Hope you can join us today in SF at HomelessConnectCamp. If you’d like to follow along virtually, please follow us on Twitter @homelessconnect !

Tomorrow is the first HomelessConnectCamp and we are so looking forward to meeting all the amazing people and organizations that have volunteered for the event. We are very excited to announce the schedule we have planned for tomorrow Feb 11th, which we hope you will all enjoy live or via our twitter channel @homelessconnect.

If you still haven’t signed up and are planning to attend HomelessConnect Camp, please do so at our eventbrite page at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/265641541

The HomelessConnectCamp will be held in a separate room on the 2nd floor of the Bill Graham Auditorium in Room 205 at 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, but we encourage you to come in earlier and learn about the services provided and talk to some of the attendees first hand.

HomelessConnectCamp attendees are free to sign up anytime before 1:00 pm and pick up their t-shirts at the front desk.

Here is how the day’s events will progress:

8:30 Volunteer Registration and Orientation: Volunteers arrive, sign-in, and get their t-shirts that identify them as volunteers. After registration please go upstairs and enjoy breakfast items donated by SMG catering.(HomelessConnectCamp attendees are free to sign up anytime before 1:00 pm and pick up their t-shirts at the front desk)

9:00 Rally Please join us in the bleachers for a rally with Mayor Newsom and Judith Klain, Director of Project Homeless Connect. The rally will be informational and motivational and is a good way to start your volunteer experience.

10 am to 3 pm Connecting with the Homeless: Services begin. Consistently 1500-2000 clients come to Homeless Connect looking for services. Please engage clients and make sure they are getting what they came for that day, utilize your map to give directions. If you have any questions please ask the lead (green shirt) of your area.

1:00 pm to 3:00 pm HomelessConnectCamp BarCamp: attendees will break and meet on the 2nd floor of the auditorium to meet with city officials and community volunteers to discuss the challenges faced in our neighborhoods and how technology can help bring awareness to existing programs.

Activities and conversations from the day will be shared as fully as possible through online and social media via our twitter channel @homelessconnect and our blog athttp://homelessconnectcamp.wordpress.com/

We look forward to your participation and look forward to learn about homelessness and brainstorm how we may be able to use technology to connect and raise visibility of the various services existing in our city.

If you need to reach us by phone during the event, please contact: Kaushal (510) 258 2625.

See you tomorrow! : )

Event: HomelessConnectCamp

Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 from 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM (PT)

Location: 
Bill Graham Auditorium
99 Grove St
San Francisco, CA 94102

“This unique non-profit began in San Francisco in 2004 to help provide services for the homeless. From it’s website: ‘Every other month over 1000 community volunteers partner with city government, non-profits and the private sector to provide a one-stop shop of health and human services for homeless San Franciscans.’ “

To find out more please visit: http://projecthomelessconnect.com

Barcamps and “unconferences” have proven to be effective models for bringing people together at a grassroots level to talk about issues, raise awareness, brainstorm possible solutions, and organize for action.  We live in San Francisco, a mecca for technology and entrepreneurs, while at the same time a city with one of the highest per-capita homeless populations in the nation.  Given today’s down economy, and a record high state unemployment rate, the number of people homeless in San Francisco is increasing.

We want to bring interested people together to learn about homelessness and brainstorm how we may be able to use technology to connect and raise visibility of the various services existing in the city. Ultimately, we want to address the question:

What can I do?

What can you do?

What can *we* do?

What’s the picture of homelessness in San Francisco today?
According to statistics provided by the San Francisco Homeless Services Coalition:

• 35,000 people are homeless in the Bay Area.
• 40% of our homeless are families, most commonly a single mother with several children.
• 50% of homeless women are victims of domestic violence.
• Most homeless are “invisible” – sleeping in cars or at friend’s houses.
• Many homeless children do not go to school.
• 50% of our homeless are youths under the age of 18.
• As many as one in every seventy-five people are homeless.
• In 2008, four homeless shelters closed down due to budget cuts, while demand for shelters increased.

HomelessConnectCamp, a barcamp on homelessness in San Francisco, takes place on February 11th at the Billy Graham Auditorium.  Please join us.  Learn, listen, and take part in a conversation about homelessness in San Francisco.

We look forward to seeing you then.

Official RSVP on EventBrite here.

RSVP on Facebook here.

Follow us on Twitter here.

Photo: Flickr CC – courtesy of BreathtakingPhotos

• Who? Anyone who is interested in technology, sustainability, social services, healthcare,
• What? A good opportunity to share ideas, start conversations and build connections with people and organizations working to create awareness around homelessness issues in San Francisco
• When? Wednesday, 10:00 am- 3:30 pm on 02/11/2009
• Where? Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco,CA