DOWAGIAC — On Thursday, Cass County residents and the community are invited to connect with local service agencies at Project Connect, an event hosted at Dowagiac Middle School by the Cass County Housing Taskforce.

Over 22 service agencies will be in attendance at Project Connect from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., which is a nationwide initiative.

Berrien RESA, which manages the federal grant, McKinney-Vento, has joined forces with the Cass County Housing Taskforce in a committee to help plan the event. Berrien RESA is unique in the fact that the project grant consortium serves Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties.

“McKinney-Vento is a federal law that protects educational rights of youth experiencing homelessness, so that’s our portion,” said Breanna Bell, the homeless coordinator at Berrien RESA. “We are in the educational sector.”

While the Cass County Housing Taskforce is assigned with making sure Project Connect happens every year, the location of the event switches depending on venue size and accommodations.

This year, Dowagiac Middle School was chosen because the Dowagiac area has the largest population of people experiencing housing instability in Cass County, Bell said. Last school year, the McKinney-Vento Project assisted 288 children experiencing housing stability in Dowagiac.

“It doesn’t mean they are out on the street homeless,” Bell said. “It could mean [children] are doubled up with friends and family. Families can’t afford housing on their own or they lost their job or housing so they might be living with grandparents until they can get back on their feet. They might be in a hotel or motel because they can’t get long-term housing. They could be living in a campground.”

All of these examples outlined the idea that the McKinney-Veto provides homeless services for families anytime they cannot get an adequate night time residence.

Bell also said Cass County is unique in the fact many residents have to travel outside of the county to get services.

“We don’t even have a homeless shelter in Cass County,” Bell said. “You have to go to Decatur or Benton Harbor or Kalamazoo. So, we are bringing everybody under one roof for one day.”

At Project Connect, Mckinney-Vento Project will be giving away free backpacks. Visitors will have the opportunity to sign up for benefit enrollment. The Feeding America Mobile Food Pantry will also be in attendance to provide families with groceries. Integrated Holistic Wellness Academy, LLC will be at the event with two massage chairs. Scott’s Pig Roast will be providing a free barbecue lunch.

“Everything is free so you don’t have to RSVP,” Bell said. “It is just sort of like a walk in and resource fair.”

While locations may change, the event’s goal stays the same — to connect the community with social services and to increase awareness of homelessness in the area.

“We want to create awareness in the community about homelessness,” said Selam Melesew, the outreach specialist at Berrien RESA.

By partnering with local organizations, more people can be made aware of what homelessness actually is, Bell said.

“Everyone has this definition in their head that homeless means you are living under a bridge somewhere, that you are unsheltered,” Bell said. “The definition for us is a lack of stable housing.”