Lorenzo Johnson smiles as Sharon Sherick, from Gavilan College

Nearly a dozen agencies gather at the armory to help the more
than 100 people who sleep there each night
Gilroy – Local homeless people who flock nightly to the National Guard Armory for shelter had a rare chance Monday to access employment, health and housing services – all under a single roof.

Nearly a dozen agencies gathered at the armory off Wren Avenue, which for years has housed homeless people during the winter months. Three medical vans were parked outside administering HIV and hepatitis tests, while dozens of representatives from various health and human services groups offered services inside the gymnasium, where more than 100 people sleep each night.

The event brought together services that are normally fragmented, according to Dina Campeau, chairperson of the South County Collaborative, a consortium of area nonprofit groups and public agencies.

“We have alcohol and drug and mental health services (here),” she said. “These people would never go into those offices normally.”

They even offered haircuts, thanks to the Gavilan College School of Cosmetology.

“A fresh hair cut just changes their whole demeanor,” said program director Rose Hernandez. “It’s amazing what a fresh haircut can do for you. That’s the beauty of our business – making people feel better about themselves. It builds self-esteem.”

While many people signed up for services at the booths lining the armory gymnasium, some of the nightly regulars looked on from their sleeping mats with apprehension.

“I don’t think I’ll go to the booths,” said Jonathan Smith, a nightly resident who has spent a year in Gilroy without a regular home. He didn’t provide a reason, saying only that he hoped to find work on his own soon.

Heiri Schuppisser, a clinical services specialist with Alliance for Community Care, said “tonight is a great opportunity” but homeless people “have to be willing to make changes.”

Schuppisser spends most of his time on the streets and under bridges in San Jose, developing trust and rapport with homeless people who have serious mental illnesses, “those who are too paranoid or scared to come to shelters.”

Campeau said that a “one time hit” at the armory, while important in connecting people with a variety of services, will not solve the biggest problems facing the chronically homeless. Long-term housing, she said, is the single most important factor in helping those who have spent long periods on the streets.

She said the nonprofit consortium identified 14 people Monday night whom they plan to help more intensively with case management services – everything from housing to employment to child care.

Mayor Al Pinheiro, who helped translate for some of the Spanish-speaking people Monday night, lauded the event.

“They’ve got so many services here,” he said. “Hopefully you catch a few folks to transition back into good living.”

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