According to a recent Alberta study, homelessness is actually increasing and one Lethbridge organization is hoping to change that.

Project Connect is an ongoing charity event meant to help low to no income families get in touch with the resources they may need.

The semi-annual event has been going on since 2009 and has helped people try to get out of bad situations they may find themselves in.

Rick Goertzen is a recovering alcoholic, who says Project Connect helped him recover, and he has been sober for seven years.

“I just fell into some hard times and couldn’t cope with a lot of the things going on in my life. I stayed in a recovery house here in Lethbridge. I came here one morning and it was an eye opener,” said Gortzen. “There’s a lot of good people here that pushed me into the right direction to get on my own, to get clean and sober, get all my resources put together and become a responsible member of society.”

Goertzen has been volunteering with Project Connect to give back what was given to him.

He is proud of his service with the event and the other volunteers he works with.

“Nothing but wonderful people here. My hat’s off to the number of volunteers that come in. People that give up their time just to give back a little bit, that’s pretty cool in my book,” he said. “They’re just a great bunch of people, great organizations. It’s just a good time to give back what was freely given to me.”

The event offers many services to help those in need, including tax help, haircuts and addictions counseling.

One local business, Bettys and Bombshells closed for the day to become a last-minute volunteer to give participants free haircuts.

Coordinator of Project Connect, Aileen Burke says it’s important to help people before their situation gets worse.

“This is a lesson in collaboration and inclusivity and ensuring that we’re taking preventative action to help our vulnerable population. This a really effective, efficient way to address a lot of social needs in one location that makes it very accessible for everyone to access.”

Homelessness has become a growing problem and has increased with the opioid crisis. Organizations that participated with Project Connect are doing their part to fight this issue.

Burke says donations are always accepted if someone has something to give.

“There’s always a need for donations, we’re always looking for hygiene products – winter products, socks and underwear are always huge,” Burke said. “Of course, when Project Connect isn’t happening all our helping agencies are looking for those things too. If you have anything extra, feel free to drop them on by and we’ll find a good place for them.”

The next Project Connect event will take place in March and will continue to help out those in need.