For Immediate Release: Wednesday, November 30, 2011
ROCKVILLE, Md., November 30, 2011—The Health and Human Services Committee of the Montgomery County Council at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1, will hold a worksession with Bethesda Cares Homeless Outreach Program. Representatives of Bethesda Cares will present the committee with their recent outreach and survey efforts that the organization hopes will improve the ability to help homeless people with health, housing and other needs.
The Council’s Health and Human Services Committee, which is chaired by George Leventhal and includes Councilmembers Nancy Navarro and Craig Rice, will meet in the Seventh Floor Hearing Room of the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville.
The Health and Human Services Committee will meet with Executive Director Susan Kirk and Outreach Specialist John Mendez of Bethesda Cares Homeless Outreach to discuss the results of the recently-conducted surveys of 40 homeless people that took place from Nov. 7 to 9. The survey includes details such as health issues they face, drug abuse concerns and military veterans’ status. Bethesda Cares, a nonprofit that offers flexible, creative responses to problems related to homelessness and poverty, hopes to use this data to help the homeless get off the street as soon as possible.
“In the wee hours of the morning on November 8, 9 and 10, 40 volunteers combed the Bethesda area looking for street homeless people to interview.” said Councilmember Leventhal. “The purpose was to compile a ‘vulnerability index’ that will assist local government to understand who comprises the homeless population, how long they remain homeless, what services they need and what it costs to provide those services.”
Bethesda Cares believes the data collected from the homeless themselves will enable all organizations that provide services to them to better target their efforts and prioritize the services they deliver.
“Ultimately, Bethesda Cares hopes those clients with the highest ‘vulnerability index’ will be prioritized for available housing,” said Councilmember Leventhal. “At our worksession, the HHS Committee will receive a briefing about the survey, its methodology and its findings. This information will assist us in our long-range effort to reduce the prevalence of homelessness in our community.”
Bethesda Cares is one of four significant programs that seek to help the homeless. The other programs are People Encouraging People, Interfaith Works Community Vision at Progress Place and the City of Gaithersburg Homeless Outreach Program.
# # # #
Release ID: 11-244
Media Contact: Grace Hahn 240-777-7819