Grass Roots Effort Launched to Decrease Homeless Population

Released on = February 16, 2005, 8:24 pm

Press Release Author = Kelly Jolkowski, Project Jason

Industry = Non Profit

Press Release Summary = When one woman’s son became missing, she looked for him in the faces of the homeless. Even though it seemed inconceivable that she would find him among the thousands upon thousands of faces, it was not impossible that other missing persons might be found.

Press Release Body = Omaha, NE: February 18, 2005--Come Home is a new and unique national missing person's locator program sponsored by nonprofit organization Project Jason.

Project Jason, which assists families of the missing, was founded by Kelly Jolkowski, the mother of missing young adult Jason Jolkowski, of Omaha.

There are an estimated 3.5 million people in the United States who experience homelessness each year. People may become homeless for varied reasons, which include mental illness, addictions, domestic abuse, poverty, trauma, and lack of affordable housing.

Project Jason's mission statement includes creating and increasing public awareness of missing persons. With an estimated 850,000 new cases per year, it remains a
challenge to find avenues to reach all facets of society in an effort to locate missing persons. It is not known how many of the homeless may be reported missing persons, but it is a certainty that many are.

In order to reach this segment of the population, the Come Home program was created. The bi-monthly Come Home poster will feature all of the necessary data and contact information about a selected missing person. It will also include a personal message to the missing person from their family. They simply want their loved one to Come Home.

Come Home posters are placed at homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and other locations where homeless persons gather. Project Jason has a growing database of participating shelters and related organizations nationwide. Twice per month, a new poster is produced and this information relayed via email to Come Home participants nationwide. A link to download and print the poster is available on the Project
Jason website, and can also be accessed by the public.

Project Jason believes that working together with the nationwide participants, the Come Home program will help decrease the numbers of missing persons and of the
homeless. Somewhere, someone loves them and wants them to Come Home. A press conference is being held at 1:15pm on Friday, February 18th at the Siena/Francis House homeless shelter in Omaha, NE to announce the roll-out of the Come Home program. Local media may be contacted for assistance with footage of the conference.

For additional information about the program, please email
ComeHome@projectjason.org, or call Kelly Jolkowski at 402-932-0095.

The Come Home website is located at http://www.projectjason.org/comehome.html

Web Site = http://www.projectjason.org

Contact Details = Kelly Jolkowski
Project Jason
P.O. Box 3035
Omaha, NE, 68103
402-932-0095