Knoxville is one of 20 cities across the country taking part in Project Homeless Connect on Dec. 8 by hosting a one-day event to link homeless individuals and families with the resources needed to help them move toward housing and self-sufficiency.

Volunteers from more than a dozen local government agencies, social services providers, and faith-based organizations will offer medical, dental and vision care services as well as mental health counseling, legal assistance, help with various benefits programs, information and referral for housing, haircuts and much more.

Information about homeless individuals will also be entered into a database, with the goal of assigning each a caseworker to ensure their needs are being met and services are not duplicated.

The event is at the Knoxville Exhibition Convention Center at the Holiday Inn Downtown from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Volunteers will begin reporting at 8:30 a.m.

Project Homeless Connect evolved from the Knoxville/Knox County Ten-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness, which calls for efforts by the whole community to solve the problem.The chronically homeless is defined as individuals who have been repeatedly homeless or homeless for longer than a year. Although they represent only 10 percent of the homeless population, they utilize about 50 percent of the resources.Project Homeless Connect is sponsored by the City of Knoxville, Knox County and the East Tennessee Coalition for the Homeless.