Community Resource Fair

SAN JOSE, CA – HomeFirst is streamlining access to critical services for unhoused residents with a community resource fair on March 12th. The event will take place at the Leininger Center, 1300 Senter Rd., San Jose, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

 

The Community Resource Fair will bring together almost two dozen social service providers under one roof to provide housing resources and address immediate needs. Participants will include the DMV issuing State IDs on the spot, Gardner Health Services offering flu shots, JobTrain providing employment resources, The Humane Society administering pet vaccines, and HomeFirst providing housing resources. The County will also be present.

 

Beyond receiving access to important resources, attendees will be offered a meal courtesy of Destination: Home and a bagged lunch from Loaves and Fishes. Mobile showers and a laundry service will also be available for use.

 

With the goal of increasing access to critical services for unhoused residents, attendees will be able to access multiple resources in a single day. By bringing together a diverse range of resources in one location and offering transportation between encampments and the event, HomeFirst aims to make services more accessible.

 

“It is imperative that we get individuals living outside and in encampments connected to proper services within our city,” said Maggie Crowder, HomeFirst’s Director of Street Based Services. “This event will serve as a starting point for many. It will allow individuals to access important resources and build trust with HomeFirst and other local service providers.”

 

Events like this Community Resource Fair are critical, considering the unmet needs of unhoused residents in our community. The city’s 2023 Point-In-Time Count, a count of people experiencing homelessness in the city, identified 6,266 unhoused individuals in San Jose. The report also indicated that 23% of unhoused people were not utilizing any services. The hope is that this Community Resource Fair, which will take place quarterly, can help change this.

 

For nearly 45 years, HomeFirst has been serving the Bay Area community. As a leading provider of housing services, we offer prevention, outreach, shelters, and interim and permanent housing programs to individuals who are housing insecure or unhoused.