Category Archives: Local organizations

San Diego Nonprofit to provide portable showers for homeless people

How we should treat each other, Local organizations

Think Dignity, a San Diego-area nonprofit, plans to bring portable showers to neighborhoods throughout the city.  The showers are about the size of a horse trailer, have stalls for men and women, and are pulled by a truck.  They plan to park on private property for a maximum of four hours at a time, so they will not require city permits.  Moving from place to place on a regular schedule means that they can serve more homeless people that they could with only one location.

Anne Rios, Think Dignity’s Executive Director, said that the showers will help homeless people feel better about themselves, and it will also make it easier for them to find jobs.  The program is patterned after the Lava Mae mobile shower program in San Francisco.  Lava Mae converted four old buses into mobile shower stalls.  That program has been very popular.

Think Dignity partnered with two other nonprofits, Burrito Boys and Las Patronas, to buy the equipment.  They are seeking barbers and hair stylists willing to donate services at the shower sites.

Los Angeles Times, February 1, 2016, page B6.

Panhandling: “Bad on all Levels”

Local organizations

While speaking to an employee of an organization, which provides aid to low-income families and the homeless, they began to speak to me about the recent decision in Redlands to criminalize panhandling. They handed me a 3-inch by 4-inch booklet entitled Redlands Charitable Resource Coalition: Guide to Local Resources. As I flipped through the booklet with information on where to find local food distribution, local hot meals, medical services, and hygiene services, they explained that the Redlands Charitable Resource Coalition in which they were apart of had printed over a thousand copies of these booklets to distribute to the community. The intent behind this is that when an individual is confronted by a panhandler in Redlands they can give them this small paper pamphlet with a map included on where the panhandler or homeless can go to receive help. The employee then proceeded to explain to me that panhandling is “bad on all levels” and it makes the city look undesirable to tourists, and certain panhandlers can make more money in a day begging and then spend the money however they pleased. It’s no surprise that this individual is in full support of the most recent act to criminalize panhandling in Redlands. I was taken back by their remarks. How could someone in charge of an organization that works with the homeless have such negative opinions of panhandlers and the homeless? Even with the resources provided in this book it is nearly impossible to get all the aid available if you are homeless. So how can they believe that this book will help the homeless more than an individual buying them a warm meal or giving a dollar or two? Or are they assuming that the panhandlers are criminals, con artists, or drug addicts? Will this small pamphlet allow homeless people to get more services available to them or will it simply drive them out of Redlands making it, as they said, “more desirable for tourists”?

Here is a link to the Redlands Charitable Resource Coalition. All the information in the pamphlets are also on this site.

http://www.rcrchelp.com

 

Keeping Promises

About being poor, Local organizations

For those of us on this rainy day, we are lucky to be sheltered by a roof over our head and a warm blanket, maybe even some hot cocoa. For the homeless of Orange County, my hometown, they are not so lucky. In a recent article published by the OC Register, what was formerly known as the Santa Ana Transit ran by OCTA, will be renovated into a safe haven and emergency shelter for the homeless during the rain. Mercy House, a popular organization that advocates for the homeless, fought hard to win over the space inside the transit and was allotted five months of use, but only when raining. This was after the supposed promises in which the Board of Supervisors had been presented with a petitioned proposal to provide more emergency shelters during El Nino and had agreed to provide more funding and supplies for shelter:

“Supervisors authorized a contract bid on Dec. 8, but seven weeks and several inches of rain later, no new beds are available. ‘The county did not keep its promise to provide those 440 beds,’ said Madeleine Spencer, an activist with Project Homelessness.”

As weather conditions continue to worsen, there has been an increase in activism and even a stronger push to open more permanent homeless shelters in Orange County. Shocked by the reluctance to help, I am hoping for Orange County citizens and organizations to continue pressing the Board of Supervisors and ensure that they receive the $500,000 funds to utilize for the support shelters for the homeless.

You can find the article here: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/county-701855-shelter-homeless.html

Finding My Way

Books and Films, How we should treat each other, Local organizations

It was refreshing to read Toni Flynn’s “Finding My Way: A Journey Along the Rim of the Catholic Worker Movement.” It has been so long since I have read a book like this. At first my eyes had difficulty adjusting. I could not read a whole sentence in its entirety because I have become so used to skimming for key points, dates, and themes. Once my eyes began to slow down I began to savor each word and the truth in Flynn’s writing. Flynn invited me to take a look into myself.

I found the book to be beautifully crafted and organized. The different books provided a foundation as did the opening words at the start of each book. Flynn wrote with such intimacy and truth. The book served as a reflection of Flynn while provoking reflection in the reader. Flynn writes in a way that seeks to question our motives for our actions. While working with others Flynn finds a shared humanity and discovers the darkness within herself. Flynn constantly looks inward. At one moment when she is at the chapel hospital Flynn writes, “I look inward at my own stubborn refusal to let go of the memory of past wounds inflicted on me as a child” (47).

I feel in a way that this course, Hunger and Homelessness has been an exercise in finding my way personally and as a student. This course has caused me to look inward, as I take what we learn to heart. Balancing, accepting, and letting go are tasks I am learning.

Final Internship Report: A for Advantageous

Local organizations, Organizations, Related topics

In the last 7 weeks, I have spent 35.5 hours interning at local youth shelter in order to gain both a deeper understanding of how they operate and some experiences to take back and share with my class. It is a small run agency that functions solely for the clients and to reach their ultimate goal of family reunification. Now, how is it that the shelter is able to accomplish such a goal? Like all other processes, there are steps that are taken, however, it isn’t refined enough to be called a smooth operation.

The shelter provides the clients with a shelter manager, a youth advocate, and eleven staff members to assist them during their stay within the program. The shelter manager and youth advocate are key factors in determining how the shelter is run and how the daily schedules are planned. The daily schedule is what keeps both the clients and staff on track for the day, making sure that they have regular meals, chores are getting done, and productive activities are taking place.

With the intern and volunteer program being relatively new, the shelter staff tends to under utilize what the volunteers are capable of doing, leaving them to either hover over the clients or complete the little tasks that have been left untouched by the staff. I have spent the majority of my time at the shelter supervising and participating with the clients in their positive reinforcing activities.

These positive reinforcing activities, such as morning check in, life skills, and group circle, allow the clients to learn healthier ways for dealing with their situations and in becoming the best possible version of their selves. However, these activities also promote a self-blaming quality in the clients that is an apparent theme throughout the individuals and in the activities. It also doesn’t help that some of the staff promote the societal expectations that they have so far have yet to understand. This program may have good intentions, but it is still focusing on the individual rather than the over arching structural problems that they are definitely aware of.

Although the shelter is very successful in returning majority of clients to their families, rather than another safe environment, there needs to be a deeper understanding of the structural problems that lead to the issues clients face for the staff. The shelter manager and youth advocate are more than capable of providing the insight into this if they were only aware of that this knowledge needed to be shared.  This is one area where I had tried to step up and force them to utilize me because taking this class also has provided me with the awareness of structural problems that they do not posses.

Overall, the shelter has a good track record for completing their mission time and time again for an agency that has only been around for three years. I would give the shelter an A for advantageous because that is what they give their clients; the advantage to take the cruel world head on and be successful.

Final Internship Report

Homelessness, How we should treat each other, Local organizations, Organizations

After finishing my time volunteering at my internship I was able to grasp the full meaning of the organization.  They serve as an open door to their community serving anyway that they can. Through volunteering I was able to see the strengths and weaknesses of this organization. Strengths include helpful and thriving volunteers, non-discrimination towards clients, various service/resource centers, and correspondence with local organizations and churches.  All of these help the organization thrive into a better organization.

When I first volunteered I noticed how many other volunteers there were and how all were diligently working with smiles on their faces.  Volunteers are the biggest strengths and assets to the organization.  The number of volunteers the organization has is what keeps their doors open because they make all of the distribution centers and resource clinics possible the organization’s goal is to provide as many things as they could for each client so that they could use their earned money elsewhere, such as paying rents and other bills.  This is seen as a strength because clients can come here and not have to worry about being pushed away.  The organization is a sign of hope, an open door, and a place where people know they can come to receive help in many ways.  They provide service to all families that are registered with the organization.  In working with other organizations, this organization has created a multifaceted relationship with these prospering organizations and has truly embellished their mission statement

Weaknesses include, low volunteer restrictions, moldy food, and difficulties getting in contact with members of the organization. Volunteers do not need to have interviews or health screening which is something that should be done since volunteers deal with food.  Sometimes the food is not edible and a lot of it is thrown away.  Lastly, the members of the organization are extremely busy so it is quite difficult to get into contact with them and ask direct questions about the organization.  The weaknesses do not compare to the multitude of strengths that are seen through this organization.  The organization is doing great things for its community and is building stronger every day.

Overall, this organization has been a great place to volunteer.  I am seeing the benefits and hope that they bring to people who are struggling, but also the impact they have on volunteers.  The organization is a small community within the larger community that helps people needy people in ways I did not think were possible.  Seeing how volunteers who were once helped by this organization are giving back, shows the impact that this small community has had.  People who volunteer at are hopeful and dedicated to helping others in any way that they can.  It is an organization that has stood in Redlands for over 14 years and continues to follow its values every day of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and helping those who are hurt.  They thrive off of volunteers and donations, so giving back to this organization is something I see myself doing in the future.Open Hand[1]

 

Final Internship Report

Local organizations

My internship works with runaway youth, with the primary goal of family reunification. The shelter director, youth advocates, counselors, and volunteers play a critical part in meeting this goal.

Multiple times a day the youth advocate provides a space for the youth to check-in. Check-in provides a space for the youth to share their feelings. During check-in a youth advocate will ask each youth questions such as, on a scale from one to ten how are you feeling? Why are you feeling this way? Is there anything that we can do? What attitude are you going to have today? What are your goals for the day and week? I participated but the youth advocate did not participate. I question if this creates the assumption that the youth advocate is better than the youth. Perhaps the youth advocate not participating helps protect the youth advocates authority.

The highly structured program makes the organization successful. A struggle that the organization faces is how fast the population changes. New clients quickly change the atmosphere. Not only do the clients shift, but the volunteers, and youth advocates change too. A group of students from Cal State San Bernardino used to bring in weekly art lessons that the youth really enjoyed. The students stopped coming and the kids were left with no art. This presents a difficult situation because you want the youth to enjoy art and you want to welcome whatever time and talent the volunteers have but what happens when the volunteers go and the youth remain?

Limited staff train volunteers, who might be there short or long term. I recommend that volunteers are used in areas in which the volunteers are strong so the volunteers can be used more productively. In addition, the volunteer process might prevent students and community members from helping.

Poverty is never mentioned directly, but referred to indirectly. I listened to one conversation which the youth talked about their past experiences of stealing and using drugs. Some of the youth’s behavior reflects that of those who are living in poverty. Programs are offered to change some of the youth’s behavior, such as teaching coping strategies.

The organization is doing good considering that it was only established three years ago. The organization does a great job at treating the youth as an individual and providing them with the required services.

 

 

 

Non-profit: final internship report

Local organizations

My internship is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2009. They help “build confidence and promote self-sufficiency for homeless, runaway, and under served youth ages fourteen to twenty-four by providing trust, hope, support, and education”. Their mission is to be a “support system for these youth so that they may grow to be health, successful adults that exit street life”. Many of these youth are from by local communities and a lot of these teens attend the local high schools in Redlands, including Redlands East Valley High school, Redlands High school, and Citrus Valley High School. There will sometimes be a few that come all the way from San Bernardino or Colton. However, not too many because they have to provide their own transportation and with these teens many just walk from wherever they are. This program will provide bus passes but only to be used for school and they have to prove themselves that they are attending school with homework, assignments, etc. This program is used as a place for teens to come and hang out during the day. This is not a shelter for teens to stay at overnight but a community to be surrounded with support during the day. Because of their transition into the new facility, they are only open during Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday between the hours of 2:30pm to 6:30pm. This gives students an opportunity to have a place to hang out with others in the same situation after school. They can come here and work on homework together and build relationships all while getting a few items they may need. For example, the day I went to observe, it was raining and a girl needed a new pair of dry socks and she was thankful to know that the director just brought in donated clothes so she was able to receive a new pair of socks and even a new beanie! Snacks and hot chocolate was also provided until dinner was served. They always provide dinner when the facility is open and is usually served around 4:00pm. The dinner is always donated by another organization. Majority of the time, the food will be donated or prepared by churches in Redlands. The day I was there, it was a day for a Redlands church to provide dinner so at the church they will make home cooked food to give to the homeless teens. The shelter will have to go pick it up from the location but other than that the food has already been prepared and cooked. If it is another church’s time to donate (hence they all have set schedules when it is their time to provide dinner) and they may not have enough time to prep food, they will just order a bunch of pizzas or something easy to donate. I feel that this is a wonderful opportunity for teens all over the are.

By obtaining statistics from this nonproft, they recently surveyed 276 of the youth attendees: 29% were homeless and living on the streets, 34% were abused as youth children, 19% were in the foster care system, 37% have parents with drug or alcohol substance abuse problems, 76% were classified as low-income, 3,204 homeless children were registered in Kindergarten to 12th grade, and 1,414 homeless youth were registered in 7th-12th grade in the Redlands Unified School District in the 2010-2011 school year.

Internship Report #2

Homelessness, Hunger, Local organizations, Organizations, Poverty, Solutions to Homelessness, Solutions to Hunger, Solutions to Poverty

I have been volunteering at a local organization which provides services to low income and homeless families across the valley. Throughout the past couple months, I have worked in several different areas of service and have observed both positive and negative aspects of the organization. The organization runs on minimal and ever-shrinking government funding, donations from the community, a small staff, and volunteer work. Because the organization gets most of its funds from the contributions of community members, the amount of money it has to work with is inconsistent from year to year.

The staff and volunteers must deal with the unpredictability of low funds and whatever donations happen come their way each day. This uncertainty and instability creates a chaotic environment at times. If one of the fourteen permanent staff members is gone, another staff member may have to juggle two different jobs that day. The association does a relatively good job at maintaining order and organization despite these complications. The staff is flexible and is able to work in any section of the facility. Almost every person involved works hard to help each individual who seeks services. The organization’s infrastructure allows for the staff to bend the rules at times in order to provide the best service possible for each client. If the organization is not able to provide services to a person who is seeking its help, the staff members make sure to refer the person to another place that may be able to help. They do the best they can with what they have.

The organization was founded (over a hundred years ago) with the concept of helping the “worthy poor” and some traces of this idea can still be observed in the intentions of the association today. The association provides free educational programs for individuals including basic life skills, parenting classes, money management, employment readiness, computer classes, counseling, and anger management. Providing these types of classes indicates that the clients need to be “fixed” in a sense. Though it does focus somewhat on fixing the problems of the individual, this organization clearly recognizes that homelessness is structural problem. In fact, one of the brochures about the organization describes the causes of family homelessness as “the combined effects of lack of affordable housing, extreme poverty, decreasing government supports, changing demographics of the family, the challenges of raising children alone, domestic violence, and fractured social supports.” The fact that the organization even acknowledges that homelessness is a structural problem sets it apart from other agencies of its kind.

In my time at this agency, I feel that I have not been as helpful as I have the potential to be. I believe this is because, when a volunteer becomes involved in the organization, they are asked which area(s) they would most prefer to work in but are not asked specifically what skills they can contribute to the organization. I am sure that many of the regular volunteers who have worked at the agency for an extended period of time have found their niche in the organization, but the temporary volunteers, who only work for a few months and then leave, do not make as much of an impact as they have the potential to make. I talked to one of the staff members and he said that one of the hardest issues that the organization faces is the fact that many of the volunteers it receives only work during the school year (September through May) because of affiliations with high schools and the university. This leads to very sparse pools of volunteers during the summer months, which is problematic for the organization. It makes do with what it receives, but it cannot help clients as thoroughly as it would like when there is not an adequate supply of volunteers.

Final Internship Report

Local organizations, Religion

After volunteering at this religiously affiliated non-profit organization for a little over twenty hours now I have learned a lot about the organization and its mission. This organization receives food and clothing donations to give out to clients who cannot afford these amenities. The clients can come in to receive these services up to three times per month. They also provide medical services, dental services, and job trainings. This organization requires hard work and dedication in order to keep it running. With this hard work and dedication they are constantly restoring hope in the community by giving them benefits.

With the small community of volunteers at my internship, there are opportunities to really get to know the other volunteers. There are no criteria to follow to volunteer at this religiously affiliated organization, so there is a broad spectrum with all types of people volunteering. One general theme that I have caught onto is that everyone volunteering here believes in God and discusses their beliefs and how they came about them. While working with other volunteers we have the chance to interact and to get to know each other better. The volunteers of this organization are what make this organization function. While the jobs vary the exposure to clients varies as well. Depending what station you are working at you will get more or less exposure with the clients. While this organization is attempting to operate as smooth and efficient as possible, it lacks having relationships with its clients.

This organization claims to be accepting of all Christian beliefs and that they do not only represent one church. Their hope is to serve as a combination of churches and beliefs systems so that everyone can express themselves in one place together. Everyone is coming together, no matter from what background, for the common cause of serving others. It is apparent to me that this non-profit center has given hope not only to the clients but to the volunteers too, who sometimes were or are clients themselves.

The volunteers are accepting and non-judgmental of anyone that comes to receive services and they do not put the blame on them. This is a reflection on this organization that they understand that these situations are not typically the individuals fault. However, they are not doing anything to challenge the structural issues that are causing hunger. While this organization is doing a lot of work it is on a very small scale.

My volunteer work at this organization has given me an in into how the organization functions and how it effects lives positively. From what I have seen they are helping families in need by carrying out their mission. I have volunteered enough to understand how this organization operates and who it operates with, including other volunteers and the people receiving services. I feel that with my volunteering at this ministry I have not only observed the organization but I have also assisted them. While there are always ways to improve this organization’s services, they are working efficiently together to carry out their mission.