Norfolk event gives services, direction to homeless

NORFOLK

An assembly of agencies and hundreds of people swarmed the exhibition hall of Scope on Wednesday, and it wasn't for your typical ask-a-question-and-get-a-pamphlet kind of event.

The city doesn't want the 500-plus people who show up for Project Homeless Connect to walk away with something to read.

"We want services to be delivered," said Kimberly Thomas, a management analyst for the city's Office to End Homelessness.

And they want people to walk out feeling that they accomplished something, she said.

That's what happens, according to Johnnie Driggins, who helped guide people to the right areas for what they needed.

Driggins was dashing from one side of the hall to another with a megawatt smile and a yellow T-shirt sported by all those in the army of volunteers.

This was his fourth time at the city's biannual Project Homeless event, but his first as a volunteer.

"A year ago, I celebrated my anniversary of having my place a year," Driggins said.

He was homeless for four years, he said, and now lives in Gosnold Apartments, a supportive housing development.

It was at one of the events that he found his home, he said.

"For me, coming here to do this was a way for me to give back," Driggins said. "And I'm having fun, actually."

Driggins and other volunteers steered people from one station to another for veteran services, transitional housing, health checks and more.

The event began in 2005. In January, more than 550 homeless people showed up. This time around, it drew 560.

More than 100 of them climbed into one of the 30 dental chairs behind a curtain at the rear of the hall.

Dentists extracted about 110 teeth and filled 49 cavities.

Jerry Phelps, a member of a Norfolk Lions Club, estimated Wednesday morning that the group would do sight and hearing tests and screenings on about half of the attendees.

Some would get eyeglasses right away.

At other stations throughout Scope, some people got help navigating processes that can be intimidating, like applying for disability benefits and food stamps.

"The misconception is people just don't want to do better," Thomas said.

"We're trying to actually just simplify the process," she said.

Janie Bryant, (757) 446-2453, janie.bryant@pilotonline.com