Monthly Archives: March 2010

Mar 31 2010
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homeless, housing

Heavy, the 1 person Homeless Population of Times Square

As the story goes, Time’s Square has been cleaned up. No more porn shops, less obvious drug deals and no homeless people. That is, except for Heavy.

I believe in HOUSING FIRST and Housing for everyone. But, I also believe in individual dignity and the right to choose what is best for your own life. I am NOT a supporter of Common Ground deciding they are going to effectively stalk Heavy and tell anyone who gives him food or other assistance that they are harming Heavy by making it possible for him to stay on the streets.

“The social workers at Common Ground say they have no intention of pressing Heavy to leave the streets. But executive director Tim Marx says neighbours might not be helping in the long term by giving him food and clothing. They are considering posting one of their outreach workers to stay with Heavy all day, study his movements, and talk to neighbours about what is best for him.”

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Mar 30 2010
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homeless, kindness

Blankets and the Homeless

My daughter’s friends at UMYF recently made blankets for Project Linus and had some left over. I just spent $25 mailing the one’s from my family to Vancouver. Mailing the extra’s is beyond my budget.

Fortunately their Youth Group Leader, Franklyn Shen, was looking for an alternative recipient for the blankets. Part of the bunch went to The Unity Center and part of them were donated to Glendale PATH Achieve  so that homeless children and adults might have blankets. Even in Southern California, it is cold at night.

I really enjoyed making the blankets and donating them. Since you are reading this blog, I suspect you know that I am a fan of both The Unity Center and PATh, but I wondered where else I could donate blankets.

In my search I came across a chat board thread from YELP.  Seriously, someone took time out of their life to write that a homeless person will sell the blanket to feed their addiction… I have seen many things sold for drugs: including the occasional SINGLE tennis shoe. Never, however, have I seen a blanket sold.

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Mar 30 2010
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homeless, homeless memorial day

Homeless Homicide in San Jose

San Jose’s 2nd and 6th homicide this year were homeless men.  The most recent death was a stabbing behind a radio station. February’s murder involved a man found in an abandoned church.

Where can I go to see statistics on Homeless Homicide? All I have learned is that I lose my housing, I won’t be  moving to San Jose.

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Mar 30 2010
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homeless

“Jesus” died in December

“Jesus Man” was another name for Craig Howell who died from dehydration and kidney failure last December under the bridge where he lived in Santa Clara County.

Mr. Howell lived and died with his personal sense of dignity that would not allow him to accept charity, nor did he beg. He was a fixture in the community and his passing , like his life, did not go un-noticed.

Read the full story in The Mercury News HERE

Mar 26 2010
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homeless, housing

The face of Hunger with no Housing – Age 3

Like the urchins under Christmas Present’s coat – hunger walked into my office today. He is three years old and has never known a home of his own – never known stability or had his own bed. His infancy was spent in a car sear in the back of a beat up truck – t wa his bed, his chair and his home.

He is a sweet and shy child with fewer than a 100 words to his vocabulary. The most common sound he makes is a roar like Simba from The Lion King.

He will grow up to be undereducated and have learning problems due exclusively to environmental factors. Poor nutrition, no stable home life, actually no home, and parents with poor literacy and social skills…

Hunger walked into my office and al I had to offer were potato chips and half of my chicken salad sandwhich. He will be Hungry again and may never learn to feed himself.

This sucks.

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Mar 26 2010
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Uncategorized

Peek

Mar 22 2010
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Resources for Social Workers, Social Work

Social Worker Groups and Orgs

Are there any that you belong to or recommend ?

https://www.socialworkers.org/joinBenefits/membertypes.asp was recommended through a blog post and I briefly belonged to http://www.nami.org/.

what do you suggest and why? I do feel a little out in the field and all alone in what I do. sure, I work in a room of social workers but for the most part we push paper and transportation.  The only person who is faced with women walking in with a pillow case of their kids clothing and nowhere to go – is me.  I need the professional and emotional support as well as networking ability

Mar 18 2010
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homeless, Social Work, welfare

No Wrong Door Policy

The County of Los Angeles DPSS has a “No Wrong Door Policy”, which means that you can walk into the office closest to where you are staying and ask for homeless assistance. 

“NO WRONG DOOR” POLICY 

It is … policy to ensure that the participants shall be served in the district of their choice. It is the responsibility of the Customer Service Representative to explain the options to the participant, taking into consideration the participant’s Homeless status, type of emergency, long-term case management, and convenience to the participant. It is the participant’s option to receive services at the site of choice or to accept a unavailable at the site of choice, a referral may be the only option. However, the first step is to handle the request as a courtesy issuance or service. 

This does not always happen this way. Often a person will walk into the nearest office and be told that without a case, there is nothing that can be done for them and they are sent away. Be aware that although the physical case file may not be in the building you have walked into, the County of Los Angeles has an impressive data system where your information can be shared across all DPSS offices. Ask to speak to the Customer service Rep or a Deputy if you are turned away. If you are still turned away, call the Board of Supervisors. 

 

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Mar 18 2010
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Resources for Social Workers, welfare

resource phone numbers – published by DPSS 2007

PA 1936 (Revised 07/30/07) 

COMMUNITY RESOURCE REFERRAL 
HOW TO GET HELP IN YOUR COMMUNITY 

HEALLA Care Health Plan/Healthy Kids or Healthy Families   

Gives low-cost health insurance to children, up to age 18, regardless of their immigration status 1-888-452-5437 

Children’s Health & Disability Prevention Program (CHDP) 

Offers early and regular health exams for low-income children 1-800-993-2437 

Healthy Families Program 

Offers low-cost health insurance for many low-income children 1-800-880-5305 

 

Health Consumer Hotline 

Connects you with organizations that can help with free or affordable health care, and/or specific 
treatment needs. Office hours: 9:00 – 11:45 am Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday ( 

except holidays)

1-800-896-3203 

SUPPORTIVE SERVICES 

Domestic Violence Services 
1-800-978-3600

Mental Health Services 
1-800-854-7771

Substance Abuse Services 
1-800-564-6600

LEGAL SERVICES 

Neighborhood Legal Services of L.A. County 

Free help with Government Benefits, Family Law, Employment, Immigration and other legal needs 1-800-433-6251 

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles 

Free help with Government Benefits, Family Law, Employment, Immigration and other legal needs 1-800-399-4529 

Inner City Law Center 

Helps with landlord/tenant disputes (213) 891-2880 

Housing Rights Center 

Help for people who have been evicted from or denied housing due to race, sex, national origin, number of children, sexual orientation, disability, etc.  

1-800-477-5977 

HOUSING, UTILITIES AND CLOTHING (also see 211 LA County below) 

 

Los Angeles Family Housing 
Connects you with organizations that can help with shelter, food, clothing and health care (323) 264-1114 

(Access Center, East Los Angeles)

Family Housing 
Connects you with organizations that can help with shelter, food, clothing and health care (818) 982-4091 

(Access Center, San Fernando Valley & North Hollywood)

Homeless Solutions 
Connects you with organizations that can help with shelter, food, clothing and health care (661) 942-2758 

(Access Center, Antelope Valley)

Weingart Center 
Connects you with organizations that can help with shelter, food, clothing and health care (213) 624-3370 

(Access Center, Downtown Los Angeles)

San Gabriel Valley Center 
Connects you with organizations that can help with shelter, food, clothing and health care (626) 444-9000 

(Access Center, El Monte)

People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) 
Connects you with organizations that can help with shelter, food, clothing and health care (323) 644-2216 

(Access Center, Hollywood & Mid-City)

Inland Valley Council of Churches – Our House Shelter Program 

Offers help with free shelter, food, clothing, taxi vouchers, bus passes and connects you with other 
organizations that can help 

(909) 622-3806 

Department of Community Services and Development: Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) 

Helps people to pay less for gas and electric bills 1-866-675-6623 

Department of Water and Power (DWP) 

DWP offers discount rates and help with overdue bills 
(Los Angeles DWP customers only)   1-800-DIAL DWP (342-5397) 

FOOD (also see 211 LA County below) 

WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) Program 

Gives food vouchers for pregnant women, new mothers, infants and young children 
1-888-942-2229 

1-888-942-9675 

OTHER 

Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) Central HELP Line 

Connects you with programs and services offered by DPSS that can help you and your family 1-877-481-1044 

Labor Commissioner’s Office 

Gives help if your rights as an employee are being violated 
(213) 620-6330 Los Angeles 

(562) 590-5048 Long Beach 

211 LA County (formerly known as INFO LINE) 

Gives information and connects you to food pantries, HUD/Section 8 housing, and other community 
agencies 

211 

1-800-339-6993 

By Design Financial Solutions (also known as Consumer Credit Counseling Services) 

Helps people with credit and other money problems 1-800-750-2227 

Victims of Crime 

Pays for hospital bills – might pay for moving or other needs for crime victims 1-800-842-8467 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Mar 18 2010
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homeless

Denver Dress Stealer gives bad name to homelessness

This is, sadly, what most people think of when they think of a person who is homeless. 

Angel Rayas is a convicted sex offender who rented a storage locker for the women’s clothing he had stolen.

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