Event planned to help people become ‘homeless no more’

WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) - A coalition of organizations wants to help people who are homeless by understanding who they are and why they ended up that way.

The CARE Center on Factory Street in Watertown is hosting a “Homeless No More” event on Thursday, July 22. The CARE Center is inside the Watertown Urban Mission’s Impossible Dream thrift store.

Organizers will ask people to fill out a survey to get a count of the number of individuals who are homeless or on the brink of homelessness, or who were homeless during the past year.

The “open house and conversation” will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be bagged lunches and other “goodies” available.

Organizers say the outreach isn’t limited to just the CARE Center, though. Under the leadership of the Mental Health Association of Jefferson County and Urban Mission, volunteers will take to the streets to identify homeless people.

Volunteers will be armed with bagged lunches, backpacks filled with supplies, and knowledge of available resources, and paired with professionals from MHA.

“The strategy for street outreach is to develop a rapport and have a conversation with those who are experiencing homelessness,” Urban Mission executive director Dawn Cole said. “In order to address homelessness, we need to better understand the circumstances that brought a person to this point.”

If anyone knows of someone who is homeless, they can contact Ashley Wilson at MHA at 315-788-0970 or Tim Fayette at the Urban Mission at 315-782-8440.

The CARE Center is a partnership of agencies that provides rental assistance and other services. Partners include Catholic Charities, Community Action Planning Council, Department of Social Services, Mental Health Association, Transitional Living Services, and the Urban Mission.

Also participating in the July 22 event are the Anchor Recovery Center, CHJC, CREDO, North Country Prenatal/Perinatal Council, Neighbors of Watertown, Samaritan Addiction Services, Soldier On, and Victims Assistance Center.