC 6, a partnership between DU, Denver’s Road Home and the Mile High United Way, serves as a one-stop shop connecting homeless individuals to needed services, including employment, housing, health care, legal resources, IDs, Social Security and food stamp benefits.
More than 60 organizations from the Denver area will be present to provide these services.
Last April, DU hosted Project Homeless Connect 4 (PHC4), the first such event on a college campus. With the support of 755 volunteers the day of the event and another 250 who helped with planning efforts, 525 homeless clients received a wide range of services.
In response to feedback from PHC 4 volunteers, this year’s organizing committee has made adjustments to the volunteer schedule to ensure an appropriate ratio of volunteers to clients, including implementing a staggered-start shift and on-call schedule.
Volunteers are needed in a variety of capacities, including facility setup on May 8. Volunteer opportunities on May 9 include welcome team, bag check-in and facility tear down.
The biggest need is for volunteers to provide client support services. These volunteers will be paired one-on-one with clients and will help them prioritize and navigate services provided at PHC6. Available client services shifts include 8 a.m.–3 p.m. and 9:30 a.m. –3 p.m.
Volunteers are also needed to be on-call from 10:30 a.m. –3 p.m. On-call volunteers will check the DU volunteer site to find out whether and when they will need to arrive at the Ritchie Center.
“PHC 6 provides an opportunity to volunteers to work one-on-one with a client, to get the opportunity to interact and get to know what people are feeling and what they experience on a day-to-day basis,” says Katie Symons, event organizer and Center for Civic Engagement and Service Learning associate director.
All volunteers for the welcome team, bag check-in and client support services will be required to attend a one-hour training session on-campus prior to PHC6.
Volunteers can sign up to help through April 30 or until all volunteer slots are full. For more information or to sign up to volunteer, visit here.