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The face of homelessness is changing here in Anchorage, and that was obvious Wednesday at an event held at the Egan Center called Project Homeless Connect.
The event featured more than 60 service providers ready to help homeless people with their needs in a one-stop shopping setting.
More than 200 community members volunteered, and some organizers say some of them may have changed their minds about what a homeless person looks like.
“The average age of a homeless person here in Alaska, including Anchorage, is 9,” said Trevor Storrs of the Anchorage Coalition on Homelessness, “so it’s a lot of families, not the person on the street holding up the sign, which is less than 300 people in our community, so it really breaks down the stigma.”
It’s the tenth time they’ve held this event and organizers say it’s working. Fewer than half of those served return for a second time.
