The Dorothy Day-Room
The Day Room at Dorothy's Place Hospitality Center is designed to be a gathering place where the homeless, marginalized, and others who are our guests can socialize. They may also take care of basic health needs, and access other services that are geared towards helping them live with greater dignity and discover possible "next steps" for their lives.
The primary objective of the Day Room mirrors that of the Hospitality Center itself: to create a place of peace and a healing environment that offers opportunities for volunteering and becoming part of our extended family. From this foundation, an individual may develop an increased "capacity for life", and understand the deep meaning of life in relation to community and the desire to love. Usually other guests who have become volunteers introduce new arrivals to the services available at the Center.
The Companions of the Way Community serve in the Day Room and Center as mentors and otherwise counsel and suggest ways in which someone might be able reach towards their potential. Referrals are oftentimes made to recovery programs and other appropriate services and agencies.
Mark, a young African-American, just happened to show up one day. He would simply sit in the Day Room for the greater part of each day. We began to discover something of his story and also recognize his possibilities. After a few weeks of daily suggestions that he begin to volunteer, he finally said while coming into the Kitchen for lunch, "Me work? I don't think so!"
But the next day he did start volunteering. We could see his self-esteem growing by leaps and bounds. His smile became infectious. He sings and dances at our "Open-Mic Nights", while graciously encouraging others to likewise share something of their interests and talents. Our family is blessed again!
The services offered in the Day Room include:
• A lounge
• Movies and music
• Telephone access
• Showers
• Laundry
• Restrooms
• Hygiene supplies
• A mailing address
• Referrals to recovery programs
• Daily volunteer opportunities
• Clothing
• Occasional organized activities such as softball games and field trips
• Recreational computers
• Computer lab (create resumes, on-line access to employment websites)
• Occasional special classes such as CPR, meditation, art projects, and voluntary prayer groups
The Day Room is open from 8:15 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Hours are also occasionally extended depending upon the weather and the number of volunteers available. On Sundays, the Day Room is opened only for our regular guest volunteers as a special gift and opportunity to continue growing in the sense of family.
What is the one thing that we all crave more than anything else (other than air and food, of course)? That is what we are striving to be about.
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Dorothy's Place Health Care Clinic
The Clinic compliments the other services offered at the Hospitality Center by providing the on-site availability of medical services. The original idea for creating the Clinic began with the efforts of Dr. Norm Rosen. Currently, volunteer doctors and nurses from Natividad Medical Center and from the community staff the clinic on a weekly basis. Dr. Marc Tunzi, Chief of Staff at Natividad Medical Center, has been our primary physician, staffing the clinic weekly for the last ten years, along with Dolores Dannemiller, RN. The Clinic is open on Wednesdays from 12:30 to 2:00pm.
Our volunteer doctors are able to perform simple procedures and prescribe needed medicines. We are supported by financial contributions and gifts of prescription drug samples and medical supplies. Naturally, the most important gift is that of our doctor’s volunteer time and dedication
Goals
• Expand the hours of use of the clinic
• Establish a health care system “navigator” onsite while clinic occurs
• Find funding and implement a behavioral health program at Dorothy’s Place
• Bring in dental services/Adopt-A-Mouth program
• Access system of free eyeglass vouchers for homeless folks
• Expand Community to assist with Clinic operations and “navigation”
Celebrations!
The Hartnell College nursing program has started to send over students to participate in the clinic. We are currently working with the county Mental Health Department to collaborate on a grant to fund on-site behavioral health services at Dorothy's Place.
While the debate continues nationally as to whether or not we can afford to pay for health care for all, we here at Dorothy's Place have realized that the real debate is about whether or not the poor are worthy as human beings.
Our experience is in line with our fundamental conviction that every life is of infinite value, so we choose to believe in the possibility of justice and equality as dynamic principles meant to inspire and challenge all of us everyday. So we need to ask ourselves, as well as our social, educational, economic, political, and religious institutions, "What limits do we place on our willingness to practice justice and compassion?"
How You Can Help
Volunteer your services as a medical health professional
Volunteer your services as a behaviorial health professional
Volunteer your services as a dentist
Donate funding for medical supplies and prescription assistance
"Some people see things and say 'Why?'
But I dream things that never were, and I say, 'Why not?'"
(Robert Kennedy)
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Homelessness Prevention
Outreach & Advocacy
In an attempt to assist in preventing homelessness, families and persons with special needs are helped through assistance with partial payments of utility bills, rent, and emergency housing. We assist with filling prescriptions – there is a huge need here. As funds allow, we also help our regular community of guests with bus tickets (mostly to allow temporary transportation to employment or home to family), haircuts, I.D.’s, driver’s licenses, gasoline, etc.
As we open our ‘home’ to the marginalized, so do we offer our 30 Soledad Street address as a temporary mailing address for those we serve. Most people who have never been homeless don’t realize that all applications for employment and government assistance require the applicant have an address. We accept mail for hundreds of guests every year. Many former guests proudly keep their driver’s license or California ID that has the 30 Soledad Street address as a ‘graduation certificate’ and a reminder that determination, faith and love improved their lives.
Many in the community look upon Dorothy’s Place as a center of social service, but we do not think of ourselves this way. Rather, we are a center of hospitality, where love, compassion and acceptance are the secrets to self improvement, both for ourselves and our guests. Our goal is to be a friend, an advocate, using our experience and compassion to first develop a personal relationship with our guests and allow the brokenness to mend. Only then, when they are ready, can we advocate for our new friend, helping them navigate a very complex and often impersonal social service network.
Goals
• Obtain funding for more outreach activities
• Expand Companions of the Way Community to serve as primary staff for the Outreach Program
• Expand ourvolunteer service and train others to advocate
How You Can Help
Volunteer
Donate to Outreach Assistance
Donate to the Prescription Fund
Donate Bus Passes
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St. Clare’s Corner
St. Clare's Corner opened in 1982 to provide household goods, clothing, and food to families in need who live in the general neighborhood of our Community Center in Salinas. Clare's is open during the winter months of high unemployment, October- May. By offering this assistance, Clare's serves as a necessary buffer to help families through these difficult months. Clare's continues our vision of neighborhoods of mutual aid. Since our Salinas community has many seasonal farm workers, the need is great.
The primary objective of St. Clare's Corner is to offer friendship and presence to our neighbors, and others who may come to us, through a weekly distribution of donated and purchased food, etc. All items are distributed free of charge.
Clare's is open one day per week, and then on an emergency basis as needed. It is open to anyone and everyone who comes with no requirements, identification, or limit on the number of visits. Persons can receive aid every week if needed. The majority of persons who come are poor women and children who live in our general neighborhood.
St. Clare’s Corner is supported by individual donations ($30-50 weekly) and the Rice Plus Project of Carmel ($200-230 weekly). St. Clare’s also serves as a nice “overflow” site for donations that are too much for Dorothy’s Place to distribute, including excess clothing, spices, vegetables, and other large food donations that are inappropriate for Dorothy’s Place.
Goals
• Build a clothing closet to store donations.
• Seek funding/donations to supplement FEMA grant resources.
St. Clare’s Corner serves on average over 150 people per week coming to our Mercy Center location.
How You Can Help
Donate goods
Donate supplemental funding
