HomeMy WebLinkAboutProclamation 08- Homeless Awareness Day July 12, 2008Ma oral Proclamation
HOMELESS AWARENESS DAY
July 12, 2008
WHEREAS, The Statewide Homeless Survey found eighty homeless persons in the
Bozeman area on the evening of January 31.,.7008;
WHEREAS, Fifty-seven percent ofthose were unaCcompataied individuals (46) and forty-three
percent were in families (34). Nineteen (19) of the hamb~~ss persons. ir- families were children under
the age of eighteen, including three pregnancies and eight children under the age of five years old;
WHEREAS, Thirty-one percent of Bowman's homeless work in part-time or full-tune jobs;
WHEREAS, "I'he leading causes of homelessness are disabilities, lost, job or no job skills, eviction
and domestic abuse; Thirty-six percent (36%) ofthose interviewed reported having diagnosed
disabilities,
WHEREAS, An additional sixty-nine persons were idetltt~ed as "couch surfing" and being on the
verge of homelessness;
WHEREAS, The homeless in our corrtmunity--veteran~~ adults with disabilities, .mothers with
children and victims of domestic violence--ARE OUR NEIGHBORS, FAMILIES AND FRIENDS,
WHEREAS, the needs of homeless persons are many, complex and urgent;
WHEl<iEAS, the community's awareness and understanding of homelessness is improving but is
being outpaced. by the growth of homelessness itself;
THEREFORE, the E3ozeman Continuum of Care organization, with the. support of the City of
Bozeman, Gallatin County Commission, twenty (20) local agencies and businesses and more than one
hundred thirty (130) volunteers, will hold the city's first annual Project Homeless Connect event on
July 12, 2008 in order to provide the homeless and those concerned about becoming homeless with
access to many essential services in one location including food, clothing, housing, medical and dental
services, mental health counseling, financial services, employment and education, public benefits,
senior services, disability services, transportatio>~`and legal services;
NOW THEREFORE, I, Kaaren Jacobson, Mayor of the City of Bozeman, in the State of Montana,
do hereby proclaim ,luly 12, 2008, as HOMELES'SNESSAWARI~NESS DAY in C3ozeman, Montana.
DATED this 9t~' day of June 2008.
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Kaaren Jacobson, or