Tag Archives: Homeless

100,000 Homes Campaign – Where’s Housing for Everyone, Permanent Sustainable for Life?

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A lot of new people have escaped homelessness in the last few months, and we’re finally catching up! Whew! Proud to announce that communities participating in this movement have now housed 34,728 chronic and vulnerable homeless people! Share if your community was part of this milestone!

 

The ultimate factor is whether people remain in this housing and are able to continue effectively taking care of their responsibilities.  Do they remain working?  Are they building networks?  Are they feeling that their lives are better?  Are their support groups that include peer mentoring and support years after they are housed?  Do they have stable lives that are sustained?

 

 

 

It was said once that people see that homeless people and their issues are entrenched – there are those who remark, “The Homeless will always be with us.” There are still others who make the point that this either does not exist where they are or that no one will ever be out of business who administers programs to and for homeless people. To all who feel the problem should be determined by attrition or just disappear let’s open our mouth lift our voice and say, “The most difficult issues are those we embrace.”

Photo: Nice! Our fortune cookie applies to this whole movement!
 We need 35,000 units of housing right now here in Denver alone.

MANY LIVE ON THE EDGE

TOO MANY

Principally children and single head of families. They make up 1/2 of the homeless.

There’s a lot of great work that is being done across the nation by many organizations like the 100,000 Homes and the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless,  Project Home as you see below in the posts from Facebook.  There is a lot of work that has to be done because every year that passes more and more people die on the streets and even when they are housed %10 are ill and die after they’ve been housed. 

Sustainability has to include living in place,  having a medical home, attaching housing to health care. We also must believe in our heart that this is not intractable. 

  1. Recent Posts by Others on 100,000 Homes CampaignSee All
     
     

    •  Spent several hours yesterday talking with Al Jazeera about homelessness in America as part of the Point In Time count. No idea what will get aired but used lots of people-first language, and name-dropped 100,000 Homes Campaign, 100 Homes Campaign for Arlington, VA, Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network (A-SPAN). Hoping good stuff gets to air. Also I’ll be looking for some Arabic translators!

      3416 · January 31 at 6:51am

       

    • Excited that the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and long time friend in ending homelessness Matthew Doherty is joining us at the Skid Row registry tonight! Another 100,000 Homes Campaign community that knows that in order to END homelessness, you have to start by knowing who’s out there. Go Skid Row Counts 2013!

      15 · January 30 at 4:21pm

       

    •  We will live tweeting during Kansas City’s registry tomorrow… follow us at https://twitter.com/100KHomesKC

      1 · January 30 at 3:41pm

       
     
     
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    Activity
    Recent
     
    100,000 Homes Campaign created Puerto Rico Registry Week.
     
  5.  
    Have you registered for Friday’s online strategy session re: engaging local hospitals? Join your peers for an unstructured, collaborative discussion to discuss what’s worked for Campaign communities in the past!

    Online Strategy Session: Engaging Local Hospitals

    February 22 at 2:00pm in EST
    Join · 12 people are going
     

     

     
  6.  
    We’re really proud to be partnering with Got Your 6. Just got off their national call and heard amazing updates on other organizations serving veterans across the country. The 100,000 Homes movement is connected to so many even bigger movements! Wonderful to support so many incredibly gifted vets with these folks!
    Photo: We're really proud to be partnering with Got Your 6. Just got off their national call and heard amazing updates on other organizations serving veterans across the country. The 100,000 Homes movement is connected to so many even bigger movements! Wonderful to support so many incredibly gifted vets with these folks!
    1Like ·  · Share
     

     

     
  7.  
    Welcome to the movement, Central Mississippi 100,000 Homes Campaign! We’re glad to see you on Facebook!
     

     

     
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  12.  
    Join this call today! It’s a very important one…we’re releasing our brand new study of the 19 factors associated with the highest rates of housing placement across the country!

    All Hands on Deck Web Conference

    February 13 at 3:30pm in EST
    Join · 25 people went
     
    Like ·  · Share
     

     

     
  13.  

    100,000 Homes Campaign created an event.

    All Hands on Deck Web Conference

    February 13 at 3:30pm in EST
    Join · 25 people went
     
    Like ·  · Follow Post
     

     

     
  14.  
    Join our All Hands on Deck call tomorrow at 3:30pm EST for your annual chance to ask the awkward and uncomfortable questions you’ve wanted answers to but been afraid to bring up! Director Becky Kanis will take your questions, and NOTHING is off limits! Connect using the link below.

    For audio only, dial: 408-600-3600, access code: 735 846 563

    2Like ·  · Share
     

     

     
  15.  
    What a physical transformation! Congrats 100 Homes Austin, and welcome home, Judith!
    A Whole New Judith
    100khomes.org
    After 6 years on the streets, Judith is finally home, and her physical transformation is remarkable!
    4Like ·  · Share
     

     

     
  16.  
    The Rockies have inspired us to plan BIG! In the next 6 months, we’ll be hosting 6 new boot camps, staging a week-long housing report-a-thon, and releasing more than 20 new tools for your community to use! It all leads up to a goal of more than 21,000 new housing placements in that time! What do you think? CAN WE DO IT?!
    Photo: The Rockies have inspired us to plan BIG! In the next 6 months, we'll be hosting 6 new boot camps, staging a week-long housing report-a-thon, and releasing more than 20 new tools for your community to use! It all leads up to a goal of more than 21,000 new housing placements in that time! What do you think? CAN WE DO IT?!
    1Unlike ·  · Share
     

     

     
  17.  
    Day 2 of planning retreat is for self-organizing teams. We’re scheduling our own meetings with other members of the team to discuss new projects that require collective input. By day’s end, we’ll have the beginnings of a Q1 work plan!
    Photo: Day 2 of planning retreat is for self-organizing teams. We're scheduling our own meetings with other members of the team to discuss new projects that require collective input. By day's end, we'll have the beginnings of a Q1 work plan!
    2Like ·  · Share
     

     

     
  18.  
    After day one of planning, it’s clear we have several communities doing good work but not reporting it to the Campaign! The problem with that is that it doesn’t allow us to measure our collective progress and identify which teams need the most help and resources. Any advice for helping to make reporting your housing placements as easy as possible?
    1Like ·  · Share
     

     

     
  19.  
    Day One at our planning retreat includes a quick review of what we’re most proud of from 2012 and an overview of various pathways to 100,000. Key levers include the number of communities enrolled and the monthly performance of each enrolled community.
    Photo: Day One at our planning retreat includes a quick review of what we're most proud of from 2012 and an overview of various pathways to 100,000. Key levers include the number of communities enrolled and the monthly performance of each enrolled community.
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  21.  
    Kickstart your Monday by saying congrats to Mr. C. on permanent housing AND sobriety, and to the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network (A-SPAN) for being amazing and helping make it happen!
    Sober and Housed after 14 Years | 100,000 Homes
    100khomes.org
    Mr. C. was kicked out of a family member’s apartment in 1999 when his drinking got out of hand. Since then, he’s been living under a bridge in Arlington, VA, just outside the nation’s capital. In July of last year, after more than 20 years of alcohol abuse, Mr. C.
    1Like ·  · Share
     

     

     
  22.  
    Registry Week is underway in Salt Lake, and 100,000 Homes Campaign: Salt Lake City is already slated to move 6 people into housing by week’s end! Here’s a great quote from local team member Melanie Zamora of The Road Home about what all of you and the power of this movement have meant on the ground:“Thanks for bringing us into this movement! We could have done the same great work we were doing forever. We would have ended chronic homelessness eventually. But now, with 100K Homes behind us, we can do it faster, and with the community watching and helping!”

    (Photo: Steve Griffin, Salt Lake Tribune)

    Photo: Registry Week is underway in Salt Lake, and 100,000 Homes Campaign: Salt Lake City is already slated to move 6 people into housing by week's end! Here's a great quote from local team member Melanie Zamora of The Road Home about what all of you and the power of this movement have meant on the ground:</p><br /> <p>"Thanks for bringing us into this movement! We could have done the same great work we were doing forever. We would have ended chronic homelessness eventually. But now, with 100K Homes behind us, we can do it faster, and with the community watching and helping!"</p><br /> <p>(Photo: Steve Griffin, Salt Lake Tribune)” src=”<a href=https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/c116.0.403.403/p403x403/398147_10151513904442176_1411109455_n.jpg&#8221; width=”403″ height=”380″ />
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  23.  
    GOOD NEWS! Boston, Massachusetts has reported new housing placements over the last year that take this movement over 31,000 people housed! All told, Campaign communities have housed 31,226 chronic and vulnerable homeless people nationwide!
    Photo: GOOD NEWS! Boston, Massachusetts has reported new housing placements over the last year that take this movement over 31,000 people housed! All told, Campaign communities have housed 31,226 chronic and vulnerable homeless people nationwide!
    4Like ·  · Share
     

     

     
  24.  

    Activity
    February
    People Who Like This
    52
     
 

Earlier in January

  1.  
    Spent several hours yesterday talking with Al Jazeera about homelessness in America as part of the Point In Time count. No idea what will get aired but used lots of people-first language, and name-dropped 100,000 Homes Campaign, 100 Homes Campaign for Arlington, VA, Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network (A-SPAN). Hoping good stuff gets to air. Also I’ll be looking for some Arabic translators!
    Photo: Spent several hours yesterday talking with Al Jazeera about homelessness in America as part of the Point In Time count. No idea what will get aired but used lots of people-first language, and name-dropped 100,000 Homes Campaign, 100 Homes Campaign for Arlington, VA, Arlington Street People's Assistance Network (A-SPAN). Hoping good stuff gets to air. Also I'll be looking for some Arabic translators!
    Photo: Spent several hours yesterday talking with Al Jazeera about homelessness in America as part of the Point In Time count. No idea what will get aired but used lots of people-first language, and name-dropped 100,000 Homes Campaign, 100 Homes Campaign for Arlington, VA, Arlington Street People's Assistance Network (A-SPAN). Hoping good stuff gets to air. Also I'll be looking for some Arabic translators!
     

     

     
  2.  
    Likes
    January
    Bank of America
    100,000 Homes Campaign – Sonoma County
    100,000 Homes Campaign: Salt Lake City

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  3.  
    Excited that the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and long time friend in ending homelessness Matthew Doherty is joining us at the Skid Row registry tonight! Another 100,000 Homes Campaign community that knows that in order to END homelessness, you have to start by knowing who’s out there. GoSkid Row Counts 2013!
     

     

     
  4.  
    We will live tweeting during Kansas City’s registry tomorrow… follow us at https://twitter.com/100KHomesKC
    100K Homes KC (100KHomesKC) on Twitter
    twitter.com
    The latest from 100K Homes KC (@100KHomesKC).
    Like ·  · Share
     

     

     
  5.  
    TWELVE Registry Weeks began this morning, and 3 more will start tomorrow! Have you hit the streets yet to help identify your homeless neighbors by name?
    Photo: TWELVE Registry Weeks began this morning, and 3 more will start tomorrow! Have you hit the streets yet to help identify your homeless neighbors by name?
    2Like ·  · Share
     

     

     
  6.  
    Breaking (and wonderful) news! Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard will be joining the volunteers in Downey, CA for their Registry Week. Its so wonderful when our country’s leaders really engage in ending homelessness. Go Downey Counts!
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  7.  
    Good news from the 100,000 Homes Campaign.
    Shari Will Turn 50 in Her Own Home
    100khomes.org
     
     

     

     
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    100,000 Homes Campaign created an event.

    Registry Week Boot Camp

    March 5 at 8:30am in CST
    Join · 2 people are going
     
    Like ·  · Follow Post
     

     

     
  9.  
    Congrats to the Mental Health Association in Tulsa, and welcome home, Shari!
    Shari Will Turn 50 in Her Own Home
    100khomes.org
     
    1Like ·  · Share
     

     

     
  10.  
    Thinking of all our fellow 100K Homes volunteers/staff members around the country that kicked off their own registry weeks today! Good luck from Oklahoma City and The Homeless Alliance!
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  11.  
    What an amazing idea! Beautiful hearts and beautiful hats!
    Speaking of committed volunteers… Diane Pierce and Stacia Gillet HAND KNITTED 230 woolen caps for us to use as incentives to get unsheltered homeless people to take our survey.
    Photo: Speaking of committed volunteers... Diane Pierce and Stacia Gillet HAND KNITTED 230 woolen caps for us to use as incentives to get unsheltered homeless people to take our survey.
    4Like ·  · Share
     

     

     
  12.  
    Communities that integrate a registry week effort into their HUD Point in Time count come away with actionable information on those experiencing homelessness, mobilized and engaged volunteers and stories to go with the names and faces of our most vulnerable neighbors with the most severe housing needs. Cheers to the 100,000 Homes Campaign communities that are pioneering this strategy.
    Making Your PIT Count More Useful to Local Providers
    Federal aggregate data is important, but local organizations need much more specific data to house their homeless neighbors quickly.
    2Like ·  · Share
     

     

     
  13.  
    Thanks to the National Alliance to End Homelessness for letting us feature the more than 30 communities integrating their PIT counts with Registry Weeks this week and next!
    Making Your PIT Count More Useful to Local Providers
    Federal aggregate data is important, but local organizations need much more specific data to house their homeless neighbors quickly.
    21Like ·  · Share
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      16 people like this.
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      Bro. Adalberto Santiago Linda thanks for your visit to Caguas Puerto Rico today 24 Jan 2013 to help us to know more and reveiw the homeless counting for this New Year. After we finished the activity Francisco said we have over 3,700 homess in P.R. With 60% Chronic homelessness!
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  14.  
    Reading about my friends in Fairfax ready to join 100,000 Homes Campaign
    FairfaxTimes.com: County launches effort to house chronically homeless
    Estimated 350 people living on streets or in woods in county
     

     

     
  15.  

    Bill Will shared a link.
    please read and share this link to all your friends,and family to help a loving same sex couple fulfill there wish and help them to get married legally in Maine.
    http://www.gofundme.com/1w2vls
    Click here to support same sex couple seeking marriage by Nicolle Cote Bell
    please,please show some love an help this SAME SEX COUPLE IN NEED OF DONATIONS TO HELP THEM GET MARRIED……. hey everyone im posting this message because my partner of 2 years now and myself really want to get married and have our love be 100% official and right now she is on disabled leave…
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  16.  
    Day 2 OKC – group 5-6 surveyed 4 homeless men this morning, all basically at the McDonalds – appears to be the popular spot. We met Eddie, a 65 year old vietnam veteran who has been on the streets since 1980. He is not receiving any benefits and did not seem interested in many services. There was Curtis, a 50 year old who has been homeless over 8 years after his wife died of Leukemia. He was v…See More
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  17.  

    100,000 Homes Campaign created an event.

    Online Strategy Session: Engaging Local Hospitals

    February 22 at 2:00pm in EST
    Join · 12 people are going
     
    Like ·  · Follow Post
     

     

     
  18.  
    It’s Registry Week season! Pre-dawn efforts to identify our homeless neighbors by name are underway or about to start in Atlanta, Oklahoma City, Fort Collins, the Chicago suburbs and more than 30 other places across the country! Here’s a photo of volunteers searching for their homeless neighbors in Santa Barbara early this morning!
    Photo: It's Registry Week season! Pre-dawn efforts to identify our homeless neighbors by name are underway or about to start in Atlanta, Oklahoma City, Fort Collins, the Chicago suburbs and more than 30 other places across the country! Here's a photo of volunteers searching for their homeless neighbors in Santa Barbara early this morning!
    4Like ·  · Share
     

     

     
  19.  
    First day out – Team 5-6 OKC met two homeless folks at McDonalds: Janice, 63 year-old and Darrell, 34 year old. Janice had lost her trailer in 2012 and had been living in a truck with Darrell or sharing a room with some friends at a nearby motel. Darrell lost his roofing job 4 months ago and subsequently lost his trailer and most of his possessions. He and Janice have become friends and are wo…See More
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  20.  
    Hey 100khomes – we went over 500 volunteers tonight for our Registry Week Jan 2013. Thanks for coaching us!
    55Like · 
     
     

     

     
  21.  
    So many veterans experiencing homelessness are also battling post-traumatic stress disorder like Dr. Linnerooth. We’d like to hear your reflections on how these two experiences overlap and what can be done to help homeless vets facing PTSD.
    Losing One of Our Own
    nation.time.com
    While the loss of any life to suicide is tragic, the loss of Dr. Peter Linnerooth is especially distressing to those of us in the mental health community.
    415Like ·  · Share
     
     

     

     
  22.  
    Today marks 10 years that our brilliant and super fun director, Becky Kanis, has been working to end homelessness with theCommunity Solutions team! Happy anniversary, BK!
    Social Innovation Rock Star: Becky Kanis Celebrates 10 Years of Solving Homelessness
    cmtysolutions.org
    It’s Becky Kanis’ 10-year anniversary with the Community Solutions team!
    5533Like ·  · Share
     
     

     

     
  23.  
    Neighborhood Associations CAN & should be part if the solution too!Downtown Neighborhood Association of Savannah 

    Here’s a great example from LA! We love their Home For Goodeffort too, along with 100,000 Homes Campaign they engaged the…See More

    10 Chronically Homeless Individuals Accept Housing Services from PATH
    PATH Services provides the support that homeless individuals and families need in order to successfully transition from living on the street to thriving in homes of their own. High-quality supportive services are critical to ensuring that the people we serve are able to not only move into permanent …
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  24.  
    For over two years, Lakiesha lived every mother’s worst nightmare as she struggled to keep her son safe without a home. Today, thanks to Watts Labor Community Action Committee, she has a job and a permanent apartment and is helping other homeless families! Learn more at: http://100khomes.org/blog/a-mother-and-son-move-home

    Photo: For over two years, Lakiesha lived every mother's worst nightmare as she struggled to keep her son safe without a home. Today, thanks to Watts Labor Community Action Committee, she has a job and a permanent apartment and is helping other homeless families! </p><br /> <p>Learn more at: <a href=http://100khomes.org/blog/a-mother-and-son-move-home&#8221; src=”https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/c100.0.403.403/p403x403/553346_10151454712352176_1675532848_n.jpg&#8221; width=”403″ height=”403″ />
    258Like ·  · Share
     
     

     

     
  25.  
    Fort Lauderdale, FL, led by the City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida
    Photo: Fort Lauderdale, FL, led by the City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida
    Like ·  · Share
     
     

     

     
  26.  
    Weber County, UT, led by the Weber County Housing Authority
    Photo: Weber County, UT, led by the Weber County Housing Authority
    1Like ·  · Share
     
     

     

     
  27.  
    Each night, 60,000 veterans sleep on the streets. 100,000 Homes Campaign is committed to solve this problem, and we can help! They need volunteers to participate in upcoming “registry weeks” across the country. During this week, volunteers survey homeless communities to find those most vulnerable and collect data to help find ways to end homelessness. Click to find a city near you or start a registry in your town. Got Your 6
    Join the Movement | 100,000 Homes
    100khomes.org
     
    19448Like ·  · Share
     
     

     

     
  28.  
    Atlanta residents! Please join me next weekend for the Atlanta Homeless Registry, an effort to find and survey ATL’s homeless residents to expedite permanent housing for as many as possible! This is connected to my job with the 100,000 Homes Campaign! Sign up below! (You can even request to be on my team!)
    Registry | Unsheltered No More
    Atlanta Homeless Registry January 2013On the evening of Thursday, January 17/morning of Friday, January 18, 2013, we need hundreds of volunteers to conduct surveys with people sleeping in unsheltered locations and emergency shelters.The goal of the Atlanta Homeless Registry is to create a by-name re…
     
     

     

     
  29.  
    All Hands on Deck Call is starting now! Join us, friends to get the latest and greatest on the campaign!
    Like · 
     
     

     

     
  30.  
    Hey everyone, our registry week is Jan 22 and Jan 23 this year! Thanks for your encouragement pushing us forward to solve local homelessness in Santa Barbara County!
    Like · 
     
     

     

     
  31.  

    100,000 Homes Campaign created an event.

    All Hands on Deck Call

    January 9 at 3:30pm in EST
    Join · 7 people went
     
    2Like ·  · Follow Post
     
     

     

     
  32.  

    Homeless Man Kicked Off Church Property By Redding California Police
    A homeless man seeking shelter on the Pilgrim Congregational Church’s property was removed from the premises, not by the church, but by Redding California po…
    Like ·  · Share
     
     

     

     
  33.  
    Our president, Rosanne Haggerty, of Community Solutions, on what to do when the solution is actually the problem…
    How to Fix the Solution
    Some problems are best tackled with a counter-intuitive approach.
    17Like ·  · Share
     
     

     

     
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  36.  

    100,000 Homes Campaign created an event.

    Sacramento, CA Registry Week

    April 1 at 9:00am in EDT
    Sacramento, CA
     
    2Like ·  · Follow Post
     
     

     

     
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    100,000 Homes Campaign created an event.

    Monrovia, CA Registry Week

    January 29 at 9:00am in EST
    Monrovia, CA
     
    Like ·  · Follow Post
     
     

     

     
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  50. One cool part of my job with the 100,000 Homes Campaign is getting to be involved in some amazing partnerships with very cool organizations. Check out what Got Your 6 did in partnership with the Pat Tillman Foundation (Official) and Tostitos for some returning Veterans.

    Tostitos® Homecoming Party Bowl — Extended Version
    On December 13th, TOSTITOS partnered with the Pat Tillman Foundation and Got Your 6 to throw a surprise Homecoming Party Bowl for our troops at Cerritos Comm…
    9Like ·  · Share

     

  51. The new year begins with a flurry of new communities joining the 100,000 Homes Campaign! Here’s a tour from the Great Salt Lake to the Caribbean!
    Photo: Fort Lauderdale, FL, led by the City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida
    Photo: Grand Rapids, MI, led by the Affordable Housing Coalition!
    Photo: Puerto Rico's balance of state, led by Coalición de Apoyo Continuo a Personas sin Hogar en San Juan, Inc.!
    Photo: San Antonio and Bexar County, TX, led by the Housing Authority of Bexar County!
    115Like ·  · Share

     

  52. Check out these awesome Los Angeles communities doing hard work recruiting volunteers and getting prepared for the 2013 Homeless Count: Sunland-Tujunga 100K Homes Campaign, Skid Row Counts 2013, Artesia Counts, Bellflower Counts, Downey Counts - way to go LA! Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count
    5Like ·

     

  53. http://www.facebook.com/bornthiswayfoundation?fref=ts Saw this post on Born This Way Foundations Facebook Page and thought I would share it with you to see if you can help these 2 Homeless Veteran Heroes!! A Veteran myself it is awesoem to have heroes among us who are probably not asking for anything! It is still the Holidays and if we can lets help these 2 heores. Thank you
    matthew Hunt
    Founder
    A Rose of Thanks

    Lady Gaga proudly announces the launch of the Born This Way Foundation (BTWF), which will support programs and initiatives that deal with all aspects of empowering youth. The non-profit charitable organization will lead youth into a braver new society where each individual is accepted and loved as t…

    Page: 160,980 like this
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  54. Very cool to see Kingdom Causes Bellflower helping to spearhead survey efforts in two nearby communities! Angeleños, check outArtesia Counts and Downey Counts to volunteer! (Anyone else branching out to help a neighboring community adopt best practices?)
    213Like ·  · Share

     

  55. HEY FOOTBALL FANS! We do so much work to house homeless veterans with Got Your 6. Tonight, they and our friends at the Pat Tillman Foundation (Official) will be getting a special shout-out at the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl! Tune in to ESPN at 8:30 EST to watch the University of Oregon take on Kent State University and catch a special surprise honoring our veterans at halftime!
    Photo: HEY FOOTBALL FANS! We do so much work to house homeless veterans with Got Your 6. Tonight, they and our friends at the Pat Tillman Foundation (Official) will be getting a special shout-out at the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl! Tune in to ESPN at 8:30 EST to watch the University of Oregon take on Kent State University and catch a special surprise honoring our veterans at halftime!
    29Like ·  · Share

     

  56. Much needed holiday rest is over. We’re excited to get back to the work of ending homelessness! What are your local team’s big goals for 2013?
    Photo: Much needed holiday rest is over. We're excited to get back to the work of ending homelessness! What are your local team's big goals for 2013?
    24Like ·  · Share

     

  57. Activity
    January
    People Who Like This
    People Talking About This
    143
    547

2012

  1. Good news! U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs sites across the country have reported new housing placements, and they’ve taken this movement over 24…25…26…27…28,000 chronic and vulnerable homeless people housed!!!! Happy holidays! Here’s a photo from the VA team in Palo Alto, CA celebrating their success!
    Photo: Good news! U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs sites across the country have reported new housing placements, and they've taken this movement over 24...25...26...27...28,000 chronic and vulnerable homeless people housed!!!! Happy holidays! Here's a photo from the VA team in Palo Alto, CA celebrating their success!
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  2. New video is here! Check out these success stories and interviews with top-tier participants in this national movement for change!
    Join the Movement – Overview of the 100,000 Homes Campaign
    youtu.be
    Curious about the 100,000 Homes Campaign? Two years in, participating communities have now housed over 23,000 people nationwide! Learn about the movement tha…
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  3. Here’s something to be thankful for– Help Hope Home in Las Vegas and Southern Nevada just took this movement over 23,000 people housed nationwide! Congrats to everyone involved in making this happen. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
    Photo: Here's something to be thankful for-- Help Hope Home in Las Vegas and Southern Nevada just took this movement over 23,000 people housed nationwide! Congrats to everyone involved in making this happen. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
    5656Like ·  · Share

     

  4. Check out our new HomelessConnector app that lets you survey your homeless neighbors with the Vulnerability Index and notify local housing advocates using your smartphone! Thanks to Got Your 6 and Brand Knew for helping make it happen!

    New App Aims to House Homeless Vets and Others
    mashable.com
    The 100,000 Homes Campaign just released a new app, called the Homeless Connector. The app was launched on Veterans Day to help house 10,000 homeless veterans by July of 2014.
    19538Like ·  · Share

     

  5. Happy Veterans Day and welcome home to Calvin, this 72-year-old veteran! Congrats Bethesda Cares, Inc for helping him escape the streets after decades of homelessness! Read Calvin’s story here: https://bitly.com/PPjrIX
    Photo: Happy Veterans Day and welcome home to Calvin, this 72-year-old veteran! Congrats Bethesda Cares, Inc for helping him escape the streets after decades of homelessness! Read Calvin's story here: https://bitly.com/PPjrIX
    14164Like ·  · Share

     

  6. Likes
    2012
    Kindling Group
    Big Bend Homeless Coalition
    Downey Counts

    +57

  7. Lots of new people housed in:
    The State of Georgia: 271
    West Palm Beach, FL: 50
    Pittsburgh, PA: 28
    Virginia Supportive Housing in Richmond, VA: 11
    Project H3 VETS in Phoenix, AZ: 10
    …See More
    See the Impact of this Movement
    See the latest housing results from communities participating in the 100,000 Homes Campaign!
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  8. There are still more than 60,000 veterans on the streets of America every night. We’re doing everything we can to change that! How will you be celebrating Veterans Day this weekend?
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  9. The Home For Good crew says Happy Halloween by announcing that 22,000 people have been housed by 100,000 Homes communities!
    Photo: The Home For Good crew says Happy Halloween by announcing that 22,000 people have been housed by 100,000 Homes communities!
    1210Like ·  · Share

     

  10. Our own Beth Sandor and Laura Zeilinger of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness talk veteran homelessness NOW on Minnesota public radio. Tune in live online!
    Is America on track to end veteran homelessness?
    minnesota.publicradio.org
    The Obama administration set a goal to end veteran homelessness by 2015. To reach its goal, it has encouraged innovative solutions from boot camps to mobile apps. Where are we at in ending or decreasing veteran homelessness?
    213Like ·  · Share

     

  11. Our offices in NYC , Brooklyn and DC are safe and unaffected by Sandy, but some staffers are without power and may be slow in responding to your emails and phone calls. What are you seeing in your communities?
    116Like ·  · Share

     

  12. We are so thrilled to be in Sacramento today for a registry week boot camp hosted by our friends at Sacramento Steps Forward! Folks from Fresno/Madera, Ventura, Contra Costa County, and Sonoma County are working together to build strong te…See More
    Welcome to Sacramento, 100,000 Homes Campaign!! We are so excited to have you!
    113Like ·  · Share

     

  13. Good news: Mary Perkins Jarvis just became the 4,000th Facebook fan of this movement. (Thanks, Mary!)BETTER news: participating communities have found permanent homes for more than FIVE TIMES that many people since July of 2010! Let’s keep it going!

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  14. Lot of new people housed by participating communities! (part 2!)
    NEW TOTAL: 21,572 people housed!HOPE for the Homeless (Shreveport, LA): 7
    100K Homes Philly: 25
    Pittsburgh, PA: 45
    Norfolk, VA: 16
    100,000 Homes Campaign Anchorage: 11
    51homes: Providing Hope. Improving Health. Changing Lives.(Tucson, AZ) : 62
    Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition: 3
    New York, NY: 169

    132Like ·  · Share

     

  15.  

 

Delores a Champion Who Had a Heart Who Was Outside Without a Place to Rest

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  •  AT LEAST Half of all  of the work that unhoused people do to change their circumstances is because of their will and tenacity. 

 

  • Without their daily efforts and struggles to survive and transform their lives none of the accomplishments of any of the social services, officials, advocates or programs would be possible.

 

  • Whenever there is a chance to listen to people who are unsettled and have a chance to listen to their stories they always change our perspective of people who live on the edges and transform the world that we all take for granted.

 

To Delores and what she means for us all.

Who We Are

OUR STORY

The Delores Project is named for Delores Big Boy, a Lakota woman who frequently lived on the streets of Denver. Her situation was complicated by health, developmental and substance abuse issues, as well as physical and sexual violence.

Although Delores sought aid from various Denver agencies, sadly, she fell through the cracks in the system. Delores died while living on the streets June 8, 1999. In forming the shelter in 2000, we chose to honor her memory so that we could always continue our work with a commitment to ensuring safe shelter for every woman and support for those in transition.

The Delores Project was founded in 2000 and originally operated out of borrowed space provided by other organizations each year between October and April. In 2006, The Delores Project secured its current facility allowing the shelter to begin year-round operations with nearly double our original capacity. As a year-round shelter The Delores Project is able to enhance services, providing support for women in securing long-term housing and addressing the other myriad challenges they face.

OUR LEADERSHIP

The Delores Project is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors committed to addressing the issue of homelessness among women.

President

Claire Chavez Director of Client Services The Wright Group Services

President Elect

Sarah Hogan Vice President Barefoot Public Relations

Secretary

Lisa Ullsperger Financial Consultant Charles Schwab

Treasurer

Erika Lindholm Senior Loan Officer Mercy Loan Fund

Staff Leadership Team

Terrell A.W. Curtis — Executive Director Linda Kleiber — Program Director Paige Van Vliet— Operations Manager

Directors

Nicholas Foley Investment Portfolio Manager Bank of the West

Nicole Hagg Community Volunteer

Gina Harvey Community Volunteer

Laurel Radmore Program Manager CO. Coalition for the Homeless

Cathy Reano Community Volunteer

Beth Truax Human Resource Manager Collective Licensing International

Leanne Wheeler Executive Director Wheeler Advisory Group

 

Our mystery image depicted The Delores Project. Our friends at The Delores Project provide year-round shelter for single, homeless women, assist with securing long-term housing and help address the day-to-day challenges they face.
This photo was taken in our large dormitory. Each woman is provided with a handmade quilt for her bed.</p> <p>Photo by Gabriel Christus” src=”https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/s480x480/206963_10150275645674546_2323235_n.jpg” width=”398″ height=”265″ /></a></div> <div><strong>This photo was taken in our large dormitory.  Each woman is provided with a handmade quilt for her bed.</strong></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p><strong></strong></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>To Delores and what she means for us all.</strong></p> <p> </p> <h1><strong>Providing Safe, Comfortable Shelter and Services to Homeless Women in <a class=Denver

DONATE NOW<!–

Newsletter

–>

Newsletter

Each woman who comes to The Delores Project is like a square of the quilt provided for her, symbolizing a collection of unique experiences and stories.

Need Shelter?

Unaccompanied women over the age of 18 may seek shelter at The Delores Project.  Find out how by clicking here.

Our Current Needs

Due to limited storage space, The Delores Project has created a list of currently accepted items. Click to see the most current list.

Mission Statement

The Delores Project

THE DELORES PROJECT: OUR MISSION, VISION AND VALUES

Values:
  • Our model of service is one of respect, hospitality and dignity for each guest. 
  • We support the women we serve without judgment.
  • We believe in the potential of all women and their right to self-determination. 
  • We are good stewards of our financial and human resources. 
  • We value the diversity of our guests, staff, board and volunteers, and we are a model of inclusiveness.
  • We believe the community is strengthened when it cares for those with the fewest resources. 
Mission:

The Delores Project provides safe, comfortable shelter and individualized services to unaccompanied women experiencing homelessness.

Vision:

Every woman has access to the services needed to reach her potential and fulfill her dreams.

 

 

Western Regional Advocacy Project – Paul Boden this article written by Alyssa Figueroa from AlterNet.

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“The closer that poverty is to the face of people that aren’t in poverty, the uglier it is,” Boden said. “And the unfortunate part is that often gets manifested as the person is ugly — not the poverty is ugly. And poverty is ugly. It’s unpleasant. It doesn’t smell good.”

The Worst Part of Being Homeless: ‘No One Sees Me’

http://www.alternet.org

 

Do You Ignore Homeless People?

People may say they want to help the homeless, but their behavior reveals something else.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com/Pojoslaw

January 29, 2013  |  
 
 
 
 
 

A few years ago, as David Sleppy was walking around downtown Toronto, he spotted a young homeless man who reminded him of his son, sleeping on a sidewalk.

“Whose son is this?” he thought.

He snapped a picture, beginning the creation of a book of photography aimed at capturing the invisible life of the homeless. The book is titled No One Sees Me,which comes from an encounter he had during his journey.

“What’s the worst part about being homeless?” Sleppy asked a homeless man on the street.

“No one sees me,” was the reply. 

Why We Don’t See

Homeless people go unseen everyday, as passersby ignore their existence on sidewalks, in parks, in subway stations. But perhaps people’s most perplexing moment of disregard occurs when homeless people ask them for help. Requests like “Spare change?” “Got a dollar? and “Please help” overwhelmingly fall on deaf ears and diverted eyes.

“Panhandling sucks. It’s just hard. You have to take so much rejection,” said Paul Boden, who was once homeless for several years, and is now the organizing director for the Western Regional Advocacy Project, which works to expose and eliminate the root causes of poverty and homelessness.

“An overwhelming majority of people that walk past panhandlers ignore them or say something rude or look at them like they’re scum. And then you get a couple people that feel empathy to it and give. And then you get other people that, at the very least, look them in the eye and say, ‘Sorry, dude I can’t do it today.’”

One of the obvious reasons people react differently to panhandlers is their varying perceptions of homeless people.

“People have these attitudes — that they’re lazy, that they deserve what they get, they haven’t worked hard, they’re just looking for a handout. … and people with these attitudes lack compassion,” said Paul Toro, a psychology professor at Wayne State University who studies the public’s perception of poverty and homelessness.

In his research, Toro found that compared to other countries, people who live in countries like the United States and the United Kingdom that have more capitalistic economies and offer fewer social services, are more likely to believe personal failings are the primary cause of homelessness and feel less compassion for homeless people. Meanwhile, these countries have higher rates of homelessness than, for example, Germany, where there is a guaranteed minimum income, more generous unemployment benefits and more rigorous tenants’ rights.

Still, Toro said, the majority of people in the United States have compassion for the homeless.

“There is no compassion fatigue like there was in the media for awhile,” he said. “The media has compassion fatigue starting in the ’90s, and then their interest in homelessness gets kind of leveled off, but the public hasn’t.”

Toro also found in his research that most people — about 60 percent — state they are even willing to pay more taxes to help homeless people.

Yet, while the abstract notion of helping homeless people draws support, an actual encounter with a homeless person asking for help often repels.

“The closer that poverty is to the face of people that aren’t in poverty, the uglier it is,” Boden said. “And the unfortunate part is that often gets manifested as the person is ugly — not the poverty is ugly. And poverty is ugly. It’s unpleasant. It doesn’t smell good.”

Boden said that as a result, people end up expecting a privacy in public places — and the scope of that privacy is dependent on who is asking for help.

 

“I think the poorer and darker-skinned and dirtier a person is, the bigger that private space bubble that Americans love to walk around with gets,” he said.

This bubble, Boden suggested, gets in the way of people’s ability to identify with homeless people. 

“We have demonized homeless people so much over the last 30 years that passersby don’t think they can ever end up on the street because they’re not crazy, they’re not drug addicted, they’re not alcoholics and they’re not stupid.”

But Robert Prasch disagrees — he believes passersby do think they could end up on the street. Prasch, who is an economics professor at Middlebury College, said that subconsciously, some people know that if it weren’t for circumstance, they could be on the streets, too.

“It’s easier psychologically to tell yourself, ‘Look, I could never be that because that person is different from me,’” he said. “So I think people do that. It’s instinctual almost. …And maybe it’s a microcosm of survivor’s guilt. People can’t look at their own luck in that moment. Otherwise it’s frightening. You have to think seriously about, ‘Well, what does that mean if that could be me.’”

In fact, nearly 40 percent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and thus can be homeless in a matter of months if laid off. But as Prasch said, too often people, especially progressives, think they can change attitudes with accurate information. He said we really need to explore people’s emotional commitments that are obtained at a young age and tied up in people’s identity.

“People have certain emotional commitments that are beyond information problems … like the following: ‘America is an exceptional country,’ ‘America is a place where if you work hard you succeed,’ or ‘I have myself succeeded because I worked hard and I’m an exceptional individual,’” he said. “If you see a lot of people on the street, then it begins to challenge these emotional commitments, and I think that’s when people sort of harden inside. It’s like, ‘I need to protect my commitment.’”

David Levine believes it may be much bigger than emotional commitments concerning work or success. Levine, the associate dean for academic affairs at Denver University’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies, said that the absence of knowledge about homeless people creates a space for people to project their fears — and then escape them.

“We grow up with deficits in self-esteem; we grow up with, more or less, profound doubts about our self-worth.…So when they encounter a person that kind of culturally represents shame or failure, by definition, then that is likely to activate their own deficits in the area of self-esteem,” Levine said. “So at that point in that encounter with the homeless person, all of their internal feelings get activated, and the question is: ‘What do I do with these feelings?’ Well, I use this person to contain them. We do the same thing with greed.…Now, capitalists are greedy. But we can also use them to contain our greed. We say, ‘I’m not greedy, capitalists are greedy.’…It’s a very common…coping mechanism for people.”

Levine said requests for money get bound up with shame, to which people react differently (though all try to hide it). Some people, he said, attempt to avoid their own shame by explicitly shaming the homeless person (telling them to “get a job,” etc.). Others may give because they believe they are responsible for the homeless person’s shame, and so they hyperbolize this idea of responsibility in an attempt to really repair their own damage. Still, others, he said, may even be inclined to give frequently in order to experience their shame in others, instead of themselves.

 

“All of this means that there is a fairly intense, if temporary, identification with the homeless person…who represents the external form of our internal shameful, needy, incompetent, failed self,” he said. “The encounter may provoke us to feel the other person’s shame, which, through identification, is also to feel our own.”

Levine said that because shame is a taboo in our society, people often think about this encounter in more comforting ways. Perhaps, if people embraced their discomfort, they might begin to understand their actions.

“I think as a society, that being aware of our motivations gets us to some better place in our encounters with other people,” Levine said. “We don’t abuse them as much when we’re aware of why we do what we do.”

Facing Poverty

Despite billions of people living in poverty and many people’s desire to assist those in need, year after year goes by with little change — and people’s reactions to poor people’s request for money may reveal why that is. This encounter is a raw, complex moment in which one has the ability to provide for, or at least acknowledge, a person asking for help. But the majority of people ignore panhandlers as well as the discomfort of the encounter — just as poverty, in a global context, has largely gone ignored by the general public.  

Perhaps the first step to really addressing poverty is to examine ourselves as well as our reactions to poverty. As we begin to explore our motivations, Boden reminds us to critique the structures that cause poverty on a global scale. 

“Panhandling is the manifestation of racism, classism, lack of housing,” he said. “So let’s not just give them money and say, ‘Oh now I feel fine’… Giving people money when they’re panhandling isn’t… addressing poverty. It’s helping out a fellow human being, and that’s a cool thing to do.”

And perhaps a good place to start, though certainly just a beginning.

But if we can help and/or acknowledge poor people we encounter, perhaps we can begin to tackle some of the biggest issues behind poverty.

For David Sleppy, his constant encounters with homeless people while making his book helped him learn to identify with them. “Can we see…the piece of ourselves in this man?” he asks in his book.

Sleppy said the goal of his project was to create an awareness that homeless people are like everyone else, and thus important to recognize. He said: “I always try now to make eye contact with people and give them a smile. You see them on the street — just recognize who they are.”

Alyssa Figueroa’s next article will feature conversations with homeless people and the people who acknowledged them.

Alyssa Figueroa is an editorial fellow at AlterNet. She is a recent Ithaca College graduate who double-majored in journalism and politics. Follow her on Twitter@alyssa_fig.

 

Homelessness in the News – From the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless February, 2013

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Tuesday, January 29 - Monday, February 4, 2013   
ABOUT THE COALITION
 

Tuesday, February 5

Colorado Coalition for the Homeless Breaks Ground on New Affordable Housing and Integrated Healthcare Center

RealEstateRama, Colorado RealEstateRama

Denver, Colorado - The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless has broken ground on the new Stout Street Health Center and Renaissance Stout Street Lofts at 22nd and Stout Streets in Downtown Denver. This landmark property will blend a fully integrated health care center serving homeless and at-risk families and individuals with seventy-eight units of affordable, supportive housing. The expected completion date is April 2014.

 

Wednesday, January 30

U.S. Bank Provides $38M Financing for Denver Homeless Facility

Denver Business Journal, Heather Draper

Denver, Colorado –  U.S. Bank has extended $38 million in financing to the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless for its new Stout Street Health Center and Renaissance Stout Street Lofts, a mixed-use five-story development in downtown Denver.
IN COLORADO
 

Wednesday, January 30

Point in Time Homeless Count to Give New Snapshot of Those at Risk

9News, Jack Maher

Denver, Colorado – The people who help meet the needs of Metro Denver’s homeless population are going to be getting some new guidance, thanks to what’s known as a point in time survey. The survey is a grassroots count of how many people are living on the streets in seven different counties.

 

Monday, January 28

Counting the Homeless: Boulder County Volunteers Conduct Point-in-Time Survey

Longmont Times-Call, Magdalena Wegrzyn

Longmont, Colorado - As juicy snowflakes started to fall Monday evening, volunteers began to canvass spots in Boulder County where homeless gather, asking people to fill out the annual homeless point-in-time survey.

 

Monday, January 28

Point-in-Time Count of Homeless in 7 Metro Denver Counties Starts Early Tuesday

The Denver Post, Colleen O’Connor

Denver, Colorado - Gary Sanford, executive director of the Metropolitan Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI), has big plans for new data from the 2013 Point-In-Time survey of local homelessness, which is being conducted Tuesday in seven metro counties.

 
ACROSS AMERICA
 

Monday, February 4

Why Homelessness is a Transportation Issue

The Atlantic Cities, Emily Badger

Portland, Oregon - In January of 2010, 109 homeless people were known to be living in the Baldock Rest Area  just off Interstate 5 on the southern edge of metropolitan Portland. They were lured—but for entirely differently reasons—by the same amenities that make the wayside a popular one for passing tourists: its hot and cold running water, its ample parking, and the private shade of its Douglas Fir trees.

 

Saturday, February 2

Counting L.A. County’s Homeless

Los Angeles Times, Matt Stevens

Los Angeles, California - In recent days, thousands of volunteers fanned out across 4,000 square miles and pounded pavement in the dark of night, bundled in jackets and armed with maps. Their task was ambitious: Count Los Angeles County’s homeless population one person, one street at a time.

 

Friday, February 1

Donovan, Shinseki Hit D.C. for National Homeless Count

The Washington Post, Steve Vogel

Washington, D.C. – Donovan and Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki, who have formed a partnership combating veterans’ homelessness, hit the streets of Washington along with 180 other warmly dressed volunteers to conduct the annual point-in-time count, part of a nationwide survey coordinated by HUD.

 

Thursday, January 31

Mental Health and Homelessness, a Problem Too Big to Ignore Locally

The Star Press, Ivy Farguheson

Muncie, California - Talk to local social service leaders about erasing the homeless problem in Muncie and they’ll tell you it’s impossible without making changes to the local mental health system. In fact, a California study in 2007 reported nearly 40 percent of America’s homeless population suffers from a mental illness.

 

Bill of Rights for All Citizens – Trauma Informed Care Based

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News from San Francisco  violating the safe – sound treatment of all people.

Does anyone see that this is needed here?  Let us know.
“A 50-something homeless man is being charged with public nuisance, unauthorized lodging, and obstructing a sidewalk for….sitting on a milk crate in the Tenderloin! There is no allegation of drugs or any other unlawful conduct. He faces up to a year in county jail on each count. A year for sitting on a milk crate in the Tenderloin. He’s already been in custody at SF County Jail for 30 days. 
The DA says they’re planning to start prosecuting these cases on a regular basis. Welcome to the new San Francisco. 
He needs public support. Please show up if you can and express your opposition to the inhumane sit/lie law. Where are homeless people supposed to go?? “

Homeless Man Freezes in December – Aurora Community Honors Him

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East Colfax Community turns out to honor homeless man who froze to death in December

“These people are people, too” said Marjorie Anderson. She said she frequently offered food and clothes to Leach and others, and that too many of her neighbors see the homeless as less than human. “They’re often the best people I know.”

BY THE AURORA SENTINEL
01/24/13 8:14 am :: Last updated: 01/24/13 8:34 am

More than 50 friends, associates and acquaintances of a homeless Aurora man who froze to death last month turned out to memorialize the well-known Colfax denizen and highlight the plight of many like him.”

  •  
  •  
  •  
  • The small crowd gathered Jan. 18 inside the American Legion Hall in northwest Aurora to mark the life and passing of James Leach. Leach, who had been homeless for years, died Dec. 27 of hypothermia on an art bench just outside the Fox Theatre on East Colfax at Florence Street. He was 57.

“Jimbo was a good friend to me,” said a homeless man who identified himself as Carlos. “I’m going to miss him every day.”

Carlos and others remembered a man who was an avid Stephen King reader at the MLK Library on Colfax, where Leach spent much of his time. Carlos and others rose at the memorial to talk about Leach and their lives living on Aurora streets. He said he and most of his friends “like to drink, but he was good people,” even though alcoholism either led to or contributed to his death.

State officials say hypothermia is a common cause of death for alcoholic homeless people here and in other cold climates.

Leach spent time in local programs to get lunch, food, clothes or other services, local social service officials who attended the service recalled. He was a colorful and kind character on the strip who would happily give strangers directions or advice to fellow homeless people.

Aurora Warms the Night board member and volunteer Anne Ayers recalled Leach’s love of a community barrel garden outside the agency that provides motel room vouchers on cold nights.

Leach made sure the containers were regularly watered, especially during last summer’s hot, dry spells, volunteers said.

“Jimbo was the most gentle person I have ever known,” said Steve, a Navy veteran and fellow homeless denizen of Colfax.

Those remembering Leach added that he was like a growing number of homeless people on East Colfax Avenue, unable to be anything but homeless for a variety of reasons.

City, business and volunteer agency officials said Leach personified the growing homeless population on Colfax, which has little to do during the day and is frequently at risk of the elements and crime at night.

“These people are people, too” said Marjorie Anderson. She said she frequently offered food and clothes to Leach and others, and that too many of her neighbors see the homeless as less than human. “They’re often the best people I know.”

Leach was born Dec. 3. 1955 in Gordon, Neb was a Navy veteran and a member of the Sioux Tribe. Internment was in a cemetery near Lake McConaughy in Nebraska. He is survived by three sisters, a brother and three children.”

This entry was posted in Metro Aurora, News, Obituaries. Bookmark the permalink.

 

 

Our Companions – True Companion – You’ll Be My True Companion

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LISTENING  -  Beware it is catching.Photo: Just had a great conversation this morning with a dear friend and was reminded once again that when I judge others and separate myself from them that I leave NO ROOM to LOVE them. I'm taking the opportunity to take a look at myself today to see where I am still doing this. I personally believe that you have a Choice of uplifting others and loving them where they are or of putting them down and separating yourself from them. Recently, I have been consciously reprogramming myself because I was originally taught in energy work to fear other people's energy and to protect myself from others. Today, I am making a conscious choice to look at each person as an individual and search for the crack of light that is shining through all of their wounding and focus on that. I no longer feel the need to protect myself from others 'bad' energy as I was taught before and I know that all I have to do is allow as much light and love through me as possible and when that overflows everything changes. I CHOOSE LOVE! ~ Malathy Drew

 

 

all that matters
“Just had a great conversation this morning with a dear friend and was reminded once again that when I judge others and separate myself from them that I leave NO ROOM to LOVE them. I’m taking the opportunity to take a look at myself today to see where I am still doing this. I personally believe that you have a Choice of uplifting others and loving them where they are or of putting them down and separating yourself from them. Recently, I have been consciously reprogramming myself because I was originally taught in energy work to fear other people’s energy and to protect myself from others. Today, I am making a conscious choice to look at each person as an individual and search for the crack of light that is shining through all of their wounding and focus on that. I no longer feel the need to protect myself from others ‘bad’ energy as I was taught before and I know that all I have to do is allow as much light and love through me as possible and when that overflows everything changes. I CHOOSE LOVE!”
We all have to make this leap of faith.

A lot of people miss the issue of companions who are pets. This is a major issue for people who have felt abandoned by everything and everyone and find the only solace and unconditional love from their companions on four legs. Please remember that some people would not come in without their family members? Would YOU?
14 days left to vote! Your support through the Photo Contest is greatly appreciated. Know that your vote will be helping animals such as Luna, a Great Dane mix (not dog will be paying for her surgery with help from her homeless owner pictured in the photo)
Please click on the link below to cast your vote.
Photo: 14 days left to vote! Your support through the Photo Contest is greatly appreciated. Know that your vote will be helping animals such as Luna, a Great Dane mix (not dog pictured in photo) that is suffering from an abscessed tooth. Pets of the Homeless will be paying for her surgery with help from her homeless owner. Please click on the link below to cast your vote.<br /> <a href=https://www.facebook.com/OfficialPetsoftheHomeless/app_441928699177731&#8243; src=”http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/c87.0.403.403/p403x403/385176_10152457202120118_1605043415_n.jpg&#8221; width=”403″ height=”403″ />

Tom Waits  -  You’ll be my true companion

 

I hope we all can remember 

we belong to one another.

 

 

 

 

 

Homeless Outreach Providing Encouragement – H.O.P.E. ANNUAL POINT IN TIME SURVEY – M.D.H.I. – Http://MDHI.ORG

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From Carlos: As many of you know each year HOPE participates in the “Point in Time Survey” that is county wide, in order to get the pulse of how many homeless people are part of our communities.

This year the SUrvey will be done on the 28th and 29th of January. If you think you may have some time to contribute, an hour or two, please let me know and we can get the details to you. It is pretty simple procedure.

To say the least, Street Outreach has been a real challenge for those of you who have gone out in this cold weather…. you are all doing a fantastic job and making the decisions that best help our clients….. Thanks.

Look forward to hearing from you.

 

 

The work of self-reporting, gathering interviews from people who experience being in an unsafe and unstable place is vital and mandated by Congress. The Metropolitan Denver Homeless Initiative has been developing reports for the 7 county region including Boulder, Longmont, Broomfield and surrounding counties for more than a decade. Go to www.mdhi.org to view these reports or to our website to connect with Rebecca Mayer and Gary Sanford, our Executive Director. We are grateful for the partnership that we have with LHOT,  Longmont Housing Opportunity Task Force,  Boulder and the superlative work that you do annually in taking part in this timely analysis.

 

We are grateful for the support for the increased quality of life of people who are vulnerable.

 

Questions on the Point in Time on Monday January 28, that night where did you stay?  The following morning and throughout the week, January 29,  we go everywhere inside and outside along the rivers and byways and take a count of those who are living through difficult times.  It is an opportunity that we cherish because we have a chance to sit down and get to know the people who are on the street, in cars and living doubled up in friend’s neighbor’s and family’s homes.

 

Please call Rebecca Mayer if you have any questions at 303 561 2194.

 

We provide this survey to people everywhere along the Front Range.

 

UPDATE:  The link to the online training is now available—   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcwyUZalD1I&feature=youtu.be

 

The Point in Time Count is scheduled for Tuesday, January 29, 2013.  We are asking people where they stayed the night of Monday, January 28, 2013. 

 

I am attaching the survey tool.  We will be sending out the Spanish version soon.  Also attached is a cover sheet, which agencies should fill out and attach to the surveys for each location.  Finally, I have attached the training PowerPoint for agency staff and volunteers who are administering the survey.  If you prefer to attend a training in person, we are conducting a training for agency staff and volunteers on January 24 from 1-3pm at Mile High United Way, 2505 18th Street, Denver, CO. Please RSVP to me no later than January 21 if you would like to attend. 

 

On behalf of the MDHI Point in Time Committee I would like to thank all of our participating agencies, and all of the staff and volunteers that will be helping with this effort.  I am available to answer any questions you may have. 

 

 

Rebecca Mayer

Program Coordinator

Metro Denver Homeless Initiative

2505 18th Street

Denver, CO 80211

(303)561-2194

Rebecca.mayer@unitedwaydenver.org

http://mdhi.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cover sheet

PLEASE ATTACH COMPLETED SURVEYS TO THIS FORM

INSTRUCTIONS

 

  • § PLEASE ATTACH ALL COMPLETED SURVEYS TO THIS FORM!

 

  • § PLEASE COMPLETE ALL FIELDS ON THIS FORM!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NUMBER OF ATTACHED SURVEYS:  ____________

 

 

 

Please complete the following information for the agency or group submitting the surveys:

 

Agency Name:                                                                                                                   

 

Name of Program or Location:__________________________________________

 

City:                                                                                                              

 

County:                                                                                                                    

 

Contact Person (for questions regarding attached surveys):

 

Contact Name:                                                                                                                   

 

Contact Telephone Number:                                                                                         

 

Contact Email:                                                                                                                   

 

Location type:   € Emergency Shelter*

€ Transitional Housing*

€ Outreach

€ Other (describe) ______________________

 

*If Emergency Shelter or Transitional Housing, please ensure that the number of people surveyed (survey respondents plus their household members) matches the number of bed/units that were filled on January 28, 2013.)

 

 

 

Please complete the following information about yourself:

First initial

 

Middle initial

 

First 3 letters of last name

 

 

 

 

 

Month you were born (Circle 1 response):

 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec


 

  1. What is your age?  ______

 

2. Gender:

1q Male      2q Female     3q Transgender

 

3. Race/Ethnicity:  (Check only ONE response)

1q Asian/Pacific Islander

2q Black/African American

3q Hispanic/Latino(a)/Spanish

4q Native American/Alaska Native

5q White

6q Mixed Race

7q Otherè Describe: ______________________

 

4. Have you served in the U.S. Military (veteran)

      including the National Guard?

1q Yes       2q No

 

5. Are you:  (Check only ONE response)

1q A single person (including separated or divorced)

2q A single parent/person with children under 18 

     (including separated or divorced)

3q Part of a couple with children under 18

4q Part of a couple without children under 18

5q: Other—describe:____________________
 _______________________________________

 

6. Are you or anyone else in your household

       receiving ANY of the following government

       benefits? (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY)

1q SSI/SSDI Supplemental Security Income/Soc. Sec. Disability

2q Social Security Retirement Benefits

3q TANF Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

4q Food Stamps

5q VA Pension/Benefits

6q Medicaid/Medicare

7q Aid to the Needy Disabled (AND)

8q Any other government benefit

9q Receiving NO government benefits

 

7. In the past month, have you or anyone in your

      household received any money from working?

1q Yes       2q No

8. Do you or any adult in your household (eighteen or older) have any of the following: (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY)

1q Serious mental illness

2q Serious medical or physical condition

3q Alcohol or drug abuse

4q Developmental disability

5q HIV/AIDS

6q Other è Describe: ______________________

       ________________________________________
9. Have you ever been in foster care?

1q Yes       2q No

9a. If yes, at what age did you leave?              

 

10. Are you homeless now?

       1q Yes      2q No   3q Don’t know

 

11. If you are homeless now, how long have you been homeless this time? (Check ONE response)

1q I am NOT homeless now

2q Less than one month                 

3q More than one month but less than 1 year

4q 1 to 3 years

5q More than 3 years

 

12. Including now, how many times have you been homeless in the last three years?  Even if you are NOT homeless right now, please tell us the number of times you have been homeless in the last three years.  (Check only ONE response)

1q One

2q Two

3q Three                     

4q Four                 

5q Five or more           

6q I have not been homeless at any time in  

      the last three years

 

13. Why did you become homeless this time?

       (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY)

 1q I am NOT homeless now

 2q Lost job/can’t find work

 3q Relationship or family break-up/death in family

 4q Housing costs too high

 5q Alcohol or drug abuse problems

 6q Eviction/foreclosure

 7q Mental illness/emotional problems

 8q Medical problems

 9q Abuse or violence in the home

10q Have work but wages are too low

11q Discharged from jail, prison or halfway house

12q Utility costs too high

13q Runaway/discharged from foster care

14q Sexual orientation

15q Other Describe: ________________________

 

14. Are you homeless because of domestic

        violence?

1q Yes       2q No

 

15. In the next 14 days, are you being evicted or

        thrown out of the place you are staying?

1q Yes       2q No      3q Don’t know

 

16. In the next 14 days, are you being released from

        an institution (hospital/treatment program, jail,

        halfway house, etc.) and have no place to stay?

1q Yes       2q No      3q Don’t know

 

 


 

17.  Where did you spend the night of Monday, January 28, 2013? (Check ONE response)

1q Emergency shelter è Please write name of shelter:

_______________________________________________

 8q Permanent supportive housing
9q Jail /prison
2q Domestic violence shelter 10q Hospital including a psychiatric hospital or facility
3q On the street, under a bridge, abandoned building, public

building, traveling on a bus, camping out, etc.

 11q Halfway house
12q Juvenile detention
4q In a car or other vehicle (not including public transportation) 13q Substance abuse treatment program
5q Hotel/motel paid for by yourself while looking for housing 14qTransitional housing (time-limited)
6q Hotel/motel paid for by others/vouchers 15q Youth shelter
7q Temporarily with family or friends ê

 

   If with family or friends, do you have an arrangement

       to stay there permanently? 1 q Yes     2q No    3q Don’t know

 16qSection 8 housing
17qIn your own apartment or house that you rent or own?
18qSomewhere else è Where?________________________

 

18. Including yourself, how many household members who usually live with you were homeless on

the night of Monday, January 28th?  Write the number of people here: #_______

 

19. Please complete the following table for all of these people from question #18. Be sure to include ages!

            (If you don’t know, it is ok to write in your best guess.)

 (Required)      AGE RELATIONSHIP TO YOU
Person 1   YOURSELF – PERSON ANSWERING SURVEY
Person 2   1q Spouse/partner 2q Son/daughter 3q Grandchild 4q Other                               
Person 3   1q Spouse/partner 2q Son/daughter 3q Grandchild 4q Other                               
Person 4   1q Spouse/partner 2q Son/daughter 3q Grandchild 4q Other                               
Person 5   1q Spouse/partner 2q Son/daughter 3q Grandchild 4q Other                               
Person 6   1q Spouse/partner 2q Son/daughter 3q Grandchild 4q Other                               
Person 7   1q Spouse/partner 2q Son/daughter 3q Grandchild 4q Other                               
Person 8   1q Spouse/partner 2q Son/daughter 3q Grandchild 4q Other                               
Person 9   1q Spouse/partner 2q Son/daughter 3q Grandchild 4q Other                               
Person 10   1q Spouse/partner 2q Son/daughter 3q Grandchild 4q Other                               

 

 

 

 

20. In what city/town did you spend the night of Monday, January 28, 2013?

_____________________________________

(Fill in city/town name)

 

21. In what county did you spend the night of Monday, January 28, 2013?

_____________________________________

(Fill in county name)

 

22. Where was the last permanent place you lived?

1q Colorado     2q Other State     3q Other Country

 

IF IN COLORADO, what was the last City and County you consider to be your permanent place to live?

 

  __________________  __________________  CO

       City                           County                       State

 

 

 

 

 

If you are a youth head of household aged 18-24, please answer questions 23-27:

 

23.Have you ever spent time in a Juvenile Detention Center?  1q Yes 2q No    If yes, when?   1☐ Within last 6 months

2☐ 6 months to1 year ago   3☐ More than one year ago

24. Have you ever spent time in Residential Treatment?

1q Yes 2q No    If yes, when?    1☐ Within last 6 months

2☐ 6 months to1 year ago               3☐ More than one year ago

25. What is the highest grade in school you completed?

1☐ Less than high school    2☐ High school graduate/GED  

3☐ Some college or college degree

26. How do you make money?

1☐  I have a job    2☐ SSI    3☐ Public Assistance   4☐ Drug Trade

5☐ Sex Trade  6☐ No Income  7☐ Other            _______________

27. How many adults in the community do you trust and have regular contact? Write number here:  #_________     

 

2013 Point in Time--Cover Sheet for Surveys.doc 2013 Point in Time–Cover Sheet for Surveys.doc
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Point in Time Survey 2013 Final--English.doc Point in Time Survey 2013 Final–English.doc
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2013 Point in Time--training for agencies and volunteers--final.ppt 2013 Point in Time–training for agencies and volunteers–final.ppt
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YouTube - Videos from this email

 

 

Danger – People Without a Place to Rest – Evicted – Conscripted – No Trespassing – No Loitering – No Camping – Nothing Left – No Where No

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When we consider who throughout the housing world is at risk we realize that the benefits of housing people permanently from the beginning of their lives until they die is a basic responsibility of all progressive developed world plans.  As the picture depicts, there are children always on the front line who need a safe place to live, having nowhere to turn.  What are we doing ignoring the obvious fact that when we count homeless people the people who are most often accounted for are those without a safe stable place of their own.  A place that is a hallowed sanctuary – a place that is not subject to the whims of speculating investors – a place that is essential like clean water and air.
How can we patiently wait when there is not enough adequate housing?

“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out–
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out– 
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out– 
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me–and there was no one left to speak for me.”

(Danger)…”then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.” -Pastor Martin Neimoller
The key to all health and well bring is a safe permanent home. How is is housing prices up and sales of homes, value of housing when we have little or lack of affordable housing for people? Especially families! Where is this American Dream that we were told was available for everyone?
The Housing Plan for the City and County of Denver has been put together by developers, bankers and realtors not by citizens who live and for two last reports there is not a concerted effort to develop housing for the lowest income group. If the means was offered to house everyone the cost of emergency, social and human services would plummet. The increase in productivity and quality of life would sky-rocket.
“Before being housed, Joanne, had been living in a tent for almost ten years. She is very grateful for the Housing 1000 program.”
Housing must be a right like breathing air.
When we consider housing we are deliberately concerned with health care. People need to feel that they are safe and sound.  Housing everywhere must adapt to the personal issues that people face through struggles and lack of mentors to turn to when they navigate troubled waters.  There have to be peer counselors and advocates to guide the people across the river to the promised land.
What are we waiting for?  

 

 

 

It is far less expensive to make health care and housing inter-connected inextricably.

 

You’ve heard of Food Not Bombs?

You’ve heard of subsidized developers fees and infrastructure.  

 

You must know that there is a place for all living beings on Earth.

“Decent Housing is not just a wish it is a Right.”  Jimmy Carter

 

 

“In order to create true, sweeping changes in providing decent housing, we must begin to talk about this human necessity as a basic human right. This is not something that families around the world can only wish to have, not something that only the luckiest can hope to realize  but something that everyone should have an opportunity to achieve.

 

When we understand the magnitude of housing needs and their different forms in communities worldwide, we will recognise that as more fortunate people we are morally obligated to act. Once we view the issue of housing in these appropriately urgent terms, we will begin to act in concert more effectively.

 

A good first step is to make sure we are personally engaged in striving together to achieve specific goals. There are many unified and well-proven advocacy efforts that we can support. We need to raise awareness so that our fellow citizens will join us in providing solutions for those who are struggling to overcome the obstacles that prevent their families from having a decent home. We can take an active role, from participating in large-scale efforts such as the UN-designated World Habitat Day, to joining local organisations that meet housing needs and provide funding for projects in our own towns and neighborhoods.

 

Creating safe and decent places to live can have incredibly positive effects on a family’s health, on study habits of students, and on a neighborhood’s overall attractiveness and stability. With so much at stake, it is time for our definition of decent housing to expand to include a spectrum of solutions: new construction, repair and renovation, housing finance, infrastructure development, secure land tenure. It is time for us to plan and build together.

 

Through my international work with the Carter Centre and 28 years of volunteering to build homes with Habitat for Humanity, I have seen that the best, most sustainable results achieved when communities and families are deeply involved in orchestrating their own changes.

 

In locations around the world, from South Africa to South Korea, my wife Rosalynn and I have had the privilege of building simple Habitat homes alongside the parents, grandparents, and neighbours who will inhabit them. We have experienced the very real difference that a strong roof and sturdy walls can make to a family that has never known the security of either, and we have come away with a lasting impression of achievement and gratification.

 

Efforts that invite families into the process of improving their own lives and their own homes ensure that those individuals have the materials, assistance, and skills they need to lay all the right foundations. People sometimes just need a little help to transform their lives, and community-based efforts work best. So does creating an opportunity for people from all backgrounds to come together in a common cause to help each other; because that’s exactly what happens.

 

When we work alongside families and play a part in helping them achieve what we consider to be a basic human right, we participate in a potentially world-changing result. Their lives aren’t the only ones that change. So do ours.”

 

Former US president Jimmy Carter is a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity International.

 

January, 2013 Denver’s Road Home – 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness in Denver – Mayor’s Commission to End Homelessness

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New Year greeting from Denver’s Road Home along with a reminder that this year’s PJ Day party date is Feb 7th…

          

We hope you had a wonderful holiday season!  As we look back on 2012, we are grateful for the opportunities we have had to improve the lives of Denver’s men, women and children.  We are especially thankful for your support, which makes this work possible.  

You are the reason that Louise received job readiness training, has shelter and a steady job at a local restaurant; Helen found her way off the streets and into a home after nearly a decade on the streets; Brytneigh repaired her credit and now is doing better financially to care for her daughter; Michael underwent substance abuse treatment and is now housed and looking for full-time employment; and POW Anthony and his wife now call Fourth Quarter Apartments their home.

 

Thank you for making the difference in the lives of our community members that face the threat of homelessness – together we can break the cycle and end homelessness in our community. 

 

Best wishes for a happy, healthy and safe 2013!

 

Denver’s Road Home Team

 

A Few Additional 2012 Denver’s Road Home Highlights Made Possible By Your Support:

 

  • ·       Opened a new cold weather emergency overnight shelter for single women in partnership with Volunteers of America.  Because of support from the community, 50 women at the new shelter were able to experience a little holiday warmth this season with donated holiday decor and hot meals generously provided by Katie Mullen’s Irish Restaurant and served by volunteers.
  • ·       Offered (and continue to offer) up to 150 additional mats for men to sleep on throughout the winter, in partnership with the Denver Rescue Mission and Denver Parks & Recreation.
  • ·       Mercy Housing celebrated the grand opening of Bluff Lakes Apartments in Stapleton.  This supportive housing location provides 91 affordable one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, of which, 15 units house homeless veterans, 31 units house families, and the remaining units house working families.
  • ·       We connected nearly 1,600 people to housing, jobs, benefits, clothing, medical services and much more at Project Homeless Connect 12.  Our largest turnout ever!

 

If you wish to make an additional donation to Denver’s Road Home, there’s still time to make your tax-deductible donation for 2012 – please note that A ONE-TIME minimum gift of $250 by cash, check or credit card will enable you to receive a 25% tax credit from the state through the Denver Enterprise Zone (DEZ). Click here to make your tax-deductible donation to Denver’s Road Home!

 

Save the Date: Denver’s Road Home’s 8th Annual PJ Day fundraiser is February 7, 2013!www.pjday.org

Helping the homeless find a place to sleep every night.

POINT IN TIME  for the 7 COUNTY METRO REGION is January 29, 2013.  Please help us with volunteers to make this a reliable and effective outreach to people who are living without a safe and sound place to lay down at night.  The Point is always the last Monday of January and then the days that follow we collect surveys from across the Front Range.  Call 303 561-2194 and ask how you can assist?

We have 30 volunteers signed up so far.  Thank you to all who are helping to spread the word.  The link to the sign up page can be found at mdhi.org, so please continue to steer folks in that direction. 

 

PS I have a very limited number of incentives left over from the VI—bottled water, hats, shaving cream and small meal kits with crackers, oatmeal packet, water and granola bars.  I will bring them to the meeting and give them out to anyone who would like to use them for PIT. 

 

 

Rebecca Mayer

Program Coordinator

Metro Denver Homeless Initiative

2505 18th Street

Denver, CO 80211

(303)561-2194

Rebecca.mayer@unitedwaydenver.org

http://mdhi.org

 The Imagine Project is due to be released in March, 2013

 

The song written for The Imagine Project is now available! If you would like to download the song, please go to http://theimagineproject.bandcamp.com. Click on BUY NOW and enter 0. Please don’t enter any other dollar value, you have all done enough to help with this project. We set it up through Band camp to make it an easy process. If you have any problems, please let me know.
 
We are still on track for a March printing! I will keep you all posted as to how things are progressing.