Running Head: FINAL REPORT 1

Final ReportProgram Evaluation of Homeless Connect Event

Brian JorgensenMisty HenryRenee Ducre

University of Southern Indiana

FINAL REPORT 2

The Homeless Connect event is an annual gathering of community-based organizations that provide convenient, on-site, one-stop access to services needed by people in Evansville who are homeless or near homeless. Since the beginning of the event eight years ago, it has been held in the Old National Events Plaza; however, the number of participating organizations has grown, and the space is now no longer sufficient to house all of the organizations. The Homeless Connect Steering Committee wanted to determine the best course of action for the event and focused on two main options: 1) Obtain more space so the event could be expanded to accommodate more organizations or 2) Prioritize certain organizations over others and limit the number of participating organizations. The goal of our evaluation was to provide data that would assist the committee in making this decision.

Principles Used in Evaluation

As we began our evaluation, several main principles guided our efforts. As Alkin (2011) explains, two of the most fundamental aspects of the evaluation are having an understanding the needs of the stakeholders and understanding the program being evaluated. We attempted to do both of these. The Homeless Connect event was modeled after similar events held across the country, and its purpose is to bring together the services needed by homeless and near homeless individuals in one convenient location. Participating organizations provide a wide range of services from haircuts to health insurance assistance to mental health screenings, but they do so in one location. Because of its proximity to Evansville’s homeless shelters, the event’s current location is accessible to many of the people who need these services the most. Although many people and groups are invested in the success of the event, including volunteers and the organizations, the two main stakeholders are the event organizers – the Steering Committee which consists of representatives from many of the participating organizations – and the people for whom the event is held to help. The organizations that make up the Steering Committee are part of a community-wide effort to ultimately end homelessness in the city, and the committee members want this event to help make that happen. For this reason, the members want to provide as many useful services to the targeted population as possible to, hopefully, improve the stability of their living situations. The homeless and near homeless who attend find this one-stop venue useful in providing access to these services because they have limited access to them otherwise due to transportation constraints, the ability to make or keep appointments, or the lack of money. Like the Steering Committee, the individuals helped by the event want to increase the stability of their living situations in providing a step toward finding permanent housing and want the event to help them make that happen. The logic model pictured below further illustrates how we thought about the event, the stakeholders, and the process of our evaluation.

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Figure 1: Logic Model

Two additional principles that we attempted to follow in our evaluation were derived from a list of principles developed by the American Evaluation Association (2004). The first principle is to base the evaluation on data. With this type of event, the temptation to simply say a larger event with more participating organizations would help more people is easy, but that may not be the case. More organizations and more space may not have the desired outcome. The committee wanted their decisions to be data-driven, and we will base our recommendations on our findings. The second principle is to have respect for people, specifically all of those individuals who are stakeholders or who were subjects in our data collection efforts. We followed this principle by ensuring the anonymity of participants and the confidentiality of responses from them and from others we talked to in our data gathering efforts. During the organization interviews, the individuals remained anonymous however we did notate which booth we were interviewing. We were also careful to avoid making our study participants feel coerced into participating in our study. These concerns are closely connected to the ethical issues, in general, we needed to consider. In addition, one of our evaluators had previous contact with several of the event participants due to his line of work. To avoid potential conflicts, however, none of these individuals were interviewed by the evaluation team.

After taking all of this into consideration and talking with the event’s coordinator, we determined to focus on two main research questions that would help the Homeless Connect event organizers determine whether to expand the event or prioritize organizations:

RQ #1: Which organizations are most utilized by the participants at the event?RQ #2: Which services do event attendees want to see at the Homeless Connect event?

Inpu

ts/R

esou

rces Financial

InvestorsCommunity VolunteersParticipants

Activ

ities Questionaires-

intake and exit surveysHospitality servicesHealth servicesFood servicesEmployment servicesShelter servicesFinancial servicesGovernment services

Out

puts Evaluation of

community organization servicesAnalysis of community organizations being used/most visitedSurvey of most valued community organizationsAnalysis of community impactSurvey of number of ppl visiting the event versus the number of homeless in the communityCommunity feedbackActual number of ppl that attended

Out

com

es Assess the higher priority needs from the services providedDetermine if the participants are better off after the event than they were before the eventDid they reach/engauge everybody who is considered homeless

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By answering these questions, we can help the community organizers decide how to proceed while also providing insight on their larger goal of reducing homelessness in Evansville.

Methods

In order to answer our research questions, we collected data in a number of ways. First, we wanted to get feedback about the event from one of the primary stakeholders: the homeless population. For this reason, we conducted interviews with 46 attendees at the 2016 Homeless Connect event. We selected interview candidates at random by approaching them at the event and asking if we could ask them a few questions. We asked them questions about what they were looking for at the event, what services had been the most and least helpful to them, how they would improve their situation, and what issues they faced that prevented them from benefiting from services. (See interview guide in Appendix A) We wrote down comments as the interviews were occurring, then transcribed them into an Excel document, and looked for themes and patterns in the responses.

In addition to the interviews, an exit survey with attendees was also conducted by the event staff. Many of the questions were similar to those asked in the interview so that we could obtain a greater number of responses as well as the hope for more clarifying responses in the interviews. We used responses to the open-ended questions in the survey to learn what attendees liked best about the event, as well as what could have been done better. Attendees were also asked if they had previously attended a Homeless Connect event and if so, which services they had utilized. Additionally, attendees were asked which services they came to the event seeking which were not available this year. The collected responses were entered into Google Forms and frequencies were used to identify the most common responses from attendees. Similar open-ended responses, such as “food” and “lunch,” were categorized to create a more accurate picture of attendees’ views.

The event organizers provided us with demographic data on the attendees they had obtained from the intake surveys they did. We analyzed this data using cross tabulations in SPSS to look at relationships among the demographic variables

We also conducted interviews with representatives from the community organizations participating in the Homeless Connect event. Fifteen of these interviews were conducted. For these interviews, we asked organizations how many people they helped, what services they provided, and who they felt benefited the most from the services they offered. We entered this information into Google Forms and looked for themes across this interview data, as well.

RESULTSAttendee Demographics

Data provided by the event organizers showed 750 attendees participated in the Homeless Connect event in 2016. Based on the definition of “homeless” used by the Department of Housing and Urban Development which would include people living in emergency or transitional housing as well as in locations not intended for human habitation 23 percent of attendees could be classified as “homeless.” Another 27 percent were living with a friend or

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family member. Thirty-six percent of attendees owned or rented their own home. The table below breaks down these findings further.

Sleeping Location Previous Night Number PercentageEmergency Shelter 132 17%Transitional Housing 22 3%Permanent Supportive Housing 14 2%Substance abuse treatment facility 1 0%Hospital 1 0%Jail, prison, or juvenile detention facility 3 0%Staying with family member 101 13%Staying with friend 108 14%Hotel or Motel 20 3%Vehicle, outside or other 20 3%Safe haven 11 1%Rental by client, with VA housing subsidy 5 1%Rental by client, with other housing subsidy 96 12%Rental by client, no housing subsidy 137 17%Owned by client, with housing subsidy 9 1%Owned by client, no housing subsidy 43 5%

In addition to their current housing situation, other demographic data was also collected by organizers. Only 22 percent of attendees were currently employed and of those who worked 32 percent worked at least 30 hours in the previous week. Forty-five percent of attendees had obtained a high school diploma or GED while another 20 percent had completed some post-secondary education. Half of the attendees reported having some type of disabling condition with 47 percent of those respondents reporting a physical condition, 46 percent reporting a chronic health condition, and 36 percent stating that they suffered from a mental health condition. Males (47%) and females (51%) were nearly equally represented at the event. Two-thirds of all attendees were white with 95 percent being non-Hispanic and another 31 percent of participants were African American. Eleven percent of attendees claimed veteran status. (Complete demographic data on attendees is located in Appendix B).

Attendee Exit Survey Results

Two hundred and thirty attendees completed exit surveys. Our analysis of their responses allowed us to identify several trends. First, we identified three main ways attendees learned about the event: through organizations that serve the homeless population in the city, through word-of-mouth, and through media outlets based on 220 responses. The breakdown for each source is identified in the table below. (See Appendix C for a more detailed listing of responses).

How Attendees Learned of the Event Percentage of AttendeesCommunity Organizations 41.4%Word-of Mouth (friends, family, etc.)

27.2%

Media (Facebook, TV, news, etc.) 26.8%

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Other 7.7%

Survey results also indicated that attendees perceived that a number of things were done well. The frequencies of these and other results are listed below. The percentages are based on 223 received responses. (A full listing of their exit survey responses is in Appendix C). They most often commented on the vendor booths, but also about aspects of the event itself such as the helpfulness of the people, how much information they were able to get, and how easy it was that all of the services were in one place for them.

What Event Did Best Percentage of AttendeesBooths and/or Their Services (Vendors) 50.6%Event-Related (People, food, convenience)

34.5%

“Everything” 25.6%

Two questions in the exit survey focused on areas for improvement. The first of these questions asked “Was there anything you thought could have been done better?” Most of the participants said ‘nothing’. The other responses could be categorized as a need for additional services or event-related issues. Two people requested the foot services to be brought back and one person specifically stated they saw a need for a booth offering free cell phones. Three people suggested better signage as it was difficult to find some of the vendors and two people noted they wished there were better organization for standing (waiting) lines. (See Appendix C for a complete listing of improvements suggested.)

What Event Could Do Better Percentage of AttendeesNothing 87.7%Additional Services 6.7%Event-Related Issues 5.6%

Although the responses were positive for that exit survey question, many attendees who completed the survey did report services they hoped to find at the event which they did not receive. However, 144 attendees reported either no services were unavailable that they sought (77%) or they didn’t know what services might have been missing that could have been useful to them (23%). For the 128 attendees who did report services that were not available at the event, most fell into four major categories as illustrated by the chart below. Attendees could report multiple missing services. Again, four people specifically requested foot services and two requested more Section 8 and housing help. A couple of people wrote down more very specific requests such as one person stated a need for help with gang stalking and another was looking for assistance with educational deposits that grants and loans would not cover at the college level. (Appendix F contains a complete breakdown of the services sought.)

Services Seeking But Not Available

Percentage of Attendees

Health-Related 81%Dental 27%Government Services 16%

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Employment/Education 14%

Attendee Interviews

We conducted one-on-one interviews with forty-six attendees, 21 males and 25 females. (See Appendix D for a complete list of attendee interview data). When we asked these attendees what they needed most to help with their current situation, only 35 provided an answer. The most common answers, getting a job, straightening out a housing situation, are listed in the table below along with the percentage of attendees who said each one. For example, one woman, an advocate for a woman with health issues, shared a situation with a landlord: “He just threw [my friend] out and won’t let her get her stuff but she paid two weeks rent. He says she has to pay another $299 just to get her stuff. She can’t afford that! She can’t afford to take him to court!”

Attendee – Service Needed Most Percentage ResponsesGetting a job 19.5%Straightening out housing situation

10.8%

BMV Bus/IDs 8.6%Everything 4.3%Nothing 4.3%

When we looked for themes in the responses for what brought attendees to the event, we found three main reasons: housing or rent assistance, immediate employment or better employment, and healthcare services. The percentages for these three recurring themes are listed below. One woman, who traveled from Texas to leave a bad relationship, was particularly upset stating: “No housing, no gas, no help.  No immediate help, no immediate job.  I was told all of these things would be here and none of the services I needed were.  I came all the way from Texas because of a bad relationship and need gas in my truck to get my daughter to school and I have two days left on my motel room that we paid two weeks advance for.  We are at the end of that two weeks.  This event was supposed to help us find assistance for that.”

Reasons for Attending Event Percentage ResponsesHousing or Rent Assistance 41.3%Immediate Employment/Better Job

34.7%

Healthcare Services 19.5%

Interview respondents were most vocal when asked about the barriers they experienced to receiving assistance at the event. Of the 46 we interviewed, 30 reported some type of barrier. Two individuals said their income was too high to qualify for assistance. One explained, "My income is just barely too high to get any of these services. It's really hard to get better if I can't get services." Several commented on the frustration of needing identification for many services, especially coupled with not having the BMV onsite at the event to issue those identifications. "I had to choose between spending time to go to the BMV or try to get other services. Getting to the BMV was a big issue because I needed my ID to get other services," one respondent explained to

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us. Transportation issues created barriers for some of the people we interviewed. One individual said they faced problems because they didn't "have a vehicle and can't drive or get a job because of a stroke" and another said he was not currently facing issues because "I just got out of jail from a DUI" which suggests he may face transportation challenges in the near future.

Some respondents pointed out additional issues they or their loved ones faced when trying to get help. One woman said waiting lists were a significant barrier. She explained, "When people work days [they] don't get to appointments. [My] daughter missed her food stamps appointment because [she] had to work [and] couldn't get Medicaid because [she] had to work." Another individual said of the event, "I wasn't able to get the APPROPRIATE information and help I needed." While a different woman said, "I just didn't feel like going to all of the booths today."

Seven of the individuals we interviewed were also veterans, so we asked them how they would feel about having a separate stand-down event for them during the Homeless Connect event. Of the seven, six were receptive to the idea. One explained, "Yes, yes! Great for disabled vets who can't get to multiple events." Another veteran said, "That would be pretty cool – veteran [organizations] offer programs that provide free items like food, underwear, and shoes." The individual who said no did not elaborate on his reasoning.

Community Organization Interviews

We interviewed representatives from fifteen of the 86 community organizations that participated in the 2016 Homeless Connect event. Six of the organizations present and not interviewed were information only tables in the foyer. The table below includes the names of these organizations, the services they provided, and the number of attendees each reported helping during the event. (See Appendix E for complete interview responses gathered from interviews with organization representatives).

Organization Provided Services Attendees HelpedLegal Services Answered legal questions

(family law, landlord/tenant, expungement)

40

Daycare Safe place for children to play during event

31 (parents), 42 (children)

ECHO Housing Housing questions and references to Aurora for homeless assessment

40

YWCA Emergency and transitional housing

65

Unity Taxi BMV rides 20WorkOne of Evansville Immediate jobs and wage

print-outs4 veterans

MSCompanies Immediate employment interview registration

55

Supportive Services for Veteran Families

Immediate housing requests from homeless veterans

30

Operation Job Ready Immediate job placement 15 veterans

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Veterans needIvy Tech Better employment

opportunities and financial aid for college

50

Evansville Advisory Board/Disability Services

Provided information about resumes, housing, and other services for individuals with a disability

100

United Way Tax preparation 12Albion Fellows Bacon Center Information and referrals 100Catholic Charities, CAPE, and Salvation Army

Pay or reduce electric bills 120

In addition to questions regarding what their organization did at the event, we also asked the representatives for their opinions of what could be improved at the event. Multiple representatives complained that "The Internet was terrible." In fact, the United Way representative said the organization could have helped prepare taxes for more attendees if the Internet had not been having so many problems. Another representative commented on the lack of education-related services available at the event: "We'd love to see some safe pet programs, GED services, 21st Century Scholar information, [and/or] training/certification/trade schools." One of the employment services pointed out that they "needed guests to supply diploma and proof of education print-outs or GED programs." The same individual said a service was needed to provide access to those forms for free for attendees since many schools charge fees for them. Another comment focused on a perceived loss of connectedness among vendors: "The event has lost its connectedness between the vendors. It feels like they are all separated and not working together."

Discussions & Recommendations

These data suggest that the Homeless Connect event should continue to expand to meet the needs of the homeless population in the city due to the number of participants seen at each booth, the guests’ responses to the interviews and surveys, and the concern of time to receive the services when waiting in lines. We developed several recommendations that could allow the event to do this and to provide services needed by participants.

Our first recommendation is to have a separate booth for veterans. According to demographic data provided by the event organizers, eleven percent of attendees at the event were veterans, and these individuals have access to special services because of their status. However, veterans need to provide proof of their military service to gain access to those services. By having a separate booth for this purpose, the processing of this information would be streamlined making for more efficient and effective service for veterans. Six of the seven veterans we interviewed appreciated the idea of having a separate stand-down event for them during the Homeless Connect event, and this extra processing booth would be beneficial for that service as well. One large concern discussed by David Swenson, a representative for the VA, was that the intake representatives at the event lacked training in identifying and validating veteran status, thus increasing the risk of non-veterans receiving veteran-only support. With a separate stand-

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down event, more experienced volunteers would be available thus minimizing the risk of non-veterans gaining access to services, programs, or giveaways not intended for them (See Appendix F for complete list of observations and volunteer evaluation responses).

Second, we recommend increasing job services at the event. According to the attendee demographics, 78 percent of attendees were unemployed. Additionally, our cross tabulation data of the provided demographic data on the attendees found that 66.7 of people who defined as "literally homeless" ended up in that situation due to job or income loss while that was the cause for 6 percent of individuals who were imminently losing their housing and 10.3 percent of people who were in unstable housing situations. The chart below shows the relationship between housing situations and the causes of those situations.

Current Housing

Situation for Attendees

Causes of Current Housing Situation

Not Homeless Job or Income Loss

Eviction Domestic Violence

Relocation

Literally Homeless

1.8% 66.7% 80% 82.9% 70.6%

Imminently Losing Housing

10.4% 6% 6% 2.9% 8.8%

Unstably Housed and At Risk of Losing

15.3% 10.3% 6% 2.9% 2.9%

Stably Housed 69.3% 17.1% 4% 8.6% 8.8%

Employment opportunities were the second most commonly cited reason for coming to the event among our interviewees and 8 percent of exit survey respondents listed employment interviews as one of the services they were seeking but did not get. One idea is to provide services that would help participants become prepared for job searches, such as resume assistance and access to professional attire. Another idea is a virtual job fair with computers set up so participants could apply on the spot for available jobs with the help of volunteers or Work One representatives. Some employers could be involved in the event, such as call centers, and could offer immediate employment opportunities.

Our third recommendation involves an issue we noticed as part of our participation in the event and that was brought up by several participants: the need for better signage and organization of the event and of lines. In our exit surveys, multiple respondents pointed out these areas need improvement. We were asked frequently by attendees how to find different booths or where to go for certain services. Improved signage could help participants get the services they need more effectively and could prevent them from missing out on the services they needed. For example, a number of participants said they did not have access to mental health assessments at

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the event; however, those services were being offered. The participants may simply not have been able to find them.

Our final recommendation involves two health-related concerns expressed by participants: the need for dental services and the need for reading glasses. The former was cited by 18 percent of exit survey respondents and the latter was cited by 13 percent of exit survey respondents as a service they were seeking at the event but did not receive. For a mutual beneficial arrangement, organizers could work with the dental hygiene program at the University of Southern Indiana. Students from that program might volunteer to provide teeth cleaning services at the Homeless Connect event for free. This opportunity would allow the students to gain valuable experience while also providing the event participants with a much needed service that may also assist them in obtaining employment and improving their overall health. Even if a dentist or dental instructor needs to be present to oversee the students, more attendees can still be helped than if a dentist alone provided services to the event. Similarly, many participants expressed a desire for reading glasses. Organizations at the event did offer eye exams and reading materials, but none of the organizations helped those with poor eyesight to be able to read even though such ability is necessary for completing applications for apartments, jobs, and government services. Wal-Mart offers gift cards to non-profit organizations, and these could be used to purchase reading glasses for participants who need them. Other methods for obtaining reading glasses might include public donations or financial donations from other organizations, such as the Lion’s Club which is dedicated to providing eye care related services to those who are in need.

Conclusions

Overall, the Homeless Connect event seems to be succeeding at providing convenient access to needed services for homeless and near homeless individuals in Evansville. However, the data suggests even more could be done to help this population. By expanding the services available and partnering with other organizations or donors, the event could meet more of the needs of this population, such as finding employment, and that would help the event achieve its ultimate goal of reducing homelessness in Evansville.

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References

Alkin, M. C. (2011). Evaluation essentials: From A to Z. New York: Guilford Press.

American Evaluation Association guiding principles for evaluators (2004). Retrieved

from http://www.eval.org/p/cm/ld/fid=51

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Appendix A

Interview Guides and Exit Survey Questions

1 Attendee Interview Guide1 What encouraged you to participate in

this event today?2 What has been the most helpful thing

for you here?3 How do you think it will help you?4 Are there other things that were

helpful? (How so?)5 What has been the least helpful to you? (How so?)6 What would most help you improve

your situation?If they were offered in the future, would you come specifically for them and how would it help? (dental, employment interviews, etc.?)

7 Is there value for information only booths?8 Are there barriers to obtaining services? (housing,

eviction history, poor health, felony, etc.)9 (Veterans only) How would you feel about a stand-down

event at the same time and same building as Homeless Connect, but in a separate area?

Community Organization Interview Guide1 How many guests would you say you saw at your booth

today?2 What population do you feel your services help the

most?3 In your opinion, what were their greatest needs?4 How were you able to help them?

How will this be helpful to them in the future?

5 What do you think are the most helpful things for the guests at the event?

6 Are there things not here that you think would be

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helpful based on the people you’ve met today?

Attendee Exit Survey Questions1 What did you like most about attending the event?

(open-ended question)2 Was there anything you thought could have been done

better? (open-ended question)3 How did you hear about the Homeless Connect Event?

(open-ended question4 Have you previously attended the Homeless Connect

event?YesNoDon’t Know

5 Are there services you needed which were not available today at the event?

Acupuncture treatmentBMV OnsiteChiropractic treatmentCounseling for adult probationDentalEmployment interviewsMental health assessmentPrescriptionReading glassesVeterinary care for petsWheelchair and walker repairOther (write-in)Don’t Know

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Appendix B

Complete Demographic Data

Demographic Data1 Where did you Sleep last night?

Emergency Shelter 132 17%Transitional Housing 22 3%Permanent Supportive Housing

14 2%

Substance abuse treatment facility 1 0%Hospital 1 0%Jail, prison, or juvenile detention facility 3 0%Staying with family member 101 13%Staying with friend 108 14%Hotel or Motel 20 3%Vehicle, outside or other 20 3%Safe haven 11 1%Rental by client, with VA housing subsidy 5 1%Rental by client, with other housing subsidy 96 12%Rental by client, no housing subsidy 137 17%Owned by client, with housing subsidy 9 1%Owned by client, no housing subsidy 43 5%

2 Homeless CauseBenefit Loss/Reduction 11 1%Job Income Loss/Reduction 120 15%Eviction 50 6%Relocation 36 5%Release from Prison/Jail 24 3%Release from Hospital 3 0%Illness 29 4%Injury 6 1%Domestic Violence 34 4%Asked to leave shared residence 29 4%Drug/Alcohol Abuse 13 2%Other 6 1%Natural Disaster 3 0%

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Mortgage Foreclosure 3 0%Not Currently Homeless 341 43%

Job Income Loss/Reduction BreakdownAge of Cause Teens 3 3%

20s 25 21%30s 25 21%40s 21 18%50s 44 37%60s 2 2%

3 Housing StatusLiterally homeless 301 38%Imminently losing their housing 61 8%Unstably housed & as-risk of losing their housing

91 12%

Stably housed 304 39%4 Gender

Male 371 47%Female 406 51%Transgender female to male 0 0%Transgender male to female 2 0%

5 EthnicityHispanic/Latino 17 2%Non-Hispanic/Latino 751 95%

6 RaceRace (Could Claim More than One Race)Native American 13 2%African-American 246 31%Caucasian 500 63%Hawaiian 4 1%Other 3 0%

7 Disabled ConditionNO 387 49%YES 396 50%

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Developmental Disability 41Chronic Health Condition 183Mental Health 144HIV/AIDS 8Physical Disability 189Substance Abuse Problem 18

8 EmployedNo 614 78%Yes 174 22%

9 How many hours did you worked last week?0-10 4111-20 3921-30 3831-39 21

40-Plus 35

10 Highest school completedNo High School Diploma/No GED 191 24%High School Diploma/GED Only

352 45%

post secondary Education 156 20%

11 VeteranYES 85 11%No 704 89%

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Appendix C

Exit Survey Responses

#1 What did you like most (223 Responses)57 Everything

EVENT (77 responses)29 People19 Food11 Convenience6 Connections4 Different Opportunities to Help the Homeless4 Free Stuff1 Less Crowd1 Seeing Friends

VENDORS (113 responses)43 Booths23 Information

Employment (6)6 Booths for jobs/WorkOne

Financial (3)1 Financial Assistance2 Vectren

Government (3)1 Able to apply for Food Stamps1 Birth Certificate1 Social Security Office

Health (5)3 Health Information1 Dentist1 Mammogram

Housing (2)1 Aurora1 Found Housing

Legal (1)1 Legal Advice

Personal Care (23)23 Personal Care (haircut, massage, waxing)

Veterans (1)1 Veterans

Appendix C (Continued)

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#2 Was there anything you thought could be done better (195 responses)171 No

THE EVENT (11 responses)3 Better/Bigger Signage2 Better Order for Standing Lines2 More Food1 Bigger Carry Bags1 More Seating in Entrance1 More Time1 Someone Talking on a Microphone

MORE SERVICES (13 responses)1 Free Cell Phone Booth1 More Booths

Employment (1)1 More Employment People

Financial (3)3 More Financial Assistance

Government (1)1 Birth Certificate From Other States

Housing (2)2 Find a House

Medical (4)2 Foot Services/Podiatrist1 More Drug Rehab Help1 With Health Dept for Nail Clippers

Appendix C (Continued)

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#3 How Did You Hear About Homeless Connect? (220 responses)MEDIA (59)15 TV12 Brochure/Flyer11 News6 Facebook6 Newspaper6 Radio3 Advertisement

WORD OF MOUTH (60)28 Friends16 Family9 Word of Mouth6 Walk-In1 Co-Worker

OTHER (17)9 Previous Years5 Bus3 Called 211

SHELTER/ORGANIZATION (91)9 Aurora9 Evansville Christian Life Center (ECLC)9 Evansville Rescue Mission (ERM)9 Salvation Army6 Food Pantry/Bank6 Shelter6 United Caring Services (UCS)5 WorkOne4 House of Bread and Peace (HBP)3 Outreach Ministries3 Ruth’s House2 Community Partner2 Food Stamp Office/FSSA/FDS1 AIDS1 Albion Fellows1 Buckner Towers1 Catholic Charities1 Counselor1 ECHO1 Hospital1 Ireland Home Based Services1 Library1 NC1 Ozaram1 Outpatient Center1 Potter’s Wheel1 St Matthews1 Stepping Stone1 Vision 15051 Vets Center1 YWCA

Appendix C (Continued)

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#4 Have you previously attended the Homeless Connect event? (226 responses)127 No96 Yes3 Don’t Know

#4b If yes, what services? (66 responses)11 All/Same3 Don’t Know

EMPLOYMENT/EDUCATION (2)2 Employment

FINANCIAL (9)4 Vectren2 Financial Help2 Food Pantry/Bank1 Bus Tokens

GOVT SERVICES (10)3 Social Security2 Birth Certificate2 BMV Onsite2 ID1 FSSA

HEALTH SERVICES (18)5 Medical4 ECHO3 Foot Care2 CAPE2 Dental1 Immunizations1 Free Glasses

HOUSING SERVICES (7)2 Housing1 Aurora1 EHA1 Ruth’s House1 Salvation Army1 United Caring Services (UCS)

LEGAL (5)4 Legal1 Taxes

PARENT RESOURCES (1)1 Child Care

PERSONAL CARE (15)15 Personal Care

VETERAN SERVICES (2)2 Veterans

OTHER (3)1 Connect with the Lord1 Friendly People1 Lunch

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Appendix C (Continued)

#5 Are there any services you needed not here today? (128 responses)CHECKBOX (177)35 Dental26 Reading Glasses19 Prescription17 BMV Onsite17 Employment Interviews15 Chiropractic Treatment14 Mental Assessment11 Acupuncture Treatment11 Veterinary Care for Pets8 Wheelchair & Walker Repair4 Counseling for Adult Probation

OTHER (144)111 None33 Don’t Know

WRITE IN (15)4 Foot Care2 Section 8 / Housing1 Blood Sugar Screening1 Clothes1 Free Cell Phone1 Grief Counseling1 Help for Victims of Gang Stalking1 Help w/ College Deposits not covered by grants/loans1 Help1 Special Needs Kids w/ Disabilities1 SS Card1 WorkOne Printout

Alternate View of Above InformationEMPLOYMENT/EDUCATION (18)17 Employment Interviews1 WorkOne Printout

FINANCIAL (1)1 Help w/ College Deposits not covered by grants/loans

GOVT SERVICES (20)17 BMV Onsite2 Section 8 / Housing1 SS Card

OTHER (158)111 None33 Don’t Know11 Veterinary Care for Pets1 Clothes1 Free Cell Phone1 Help

HEALTH SERVICES (139)35 Dental26 Reading Glasses19 Prescription15 Chiropractic Treatment14 Mental Assessment11 Acupuncture Treatment8 Wheelchair & Walker Repair4 Counseling for Adult Probation4 Foot Care1 Blood Sugar Screening1 Grief Counseling1 Special Needs Kids w/ Disabilities

LEGAL (1)1 Help for Victims of Gang Stalking

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Appendix DAttendee Interview Responses (47 responses)

Gender (46 responses)25 Female21 Male

Response Themes18 Looking for housing and/or assistance with rent16 Looking for immediate employment or better employment9 Looking for healthcare3 Time/Prioritizing services

To Most Help Their Situation, Participants Needed (35 Responses)9 Getting a job5 Getting housing situation straightened4 BMV Bus / IDs2 Everything2 Nothing1 Free T-Shirt1 Transportation

Medical (5 responses)1 Dental1 Drug Rehab1 Exercise Booth1 Medical1 Prescription Glasses

Education and Information (4 responses)1 Knowing the Right Questions to Ask1 More Children’s Resources1 Steps to become homeowner from renter1 Technical/Trade School & Job Training

Financial Assistance (2 responses)1 Bank & Debt help1 Rent Assistance

Legal Assistance (4 responses)1 Disabled Person’s Rights1 Eviction Help1 Landlord Dispute Help1 Legal Help

Barriers to Services (30 responses)“I had to choose between spending time to go to the BMV or try to get other services.  Getting to the BMV was a big issue because I needed my ID to get other services.”

Motivation.  One woman stated “I just didn’t feel like going to all of the booths today.”

Eviction was a barrier to obtaining housing for a few people.One woman, an advocate for a woman with health issues stated her friend “had problems with the landlord, needed a packet to waive small claims fee, the landlord just threw her our and won’t let her get her stuff. She has paid 2 weeks rent and he told her she would have to pay another $299 to get her stuff.”

Being able to follow through after the event due to motivation and transportation issues.

“I wasn’t able to get the APPROPRIATE information and help I needed.”

“Getting back into school has been a barrier to getting a good job.”

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“My income is just barely too high to get any of these services.  It’s really hard to get better if I can’t get services.”

“I don’t really have any barriers, but maybe when I stop smoking weed I can be able to get a job.”

Needing employment was a barrier to obtaining and keeping stable housing.

“No issues getting services yet, I just got out of jail from a DUI.”

“Waiting lists. When people work days, they don’t get to appointments. My daughter missed her food stamps appointment because she had to work. She couldn’t get Medicaid because she had to work but her 3 kids have to have it.”

“I don’t have a vehicle and can’t drive or get a job because of a stroke.”

4 Transportation/Vehicle issues3 Eviction issues2 Income is too high2 No ID

Stand Out Responses“No housing, no gas, no help. No immediate help, no immediate job. I was told all things would be here and none of the services I needed were. I came all the way from Texas because of a bad relationship and need gas in my truck to get my daughter to school and I have two days left on my motel room that we paid two weeks advance for. We are at the end of that two weeks. This event was supposed to help us find assistance for that.”

In response to how the event will help, one male stated that it would “help prevent me from having to go to jail for not being able to pay back my debt.”

Veteran Stand-Down (7 responses)6 Yes

“Yes, yes! Great for disabled vets who can’t get to multiple events.”

“That would be pretty cool – veterans offer programs that provide free items like food, underwear, shoes, etc.”

“That would be OK – but like everything else, veterans need to donate job to help children in need.”

The gentleman that said ‘no’ did not elaborate as he was in a hurry to leave the event.

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Appendix E

Community Organization Interview Responses (15 responses)

Legal Services assisted 40 people with questions regarding family law, landlord/tenant issues, and expungement.

Daycare provided 31 parents a safe place for their combined 42 children to play.

ECHO Housing Corporation had roughly 40 guests ask about housing and they referred them to Aurora for a homeless assessment.

YWCA saw about 65 people who needed emergency housing and transitional housing.

Unity Taxi provided rides to the BMV for about 20 guests.

WorkOne of Evansville provided direct services to about 4 veterans looking for immediate jobs and wage print-outs.

MSCompanies registered about 55 people for immediate interviews for employment.

Supportive Services for Veteran Families saw about 30 homeless vets requesting immediate housing.

Operation Job Ready Veterans saw about 15 veterans needing immediate job placement.

Ivy Tech gave information to about 50 people looking for jobs, better jobs, and financial aid for school.

Evansville Advisory Board / Disability Services saw about 100 guests and gave them information about resume guide, governor brochure with terminology for disabled, fair housing, 911 registry so operators know they have a disability.

United Way SWI VITA assisted 12 people with their tax prep. They may have been able to assist more had the internet not been shaky.

Albion Fellows Bacon Center saw over 100 guests who needed assistance with getting information and referrals.

Catholic Charities, CAPE, and Salvation Army assisted Vectren in providing over 120 people with ways to remedy their electric bills.

Things that could be done better?“The event has lost its connectedness between the vendors. It feels like they are all separated and not working together.”

“As an employment hiring service, we needed guests to supply diploma/proof of education print-outs (for free, some schools charge), GED programs.”

“We saw a lot of people that needed diapers, mostly adult diapers, prescription assistance, and of course housing assistance.”

“We’d love to see some safe pet programs, GED services, 21st Century Scholar information, training/certification/trade schools.”

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Appendix F

Observations and Volunteer Evaluation from Poll Daddy

OBSERVATIONSHealth services area was busy the entire day.  The walkway was crowded with people receiving direct services, receiving information about services being offered and services offered outside of the event, and people waiting to receive services.

Is it possible to expand this area in space and or in additional booths in the future?

VA giveaway table at exit was busy throughout the day.  At 8ma, the table started extremely full with additional supplies under the large U-shaped table, however by 10:30am, the supplies on top were replaced by those beneath and were nearly depleted.  By noon, the table had a handful of gloves and other winter-y items left with very few toothbrushes and socks.

According to David Swenson, a representative for the VA who worked the giveaway table, there were a number of people with veteran-only tickets who did not seem to be veterans (either by his previous knowledge of them from shelters or from asking who is able to receive the items, leaving, then coming back with a ticket).  Per Gayl, veterans should have been verified at the Veterans Memorial Booth; however it seems that this verification did not go as smoothly as planned.  Suggestions from Gayl included better volunteer training on verification as well as splitting the VA assistance and giveaways off into the separate VA Stand-Down Event.

It seems the giveaways are a big hit, mostly socks and shoes as well as the grocery bags from Tri-State Food Bank.

“The internet is terrible!” (said by multiple community organizations and attendees)

Other observations included:Lack of ability for guests to carry small bags with a large amount of stuff and/or large and bulky items.

Information-only booths in the foyer were minimally utilized, however during the interviews, many stated they liked that they were out there.

One such information-only booth was tailored towards smoking cessation and there seemed to be a large number of smokers at the event.  Perhaps this booth could be moved in with the health care booths in the future.

The VA bus and the Tri-State Food Bank trucks were relatively quiet throughout the day and many guests were unaware of where to go to receive their bag of groceries after receiving their voucher from the Tri-State booth inside.  The booth expected to hand out well over 1000 bags, but only handed out about half of that.

The busiest vendors included Vectren, Legal services, Health services, United Way SWI VITA (taxes), and the Government line of services (FSSA, SS, Birth Certificates)

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Appendix F (Continued)

Volunteer Evaluation from Poll Daddy (34 Responses)

#5 How can Homeless Connect be improved? (34 responses)6 Nothing

Event in General (21 responses)5 Better advertising, many were not aware of the event until that day4 Better name for the event, many were not homeless2 Better signage2 Later time for working people1 Close intake at end of day1 Continue to grow/twice a year1 Follow-up with guests1 Give-back area for useable items being tossed1 Less time at intake1 Meal tickets often were lost or not given out, use armband number instead1 Vendors should not use services if guests are waiting in line1 Wi-Fi was terrible

Services Offered (6 responses)1 Accessibility for disabled1 BMV/ID pics on-site1 Interpreter for deaf guests1 Laundry tokens1 More employment opportunities for guests1 Water for guests throughout the day

Volunteer Specific (7 responses)1 Clear indicator of volunteers who do not need a new t-shirt so as to not order too many extras1 List vendors alphabetically for volunteers1 Location of volunteer check-in table less hidden1 Microphone for training sessions1 More volunteer training1 Too many volunteers at exit and main floor, were in the way1 Volunteer shifts

#6 What strengths does Homeless Connect have? (34 responses)18 Convenience11 Services offered3 Organization1 Awareness1 Information1 Don’t know