Miracle Message - http://miraclemessages.org/

• Valeri Knight, Pierce County Human Services, knight@piercecountywa.gov
• Miracle Message, based in California somewhere,  homeless outreach where they ask if the folks have family they want to connect to. If so, they make a video of them and put it on social media targeted at where there family are located. 
• The ask from the County is if this is something that will be useful to you.  This serves folks who are 10 or 15 years homeless.  The program provides transportation and some help with after care as well.
• Marybeth – they ask “is there someone in your life who would be interested in helping you”.  
• Martha – we run 2 different types of shelters – one with single women.  That is a huge need for many of our single women.  Many folks didn’t have family to go to, but spent the 4^th of July in the shelter.  The Salvation Army spends money on transporting folks already, probably around 20k per year.  If someone else paid to transport, we could use that money for other needs.  We are currently transporting a family back to American Samoa – they couldn’t afford the ticket – so 3 agencies went together to transport them. 
• Miracle Messages does a video and shares it on facebook and hopes to make the connection with their family.
• Maureen – how does this work.  Does the organization come here?  What is the cost, and what pot of money will it come from.  Valeri – they bring staff to recruit and train volunteers.  Money will come out of document reporting fees (State money-ed) – if it is successful, we can look for other funding.  Costs is about $5k per person per placement.  That is expensive, so we are pushing back on that.
• This program seems like a great way to get the community involved in.
• Donald - Had a young lady in another state who is pregnant and homeless but is from here, can we do a reverse?.  Valeri - Yes, if we had a permanent home for her here.  Donald – it is my own daughter, and I’m just trying to get her back home.  Valeri - You and I will connect afterwards and try to get her back home (this is why we love Valeri.-ed).  ? 2^nd question – I work in gang prevention.  If I know someone is trafficking someone, who to I contact?  Valeri – we have RAIN and other resources in the community – we can discuss this afterwards as well. 
• Miracle Message applied for a grant – they request $50k.  they would only do 10 households.  Family has to be willing to do the program. 
• James – what if other resources are needed, not just transportation?
• Marybeth – if I have a match for Miracle Messaging, how to connect?  Contact Miracle Messaging .  They go where the client is located.  Phone number is 1-800-miss-you (collective ahhhh from the audience-ed.)