Project Community Connect offers free resources

Knowing what resources are available in a community can be daunting at times, especially in a time of need. However, a local group is hoping to ease those worries.

The Community Services Coordination Team of Steele County is hosting the Project Community Connects Resource Expo on Thursday, April 25 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Owatonna from 12-3 p.m. There is no charge to attend.

Forty vendors from various groups and organizations throughout Steele County will be participating in the Expo, according to Robin Starr, who works for Community Pathways and is one of the organizers. The groups represent housing, recovery, mental health, crisis planning, financial, healthcare, shelter, legal and career planning among other community resources.

“This is a one-stop shop to experience all of those,” said Trina Kasper, who is a social worker with Owatonna Public Schools and one of the organizers of the Expo. “It’s to connect people in our community with services we have.”

The Resource Expo, Starr said, aims to engage the larger community in understanding and reducing poverty by creating awareness and volunteer opportunities for the one-day event. She noted the Expo is geared towards low income families or people who need additional financial support.

In addition to free information, attendees can also enjoy complimentary lunch, haircuts, hygiene products are free legal advice from Southern Minnesota Regional Services, which offers the Justice Bus throughout the region.

A housing specialist from MN Prairie will offer a Housing 101 Class for people to find out about housing options and how to get over financial barriers for housing.

“Housing is a huge need, it is hard to find and it’s expensive,” said Kasper. “People don’t know where to look for housing,” she added.

To illustrate the problem, Kasper pointed out how there are currently 170 kids who are considered homeless in the Owatonna school district. She said that’s 20% higher than a year ago. Those families, she added, live in all sorts of living situations—motels, shelters, doubling up with other families and some even end up outdoors.

“They are often working families but can’t obtain housing,” Kasper said. “The cost of housing is outrageous. With housing, daycare and food, people have zero income (for anything else).”

Starr noted how the food shelf has seen a steady increase over last year by servicing 180 families per day.  

Last year, about 120 people attended the Expo, which both Starr and Kasper hope grows even larger this year.

This is the 16^th year of the Resource Expo, which was started by SEMCAC, a Community Action agency.