Project Homeless Connect 2009 video!!

This video is a collaboration of photos from Billings Project Homeless Connect 2009 event.

Project Homeless Connect is a one-day community-wide event that provides the opportunity for homeless and near-homeless individuals to connect with services such as housing, support and quality of life resources.

This event has been successfully hosted in Billings for three consecutive years. This years event is scheduled for January 29, 2010 and is currently in the planning process and is in need of team leaders. For more information about Project Homeless Connect 2010 contact Joanna Culver, AmeriCorps*VISTA, @ (406) 657-8289 or email vista3@ci.billings.mt.us.

For more information about the effort to end homelessness in Billings, Montana, the Mayor's Committee on Homelessness or the Ten-year plan to end homelessness in Billings contact Brenda Beckett, Community Development Manager for the City of Billings, @ beckettb@ci.billings.mt.us.



Video created by: Jessica Mowry, AmeriCorps*VISTA, City of Billings/Mayor's Committee on Homelessness

What is Billings Metro VISTA Project (MVP)???

(photo courtsey of theguardian.co.uk)

Homelessness often conjures images of panhandlers stationed on high-traffic corners, an aged man huddled in a doorway, or a woman pushing a shopping cart containing all her worldly possessions. There is no doubt that these people exist, even on the streets of Billings, Montana. The face of homelessness in our community is diverse, and stereotypical preconceptions forestall us from acknowledging the complexity of homelessness and the extent of the vulnerability in our community.

In November 2005, the City of Billings was chosen for a pilot project to end chronic homelessness. In June 2006, Mayor Tussing appointed a 20-member committee including representation from a broad stakeholder group of housing/service providers, civic/business leaders, economic/work force agencies, faith based/philanthropy groups, and other interested parties. The first meeting of the Committee was scheduled in June 2006, and the Committee has since been developing a ten-year strategic plan to impact chronic homelessness, as have over 300 other cities across the United States.

The Mayor's Committee on Homelessness is focused on reducing the number of homeless persons in Billings, reducing the risk of homelessness and creating the tools people in poverty need to build sustainable futures. The committee's goals will be furthered through through the addition of seven AmeriCorps VISTAs (Volunteers in Service to America). The VISTAs serve in communities to "fight poverty with passion" and will contribute to the overarching goals and priorities of the Mayor’s Committee on Homelessness to impact poverty and to prevent and intervene in homelessness.

These AmeriCorps VISTAs are just seven of the 105 total Volunteers in Service to America who have come to work for the next year in the state of Montana. They are responsible for building capacity in non-profit organizations and communities, and helping to lift individuals and communities out of poverty. In Billings, the VISTA programs include Project Homeless Connect, Elevate the Workplace, Illuminate Poverty, and partnerships with United Way, Second Chance Homes, Family Support Network and the Salvation Army.

(photo courtsey of the-election.com)

No one should be homeless in Billings, much less children, seniors and pregnant individuals. An annual point-in-time survey conducted each January has identified an average of over 600 homeless persons, with at least 80 homeless families in Billings at any one point in time. Homeless service providers estimate almost 1,100 homeless individuals travel through Billings each year. Some sleep outside, some stay with family or friends and some stay in emergency shelters, motels and treatment facilities.

The Billings Metro VISTA Project (MVP) has been set up to make a difference in this community. With the aid of this blog, the 'Illuminate Poverty' campaign will aim to focus a spotlight on poverty and homelessness in the city. This campaign is designed to change the public perception of the homeless and impoverished by emphasizing the stories that lead to poverty and homelessness. We believe that people's stories are like puzzles, and everyone deserves to have all their pieces accounted for. Not hearing two or three years of someone's life story is equivalent to missing two or three pieces of a puzzle, and failure to consider the myriad complex factors that lead to poverty and homelessness can lead to unwarranted judgments and incomplete understanding. These "missing" years could include unanticipated job losses, unforeseen illnesses or disastrous accidents; the possibilities are endless as life takes unexpected turns each and every day. We believe these stories need to be told, and we are here to tell them. Our hope is that the perception will be changed and true progress will be made in this beautiful city.