BILLINGS, MT - Settling into its second year at the Shrine Auditorium, a one-day event that provides services to the homeless and near-homeless saw increased attendance Friday.

Last year, having moved to the Shrine after four years on the third floor of the downtown Parmly Billings Library, Project Homeless Connect drew about 400 people, down nearly 200 from a year earlier.

But when the event ended Friday at 4 p.m., 517 people had been served.

It also had a new name this year -- Billings Community Connect. James Hartman, a homeless man who works on the project's board, said he had a lot to do with the name change.

"People have an outlook when they see the word 'homeless,'" he said. "It's like a disease, almost. But when they see the word 'community,' everybody wants to get involved."