What started as the brainchild of a class of community members has proved to be a sustainable project to assist those in need.
The second Hands Together Historic Triangle event was held Monday at the Quarterpath Recreation Center. In seven hours, it served 241 homeless and precariously housed in the Williamsburg area with a wide variety of services.
The program started last year with LEAD Historic Triangle – a group sponsored by the Greater Williamsburg Chamber and Tourism Alliance – at the helm. LEAD has biannual classes that aim to educate the class members on courts, city council, the General Assembly and other political and community programs, and participants also craft a project to benefit the community.
Inspired by a similar event in Richmond, the 2013 class’ program helped more than 200 people. Declared a success, Crosswalk Community Church signed on to become the sustaining partner for the project into the future.
After guests arrived Monday, they were paired with a volunteer navigator to take them through stations, with services ranging from the health care and social services to Child Development Resources and Literacy for Life. Rather than a nameless cause, navigators took the time to get to know guests over lunch and guide them on the way to having their needs met.
New this year was an art therapy station where visitors could take the time to express themselves through collage art. Dorolyn Alper – who has led a similar project in Norfolk and Newport News – said some people spend as long as 45 minutes enjoying a craft and find that it lifts their spirits.
Other changes this year included an increase in number of vendors and greater privacy at each station. Sam Poole, integration committee co-chair for the event, said the tweaks were a result of surveys filled out by providers, guests and volunteers last year.
Amenities that received high marks and returned were free haircuts by the Williamsburg Area Beauty and Barber Academy and a photo station. After guests got their locks pampered, they could take an individual or family portrait with a professional photographer. In addition to basic health needs addressed at the event, these services fill a void for those without a permanent residence or steady income.
Greg Ashley, who led the eight committees responsible for putting together Monday’s event, thanked the LEAD class for the instructions they left for a successful day. He jokingly referred to the binder guide as “the Bible.”
Ashley hopes the event will continue around the same time each year. The late-winter assistance falls in a lull following the holiday charity season and during the time when many seasonal workers are without employment, waiting for the summer tourism months.
“There’s a huge myth in Williamsburg that we don’t have a homeless or precariously housed problem,” Ashley said.
Through Hands Together Historic Triangle, he believes the community can both meet the needs of those who are hurting and further educate the public.
