Area agencies offer services at resource fair for homeless

Several organizations offered their services to area homeless at a resource fair held recently at the Mother Teresa Shelter. The combined efforts from representatives of the city of Corpus Christi and the staff at the Mother Teresa Shelter made the day’s events a success.

“The purpose of the July 15th resource fair is to inform our homeless community about services available to them and help connect them to those services,” said Oscar Elizondo, the city outreach coordinator for the homeless. Elizondo was joined by other city representatives Stephanie Garcia, Nora Vargas and Juan Ramirez.

One woman who preferred to remain anonymous said that the fair was an excellent opportunity to get information and apply for housing. She said her husband, who had been the only breadwinner in their household, recently fell and hit his head. He has been unable to work since and for the past two months, they have been living on the streets. In addition to signing up for orientation for housing, she received a bag filled with personal hygiene items such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and wipes from one of the vendors at the fair.

Representatives from the Nueces Center for Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities (MHID) also had a table at the fair. The MHID PATH Homeless program can help them get registered to get Social Security cards, birth certificates, restart medications, and counseling.

A frequent visitor to the day shelter, Pete Marsh with the “Feed the Sheep” ministry, said the biggest problem with many homeless people is that they have no documentation. “They have stimulus or social security checks waiting for them, but they can’t get them because they don’t have the right documentation.” Marsh was acting as a go-between for the homeless and the representatives of the services available to them.

Jermaine Glover from Cenikor showcased programs designed to combat drug and alcohol addiction throughout the area. Melinda Benevides and Nancy Bonilla from Texas Workforce Solutions had information about finding work or applying for training or school. 

Several organizations explicitly reached out to veterans. They were Nueces County Veterans Services Department, Texas Veterans Network, and Endeavors. They help veterans set goals for employment, get them an I.D., social security, snap and benefits to work.

Other companies included the Children’s Center, which assists homeless children, runaways and those who are trafficked for sex or work. In addition, representatives from The Purple Door were available to help men and women who have been affected by domestic or sexual violence.

Though not homeless, some of the attendees needed additional help. Venita Vela Perales and Brandie Silva represented companies like Saint Benedict Home Health. “We help them with getting Medicaid, Social Security. We help them with filling out the paperwork, making the phone calls, making sure they get on the right track and help them get a provider in their home,” Perales said.

Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi was represented by Mother Teresa’s case manager Irma Garza and Transitional Housing for men case manager, Daniel Ramirez.

All photos below by Gloria Romero and Mary Cottingham for South Texas Catholic.