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Every Thursday for the last six weeks, a group of local homeless folks and volunteers has gathered at St. Vincent de Paul’s dining hall in Old Town Eureka for a community-building crafts session with the Connections Club, an outreach project of the city’s Old Town Stewards Program.

“We make cards, write letters and really just provide a space for people to connect,” Hannah Ozanian, a social services coordinator with UPLIFT Eureka, told the Outpost during a recent phone interview. “We’re trying to create a warm, welcoming space – not just for those folks that are struggling on the streets but also for our volunteers – where people can be together, meet with service providers and try to problem solve with this very challenging homelessness issue we have locally.”

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The Connections Club meets every Thursday after Free Meal from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Before each meeting, Ozanian designs a themed card for attendees to use as inspiration, but everyone is encouraged to do their own thing.

“It’s usually just people socializing and coming together for a coloring circle,” she said, adding that they have stamps on hand if people want to send a card to a friend or family member. “Folks that are unhoused don’t really have time or space to sit down and write. To give them an opportunity to send a card to their family back home or give a card to whoever they’re camping with is really powerful. Last week, we had this guy who busted out, like, 12 cards to his family back in the Midwest. It was such a cool thing to see.”

The program is still in its early stages but, eventually, Ozanian hopes to expand the Connections Club to five days per week at various other locations around the city to get more people involved. Anyone and everyone is welcome to join.

“Just being together, I mean, that in itself is kind of revolutionary,” she said. “There’s a kind of awkwardness in it – even for the volunteers. They’re learning to be together, to listen to people and to value people. It’s important to have people come down to St. Vinny’s and meet people where they’re at. There aren’t many opportunities where people can have that experience, and I think everyone has something to offer up to this issue.”

If you have some extra craft supplies lying around, the Connections Club sure could use ‘em! Right now, they’re looking for blank greeting cards, envelopes, stamps, pens, pencils, markers and construction paper. They’re also looking for more volunteers.

“We have so many volunteers during the holidays and there’s a huge lull afterward,” Ozanian said. “There are still a lot of people that are in need of services after the holidays, maybe even more so. We’re trying to keep the momentum up and keep our presence alive.”

Interested in volunteering? You can fill out a volunteer interest form here. Have a few things you’d like to donate? Contact the Connections Club at oldtownstewards@eurekaca.gov. 

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