- The VA hosted a surge event in Salt Lake City for unsheltered veterans.
- The event offered legal support, housing placement, and community-building opportunities.
- Veterans accessed resources like hygiene products, food and domestic violence assistance.
SALT LAKE CITY — Members of the unsheltered population in Salt Lake City were able to get legal advice, a haircut, a vaccine for their pet, advice on finding a job and the chance to potentially be placed in a shelter that day, all in less than a few hours. On Friday afternoon, the Department of Veterans Affairs hosted a surge event, connecting Utah’s homeless, particularly veterans, with the needed care and resources to build a better future.
Individuals came from all over the city to volunteer and also to seek help. Each booth provided something different, including feminine hygiene products, food, legal support and other needed opportunities. The monthly event can be a big help for unhoused veterans and the larger homeless community.
“The goal is really to try and get as many unsheltered veterans same-day support so we can get them from being unsheltered into a sheltered housing situation,” Meisha Jensen, coordinated entry specialist at the VA, said. “It’s been pretty amazing to see the hope our veterans have. Some of them didn’t even know what shelter was available to them.”
For those who can’t be placed immediately into housing, many items are available to help stock up on needed supplies. The unsheltered individuals could move through the booths at their own pace, getting what they needed…