ST. THOMAS - The United Way is looking for volunteers to assist with an event next month aimed at helping people who are homeless help themselves out of that situation.

The United Way, government agencies, nonprofits and the private sector are working together on the island's second Day of Caring: Project Homeless Connect, slated for Oct. 17 at the University of the Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center.

The event is targeted at providing immediate - and long-term - assistance to people who are homeless, from hot meals and to referrals for services to help them get back on their feet.

"It's going to be a full array of services to assist clients and family members," said Cherise Creque, executive director of the United Way of St. Thomas-St. John.

Services will include health screenings, employment services, information about 12-step programs, haircuts, foot care, massages, legal services, pediatric immunization, identification cards, shelter and housing information, mental health and veterans services and information and a variety of other services.

Volunteers are needed to act as escorts at the event. Each participant will be assigned an escort to help guide him or her through the services offered.

"We need persons to donate their time and effort to come to the event," said Monife Stout, spokeswoman for the V.I. Human Services Department, which is one of the agencies participating in the event.

Volunteers also will act as greeters, waiters and waitresses. Training will be provided.

"There is an etiquette to it," Stout said.

Donations for the event also are needed: clothing, shoes, toiletries for hygiene kits that will be distributed and canned food that does not require cooking.

Although the Sports and Fitness Center is not near some of the island's concentrations of people who are homeless, arrangements have been made to transport them to the gym.

"We are already doing the outreach," Creque said.

Both Stout and Creque said there were success stories stemming from the first Project Homeless Connect last November - and that they hope to see more this year.

"Some clients were able to get jobs, some were able to get rehab and some were able to move into housing," Creque said.

The event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 17. Several training sessions for volunteers have been scheduled before that date, both at the lunch hour and in the early evening hours, to accommodate different schedules.

To volunteer, contact United Way at 774-3185.

Clothing and shoe donations can be dropped off at Ebeneezer Gardens. For information, call 776-7499. Items for hygiene kits can be dropped off at Yellow Cedar Residency Program. For information, call 774-4424.

A similar event is slated for St. Croix on Oct. 24.