DALTON, Ga. — Last year almost 120 people attended Homeless Connect, an event designed to help those seeking help with housing, employment, obtaining photo identification and more. This year’s Homeless Connect will be on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mack Gaston Community Center in Dalton.

Lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is the fourth year for the event.

“‘Homeless and unstably housed’ is the term we like to use,” said Jennifer Shearin, executive director of the Dalton-Whitfield Community Development Corp., which is presenting the event. “It’s people who don’t have a fixed and adequate night-time residence.”

Shearin said that can include someone staying with their mom, or “you may be staying with a friend, but it’s a temporary situation and you know it’s going to end at some point,” she said.

Shearin said those are examples of the “other side of homeless (that) people really don’t know about. It’s a very unpredictable situation.” 

Approximately 80 volunteers have signed up to help in various capacities during Homeless Connect. Some will distribute food boxes, while others will drive people to the Georgia Department of Driver Services to help them get their license and obtain photo identification. There will also be health care screenings and help with veterans services, pet care and information about education for children.

The Chattanooga Area Food Bank, DOC-UP, Family Promise and Georgia Hope are some of the agencies expected to be at Homeless Connect. Ten stylists from the Georgia Beauty Academy will provide free hair cuts.

“I’m so excited they are coming back,” Shearin said of the stylists. “People really loved getting their hair done last year.” 

Rosa Fay Lawson, a case manager with the Conasauga Drug Court, said volunteers from there will give purses to women.

“They’ve been collecting purses so women can have something to carry on interviews with them,” Lawson said.

Shearin said she’s excited about Homeless Connect and hopes it exceeds previous years. 

“All we need is for people to just show up,” she said. 

For more information, call Shearin at (706) 876-1625.