HOLYOKE -- The more than 200 people who attended a homelessness resources fair Thursday morning left the program with a Rolodex of resources and energy to continue the mission to help those in need, said Pamela Schwartz, director of the Western MA Network to End Homelessness.
"It's very exciting," she said. "It's amazing people's responsiveness among providers to understand how best to meet a person at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness."
She said it was exciting to "experience the commitment and determination to tackle this problem."
Nine workshops were offered at the network's second annual Homelessness Resource Fair for Providers, which looked at topics such as the opioid epidemic and homelessness, legal issues, veterans' services and those who are chronically homeless.
Professionals from all four Western Massachusetts counties ran workshops or attended along with people who might meet someone in need who doesn't work in the field, such as a librarian from Springfield and a Greenfield human rights commissioner, Schwartz said.
For the librarian who finds a homeless person seeking refuge among the stacks, the fair could answer the question "Where do I refer this person, where do I get them the help they need," she said.
Schwartz said the only downside to the conference "was the function of its success" -- there wasn't enough space for those who wanted to attend some of the workshops.
"There was an incredible desire to get informed and get connected," she said, and that bolstered the energy of those in the field.
"If you feel you've got a tribe of people working on this, you're going to make a difference," Schwartz said.
Homeless numbers are actually down in the last five years, she said. In Hampden County, the number dropped 14 percent from 2,690 to 2,321, based on numbers last compiled in January. That is due in part to the moving of families out of hotels.
"We're making steady, measurable progress," and those involved will continue the mission, Schwartz said.