SANTA CRUZ "" Reading glasses, cough drops, first-aid kits "" the United Way of Santa Cruz County is still seeking basic items to meet the needs of all homeless people expected to attend its Homeless Project Connect event, scheduled for March 30 at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. The one-day community-wide event is designed to provide homeless people all the resources they need in one place, said Samantha Green, volunteer coordinator at United Way. Involving a team of local agencies and more than 200 volunteers, the project is on the right track, but United Way is still looking for personal hygiene items to distribute during the event.

SANTA CRUZ -- A medical check-up, dental screenings and a warm meal -- the United Way of Santa Cruz County and a team of county agencies plan to provide all of these essentials to homeless people next month for the city's first Project Homeless Connect event. Project Homeless Connect is a one-day event that provides housing, support and quality of life resources to the homeless. The project started in San Francisco in 2004, when more than 2,000 homeless people showed up. Since then, the event have been held in more than 220 communities across the nation.