Community volunteers will offer outreach and camaraderie at the upcoming Project Homeless Connect from noon to 4 p.m. Friday at the Gilroy Compassion Center, a burgeoning homeless shelter located at 8425 Monterey Rd. that serves South County.
Project Homeless Connect is based out of San Francisco with a local chapter in San Jose assisting cities such as Gilroy to organize convention-like gatherings of representatives from various service agencies. Volunteers then provide a hot meal, mobile medical services, clothing and personal care items to anyone who is homeless.
Given the “enormous turnout” at the last Project Homeless Connect March 30, Compassion Center Board Chair Jan Bernstein-Chargin is expecting a healthy show of people this Friday. For a list of groups participating in Friday’s event, view the flier attached with this article.
Currently open from 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, the Gilroy Compassion Center is a grassroots, 501(C)(3) nonprofit offering food, clothes, shelter support services, restrooms, resource listings, telephone and Internet.
Compassion Center’s Board is focused on collecting donated funds and materials for the building’s needed structural upgrades (sprinklers, internal finishes, divider walls, beds) which will cost around $750,000 including labor.
Visit the Gilroy Compassion Center website to make a donation online.
• Need help right now? Call the Santa Clara County Shelter hotline at 1-800-7-SHELTER.
• Compassion Center: Located at 8425 Monterey Rd. in Gilroy. Call (408) 763-7120 or visit gccsoco.org
• Want to volunteer or get involved? Email gi********************@ya***.com
• The Compassion Center is in need of volunteers, as well as donations of men’s clothing (seasonally appropriate), hangers, water bottles, toiletries, new socks/underwear, tote bags and backpacks.
