Summer Newsletter 2023
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Amy Narlock, Development Officer I, Dorothy’s Place
stabilize and heal from the traumatic experience of being unsheltered before moving into permanent housing. Housing first is a policy that prioritizes permanent housing before other needs such as income and substance use issues when assisting people out of homelessness. We certainly agree that every single person deserves the security of a permanent home and we welcome this shift in the response to homelessness among service providers and funding organizations. What we know from experience is that length of time on the street directly impacts the difficulty in transitioning back into independent housing. It is not always successful and often requires multiple attempts. In reality, some people are not prepared for the speed required to re-learn those independent living skills such as self-care routines, paying bills, and time-management. Some individuals who have spent years surviving unsheltered living may require permanent supportive housing or government funded housing. But not all unsheltered individuals require that type of housing and research is beginning to show that many individuals, given the chance to “selfresolve”, will do so.
How long it would take to get to an appointment if you were camping, had no running water, no internet, no transportation, and had to bring all of your camping gear and personal items with you to that appointment? Many of our consumers miss scheduled appointments with us and other providers because of the multiple barriers they must overcome to actually get to the appointment. Congregate shelters are not a good answer as they are only available certain hours and do not provide safe storage (or any storage) for personal items. Many individuals will refuse shelter stays because of personal safety fears, inability to have a pet with them, or lack of privacy in general.
Interim housing is the combination of stability and support that individuals need to recover from the trauma of being unsheltered and start rebuilding their life. Interim housing is not meant to be long term supportive housing, but it does offer supportive services such as case management and housing navigation. Flexible length of stay with focus on progressing to permanent housing (in whatever form is right for the individual), with private personal spaces that have locking doors, and community guidelines in place that prioritize safety over arbitrary rules such as curfews. The average cost to build a single new unit of permanent supportive housing (PSH) is $650,000.
It can take years to get a PSH project from concept to completion with planning, coordination, required approvals, and actual construction. While lots sit empty with potential, people are living in tents on the street next to them. In cities all over California interim housing has been built in 4-8 months. Santa Barbara, San Francisco, even Rohnert Park have seen great success with interim housing communities. Units typically cost $50,000-$70,000 to build and while they have a 20-year life expectancy, they can be dismantled at anytime. Interim housing will not solve homelessness, but it can act as a complementary strategy to homelessness prevention and permanent housing solutions. Could it work for Salinas and Monterey County? We think it could. To learn more about interim housing projects in California check out www.dignitymoves.org
12-16oz Bottles of Water
#6 Lunch Bags
The Drop-In Center and Dorothy’s Kitchen rely on the generosity of our amazing donors and volunteers. Recently we received 50 lb. of potatoes, 50 lbs. onions, 50 lbs. of carrots, deli meats and cheese from an anonymous donor! Our services never stop and neither do our needs. If you feel compelled and are able to contribute, please let us know!
Disposable razors
Travel size soap
For more info: 831-276-5123
“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity
for a kindness.”
– Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Dorothy’s Kitchen
In June we started our long-anticipated workforce development program Red Artichoke. Residents from House of Peace (HOP) kicked off their training with HOP resident manager, Hilda. Red Artichoke will teach HOP residents the food handling skills required to earn a California Food Handlers Training Certificate, that will lead to future sustainable employment in the hospitality industry. Dorothy’s Kitchen is currently serving around 200 meals for breakfast and lunch daily to those in need. As always, we are humbled and grateful for our amazing donors and volunteers that help us ensure no one who comes to us leaves hungry
Dorothy’s Drop-in Center
As we talked about in our last newsletter, Chinatown has been experiencing on-going encampment sweeps. The April 11th sweep caused many people to be displaced and seek service from the Drop-In-Center. Our valued community health workers handed out toiletry bags, reusable water bottles, and more ID vouchers than usual. In July we saw as many as 200 people per day come in for our services. In June we provided over 3,000 services including mail, clothing, hygiene (showers and bathrooms), and device charging service.
Streets To Homes
The first half of the year has been extremely busy with assisting encampment residents to prepare for the sweeps and get the connected to housing and resources to the best of everyone’s ability. Incredibly we were able to connect six individuals to housing within our own House of Peace Supportive Living Program. We have
also been working diligently to expand our street medicine impact and are currently in the process of adding Hepatitis C (HCV) screening and testing to our toolkit. This will require some of our non-clinical staff to complete an intensive course that will certify them to conduct rapid HCV tests. We know this added service will save lives, encouraging individuals to get treatment that will also help them make better decisions about their health and housing goals.
House of Peace
Our Soledad Street location had successfully transitioned into HUD permanent supportive housing. While the program guidelines and restrictions add to our administrative process, we fully intend to keep daily life at Soledad St as consistent as possible. Our residents rely on the supportive services and counsel we provide for them. They also rely on each other for encouragement and accountability when tackling sobriety, job concerns, and social conflicts. This year already, our residents have overcome great obstacles to achieve some personal triumphs. Mr. K has been able to save enough money to purchase an automobile. He obtained his driver license, insurance and stays up to date on payments. He states owning this car keeps him on his toes since he knows every 1st of the month, he needs to put his program fee and the car payment aside. Mr. C, who is legally blind, earned a green team leader shirt for his hard work and leadership with Downtown Streets Team.
We are so proud of the work our programs do and we know we wouldn’t be able to do this without your support. We are so grateful to our community of donors and volunteers. Our successes are your successes!
August is National Make-A-Will Month, and as the saying goes, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Did you know that nearly 67% of American adults do not have a will in place?
In just 20 minutes, you can create your own will with the help of our partner, FreeWill. It’s completely free, in thanks for your support. Join thousands who are making a will this month to:
• Dictate your vision for the future, and your assets
• Show your loved ones just how much you care about them
• Create a lasting, generational impact to charities and causes that are important to you
By using this service today, you’ll get lifetime access to make updates and changes to your plan at no cost. Additionally, you can consider including a bequest in your will to Dorothy’s Place, making our community an important part of your lasting legacy. LEARN MORE
No matter what you choose for your plans, I hope you make the most of your Make-A-Will Month.
Check with your employer for donation match! Many companies have corporate giving programs in which the employer will match their employee’s donation.
Get Involved by checking out our upcoming
Set it and forget it!
Sometimes the easiest way to give is to not think about it at all. On our donation page you can select the box next to “Make this a monthly recurring amount” DONATE NOW
1st Church of Christ Scientist
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Monterey County
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Salinas Valley Community Church
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