Public Forum on Homelessness in Walnut Creek, July 26, 2022
The Californer/10198960

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Californer -- The Walnut Creek Homeless Task Force, established in 2013, is hosting a free public Community Forum on Homelessness in Walnut Creek on Tuesday, July 26, 6–8pm. A hybrid event, the forum will be held in the Walnut Creek City Council Chambers, City Hall, 1666 North Main Street, 1^st Floor, Walnut Creek, and via Zoom for attendees who wish to participate online. Masks are required in council chambers for those who plan to attend in person.

The forum is designed to give community members and business owners a platform to learn about the homeless services and continuum of care available to unhoused people and those at risk in Walnut Creek, and what actions are being taken by the City and the County to address homelessness.

For this fifth in a series of forums, the work of the Walnut Creek Police Department Homeless Outreach Program, HOP, will be showcased in a Conversation and Q&A with the WCPD HOP Team.

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In June 2019, the Walnut Creek Police Department launched the Homeless Outreach Program (HOP), a dedicated team of two officers who address both quality of life and public safety issues surrounding homelessness in Walnut Creek, offering referrals to shelters and mental health services to those in need. Featured speaker WCPD Sgt. Gary Silva will introduce the HOP team, Officer Matt Adamson and Officer Jake Chaney, and take questions from attendees in the room and online.

Present at the forum will be representatives from several resources that work together to provide care to unhoused people and those at risk in Walnut Creek. Panelists scheduled to appear are Shelby Ferguson, Health, Housing, and Homeless Services, Contra Costa Health Services; Lisa Thomas, CORE (Coordinated Outreach, Referral & Engagement Program); Erika Vandenbrande, City of Walnut Creek, Community Development; Sgt. Gary Silva, Walnut Creek Police Department, HOP Team; Leslie Gleason, Trinity Center; Sheila Aceves, Loaves and Fishes; and Donna Colombo, Walnut Creek Homeless Task Force.

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Walnut Creek Mayor Matt Francois will provide opening remarks, and Molly Pfau Clopp, board chair of the Trinity Center, will be the evening's moderator.

This is a free public event, but virtual attendees must RSVP to https://WCHTF-and-HOP-CommunityForum.eventbrite.com to receive the Zoom link.

For more information about the Community Forum on Homelessness in Walnut Creek, visit www.WCHomelessTaskForce.org.

Walnut Creek Homeless Task Force, WCHomelessTaskForce.org
Mindful of the needs of the Walnut Creek community and the City's quality of life, the Walnut Creek Homeless Task Force seeks compassionate solutions to homelessness and works collaboratively with local and regional organizations to develop safety net services and the means for affordable supportive housing.