San Diego Interim Mayor Todd Gloria and other city leaders are calling on San Diegans to clean out their closets and donate gently used clothing and blankets for an upcoming event, Project Homeless Connect, geared to help homeless people.
City leaders are planning a news conference Tuesday at noon to get the donation drive started with their own clothing donations, such as a flight jacket, blankets and wool socks.
They’ll also release a report reflecting the profile of participants who are expected to attend, based on last year’s 1,143 participants. Among the findings, nearly 70 percent were between the ages of 41 and 70, and 86 percent were unemployed.
The 8th Project Homeless Connect will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 4 at the San Diego Concourse in Golden Hall.
Homeless people will be offered health and dental screenings, haircuts, food and identification cards.
The event, led by the San Diego Housing Commission, also provides homeless with basic needs like jackets, blankets, sleeping bags, toothbrushes and socks.
Event organizers are seeking 400 volunteers to staff registration tables, assist in escorting clients to various services, and provide food service.
Approximately 8,900 people in San Diego County were counted sleeping on the streets or in homeless shelters one night last January, according to the Regional Task Force on the Homeless. The annually conducted “point-in-time count” is the region’s most accurate indication of the local homeless population.
