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Last weekend, a homeless outreach group in Dale City hosted a “Spring Fling” event in order to provide services and supplies to the area’s population.
Hosted at the PRTC Commuter lot, the event was meant to serve as a kick-off for the Dale City Civic Association’s Homeless Outreach group’s spring and summer services.
According to Luci Cahill, an organizer for the group, their winter outreach is mostly helping the homeless individuals survive the winter in harsh conditions – but the spring and summer are a time to provide them with more services.
“It was a major event for the homeless outreach. We had [the Greater Prince William Community Health Center] to sign people up, we had the League of Women Voters to sign people up – other organizations came out with supplies,” said Cahill.
Cahill stated that this event allows them to assess the needs of the homeless people living in the tent camps around the county, to see what medical and housing needs they have.
Ryan Sawyers, candidate for school board chairman, and Andrea Bailey, candidate for Potomac district supervisor, were at the event to assist.
“I like to cook barbecue, and she asked me if I would cook for the people’s she is trying to help. So I cooked 75 servings of pulled pork on my smoker at home. Helping the homeless is something that I’ve always done,” said Sawyers.
Bailey brought several supplies that the homeless individuals needed.
“I would like to eradicate the ten tent cities in Prince William County,” said Bailey in a release.
The homeless outreach group is starting to see some real success. Cahill said that the group has been able to get 10 people out of homeless camps and into housing.
“We’ve had quite a bit of success in the last year, and quite a bit this year…I work with a group called Resolutions…the K-Mart camp – actually the main camp that everybody’s familiar with, there’s only one person left – everybody’s out and in housing,” commented Cahill.
