Imagine a day when all the services homeless people need are available under one roof.

That day is coming December 4, when Philadelphia will join dozens of cities nationwide as they participate in National Project Homeless Connect. The one-day event, which in Philadelphia will be held at the Salvation Army on North Broad Street, will provide the homeless population with a variety of resources, from housing to heath care and hygiene. “It’s an opportunity for (the homeless population) to have access to a range of services right at their fingertips,” said Dave Zega, executive assistant to the director of Philadelphia’s Office of Supportive Housing.

The daylong event is aimed to provide outreach to individuals experiencing chronic homelessness and provide much-needed social services including medical care and substance abuse and mental health counseling. The goal is to help those in need find permanent housing and achieve self-sufficiency.

The 2007 Project Homeless Connect is "a really far-reaching and broad" event, said Zega. Other cities participating in the 2007 National Project Homeless Connect include Denver, Las Vegas, Seattle, and Portland, Oregon, among many others.

Zega said a broad spectrum of volunteers offer their services to make the day a success. From students of local cosmetology schools giving haircuts to restaurants providing food, the event is worthwhile thanks to those who dedicate their time and energy, Zega said.

The concept of Project Homeless Connect began in 2004, when San Francisco’s Mayor Gavin Newsom organized the event as a way to reach out to the city’s homeless population. In 2005, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness launched the National Project Homeless Connect Partnership and 26 cities, including Philadelphia, participated.

“From the beginning, Philadelphia was a major participant and still is,” Zega said.

In 2006, more than 40 cities nationwide participated in Project Homeless Connect, which provided assistance to more than 15,000 people. In Philadelphia alone, Zega said about 250 homeless people attended last year’s event, which was held at Arch Street Methodist Church.

And Zega said he expects this year’s event to be even bigger. A final tally on how many cities are participating is not in yet, he said.

Based on the fifth goal in Philadelphia’s Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness, Philadelphia’s participation in Project Homeless Connect seeks to not only serve individuals experiencing homelessness, but also "to generate the public will, civic support, and public and private resources needed to end homelessness,” said a statement from the mayor’s Office of Communications.