Hello everyone!

I am the new AmeriCorps member for the Wherever You Are (WYA) program here at CHC. I am very excited to be working with WYA and CHC this year, and I look forward to sharing more through this blog. Already I have been humbly exposed to the conditions that many homeless people regretfully experience, and the great contributions that so many community members make to help improve their quality of life. The WYA team is among these organizations and individuals who come together to help people who are homeless or near homeless by providing high quality health care to people with or without insurance.

On Wednesday, October 19th we will be teaming up with mobile dental at the New Britain YMCA to offer free services to people in the community. Consider it a ‘mini’ VA Stand Down, as the Homeless Connect aims to bring community support and direct services to people all at once. Mobile dental and WYA will offer blood pressure checks, flu shots, substance abuse information and dental hygeine services. We will also have a physician and licensed drug and alcohol counselor on site to offer consultations to anyone who needs it. Besides all these wonderful services, there will be breakfast and lunch, resume writing/job coaching, energy assistance, food stamp assistance, medical assistance, GED/citizenship assistance, manicures, facials, haircuts, victim advocacy and more! I can imagine it will be a rewarding day for both ourselves and community members who receive these services.

The Homeless Connect will be from 8am-1pm at the New Britain YMCA (50 High St.). If you have any questions, please feel free to contact myself or my supervisor, Agi Erickson.