Project Connect matches residents with available resources
CENTREVILLE — St. Joseph County Project Connect & Veteran Stand Down returned to the county fairgrounds Friday for what was the first in-person event of its kind since the COVID-19 pandemic.
About 170 households were served at the event and all but one indicated on the event’s exit survey that they found a resource or agency at 2022 Project Connect to help them with their current needs, said Laura Brott, collaborative coordinator for St. Joseph County Human Services Commission.
Numbers for the event were lower than usual, post-COVID, Brott said.
“But we’re hearing from agencies that people are excited to be back in person,” she said. “They’re appreciative of the information.”
For the past two years, Project Connect has been a socially distanced, drive-thru event.
This year, in addition to the families served, 175 agency representatives and volunteers attended. They not only assisted the families who attended, but also networked at the event to have a better understanding of current services available throughout the county, Brott said.
Ruth Mancina of St. Joseph County Commission on Aging was among them. In her six years of attending Project Connect, she said it’s a great opportunity to educate people about COA.
“It’s a great event,” she said. “It makes you realize how much support we have in St. Joseph County.”
In its 17th year, Project Connect was expanded to include such services as legal aid, health screenings, employment, food and household, recovery and more. Flu and COVID shots were available and St. Joseph County United Way served 420 lunches at the event.
Community Action and South Michigan Food Bank provided food boxes and a fresh food distribution to attendees. Michelle Boudreau of South Michigan Food Bank called the day “incredible” and said she served a lot of families, veterans and even the homeless. She wished to thank St. Joseph County Transportation Authority for providing free rides to event-goers and called Project Connect “a wonderful event for those who need to be connected.”
South Michigan Food Band had prepared to serve potentially 400 families, so some got extra, Boudreau said.
Beth Letts of Community Action said the agency provided more shelf-stable commodities. Volunteers there had brought 360 boxes and went through about half, she said.
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Brott said organizers of Project Connect are grateful to the many agencies, volunteers, and businesses that made the event possible including Battle Creek VA Medical Health Center, Sturgis Walmart, Sturgis Meijer, Sturgis Area Community Foundation, Yoder’s Country Market, Yoder Family Farm, Michigan Association of United Ways, Milestone Senior Services, Black Gold Potato Farms, Harding Market Three Rivers and St. Joseph County United Way.
Anyone that may not have attended 2022 Project Connect but is interested in services available in St. Joseph County can visit the Community Resource Guide and calendar of supportive services at the St. Joseph County Human Services Commission’s website, SJCHumanServices.com.
Contact reporter Michelle Patrick at mpatrick@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Project Connect & Veteran Stand Down 2022
