Spring Newsletter 2024
- February 26, 2024
- Helpline (831) 757-3838
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March 1 & 2
Lighthouse Cinema, Pacific Grove
In our current world where we often find mistrust, fear and hatred, we invite you to join
us for a special screening of the documentary, “We Are All In This Together” on March 1st and 2nd at the Lighthouse Cinema in Pacific Grove. The film traces Pacific Grove local Daniel Troia’s cross- country bicycle journey with no food, no money and his search for human connection. At the end of the screening, you’ll have the opportunity to speak to the film’s director and Dorothy’s Place executive director, Jill Allen. Equipped with hidden camera glasses and a cardboard sign reading, “Ran out of food. Anything helps.” Daniel listens to stories from the people who offer him help and learns that those who have faced the most adversity in their lives often have the most to give.
Over the course of seven months, Daniel rides across the Great Basin Desert, narrowly avoids hypothermia in Montana, and crosses the Sierras, Rockies and Appalachian Mountain ranges.
Daniel’s cross-country solo ride ultimately forces a new perspective on this country, one that convinces him that there is much more that brings us together than separates us.
The deeply captivating story of a man’s desire to understand the human connection takes him on many twists and turns through glorious and grueling landscapes, in an ultimately uplifting journey of kindness. We Are All In This Together touches on our relationships with strangers, the shame of living on the streets and
our judgments of the unhoused, the perpetual cycle that keeps folks unhoused, food insecurity and food waste, and the influence of fate and serendipity.
“The division in our world has been so intense,
and issues around homelessness and food insecurity are so complex,” Troia says, “but the people I met showed me that the one thing we CAN control is how we treat each other.”
100% of the ticket sales will be donated to Dorothy’s Place.
12-16oz Bottles of Water
#6 Lunch Bags
Disposable razors
Travel size soap
Prop 1 opts to change out our crime-ridden encampments for effective housing and treatment facilities
By Jill Allen, Executive Director
Summary from CalMatters 2024 Voters Guide: “This two pronged measure would fund a $6.4 billion bond to drastically expand the state’s mental health and substance abuse treatment infrastructure. A majority of the money, $4.4 billion, would be used to build 10,000
in-patient and residential treatment beds across
the state. The remainder would fund permanent supportive housing with half set aside for veterans with mental illness or addiction disorders.
“The second part of the measure would require counties to change the way they spend existing
mental health dollars by directing them to prioritize housing for people who are chronically
homeless.”
While it’s natural to approach government initiatives like Prop 1 with caution, it’s crucial
that we evaluate them based on their merits. Despite opposition from some mental health professionals, we must recognize the evidence- based and thoughtful approach behind this proposition.
Drawing from my two decades of experience working with chronically unsheltered individuals, I’ve witnessed firsthand the complexities of
mental health care and homelessness. Here are key insights:
• The Mental Health Services Act of 2005 was a significant step forward, but subsequent challenges persist. Mental illness disproportionately affects low-income populations due to understaffed and underfunded MediCal programs.
• Homeless encampments often harbor individuals with acute mental health struggles compounded by substance abuse issues. The lack of access to adequate care exacerbates their conditions. The homeless people who suffered less from mental illness, the lower acuity folks, have been assisted into housing by many programs in our area, but those that remain in encampments are the folks with the highest acuity, the greatest struggles. They feel unsafe, they can’t sleep, and often take amphetamines (meth is cheap
and popular) to stay awake at night, feeling that it’s safer to be awake. In these dangerous
environments, sleep is denied them, and because of this simple reality, they become more ill with each passing night.
• The opposition to Prop 1 argues that it may divert funding from existing professional positions. While this concern is valid, the
proposed system aims to address staffing shortages by incorporating state-certified paraprofessionals alongside licensed professionals. The continuing need for licensed
professionals may change licensed positions, perhaps to new unfamiliar positions, but the need for licensed professionals remains great.
• Paraprofessionals play a crucial role in building trust and facilitating treatment for individuals with behavioral health issues. Their ability to spend more time with patients enhances the therapeutic relationship and trust between specialist and patient. More trust, more treatment.
• Prop 1 aligns with efforts to address the root causes of homelessness, acknowledging the overrepresentation of individuals with mental health disorders in the criminal justice system. By redirecting resources, we can enhance support systems within correctional facilities. It is currently well known that jails, State and Federal prisons are now the largest mental health institutions in California and ill-equipped to deal with mental health. Would it not be better to treat illnesses while incarcerated than to discharge people that become even more severely ill into homelessness?
• Supporting Prop 1 is a strategic decision informed by its evidence-based approach and comprehensive framework. While perfection may be unattainable, its potential to improve access
to care and housing for vulnerable populations outweighs uncertainties.
• Embracing change is imperative in evolving societal landscapes. Prop 1 reflects a contemporary understanding of mental health care needs, necessitating adaptability within professional roles and service delivery models.
• Access to safe and stable housing is paramount for effective treatment outcomes. Prop 1’s emphasis on housing initiatives underscores the interplay between housing security and mental health care accessibility. In conclusion, Prop 1 warrants support as a step towards addressing the multifaceted challenges of mental health and homelessness. By embracing innovation and collaboration, we can work towards a more inclusive and effective mental health care system.
Leap Year gives us an extra 24 hours to do things that matter — like create a will for the people you love. Why does Dorothy’s Place offer FreeWill to our supporters? Because we want to THANK YOU for decades of helping unsheltered people by helping you keep your family safe. You incur no cost by creating your California will and trust on FreeWill. Dorothy’s Place pays for that benefit as a gift to YOU.
Despite popular belief, your family doesn’t get to make important decisions about what you leave behind if you die without a will. Instead, a court will make those decisions based on state law.
This can be a long, confusing, and costly process for your loved ones — and the court may not distribute your assets the way you would have wanted.
It doesn’t take long. You can do it from the comfort of your home, on your laptop. You can benefit anyone you want. Please make this your New Year’s resolution – protect your loved ones.
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
Organizations
Anthony Costa & Sons
Camaldolese Hermits of America
Carondelet High School
Church Women United Monterey
Peninsula
Coyote Creek Vineyards
D’Arrigo Bros. Co.
Edi Matsumoto Fine Art
Emergency Food & Shelter Program
Emrik LLC
Faith Emergency Shelter
First Baptist Church
First Presbyterian Church of Monterey
Interfaith Outreach of Carmel
JIM Enterprises Inc.
Knights Of Columbus Salinas Council
#1948
Lutheran Church of the
Good Shepherd
Madonna Del Sasso Church
Marina Motorsport
Monterey Farms
Monterey Peninsula Friends Meeting
Portola Construction, Inc.
Ronald H Pacheco & Sons
Rousseau Ranches
Salinas Steinbeck Rotary Club
Foundation
Salinas Valley Food and Wine
Festival
Soo Charitable Fund
St. Joseph’s Parish
TB Sojka Photography
Tricord Management
United Way Monterey County
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6849
Woodward Fund
Young Ladies Institute Ignatius No 85
Individuals
Jennifer Adams
Tom Albright
Gerald Alchimisti
Mark Alderson
Jay Ambe
Jacqueline Ambrose
Richard Anderson
Marsha Walsh Andrews
Michelle Angelo
Roger Anton
Jennifer Archibald
Hank Armstrong
Justina Walsh Armstrong
Amber Aroner
Ramiro Artega
Charles Asmus
Deborah Avilez
Linda Avin
Henry Azama
June Backus
Sally Bagley
Alfred Baguio
Barbara Baldock
Marilyn Barr
Mary Bartels
Michael Barthel
Dr. Shirley Barrett-Sheridan
Richard Basham
Jeff Bass
Audrey Bates
Nina Bayer
Michelle Beach
Dorothy Becker
Robert Behl
Bruce Belknap
Joan Beller
Josephine Benidt
Walter Benson
Marissa Bertel
Paola Berthoin
Dolores Billman
Stefanie Bingaman
Carol Bishop
Carol Bisht
Norma Bisson
Rosalyn Blachowicz
Stephen Bloch
Steven Bokemeier
Claire Borges
Michael Borgeson
Lupe Boronda
Celia Bosworth
Mark Botelho
Carol Bouchard
Christopher Bourke
William Breen
Laura Breit
Teri Breschini
Michael Briley
Joanne Brood
Cecilia Brown
Michael Brown
Patricia Brown
Helen Buckman
Bonnie Buck-Wade
Geralyn Budenholzer
Jill Burbidge
Kathleen Burke
Donna Burych
Michael Butchko
John Cain
Seth Campbell
Marie Cantin
Patricia Caraccioli
Clifford Cardoza
Sharen Carey
Patricia Carlson
Stacy Carr
Raymond Carrillo
Lee Carroll
Susan Carter
Marcia Caruso
Claudette Casella
Joanne Castello
Richard Castello
Virginia Chambers
Shirley Chapman
Cathy Chavez-Miller
Richard Cheatham
Elio Chiappe
Nona Childress
Janet Chin
Frank Chiorazzi
Carl Christensen
Roberta Christian
Michael Clark
Kevan Clarke
Sarah Clarke
Douglas Classen
Chris Cleary
Dana Cleary
Kathy Clift
Gloria Clinton
Robin Cohen
Carol Collins
Nancy Collins
Ann Conneau
Linda Conway
Mary Conway
Sonia Cook
Ray Cope
Jenny Cordova
V Cortes
Kathy Cosaert
Rosemary Coulter
David Courrejou
Pierre Cousineau
Kathleen Cozzens
Roger Creamer
Don Cremin
Elanna Crook
Kimberly Crook
Sandra Cude
Joseph Cunliffee
Ernest Daghir
Charles Dailey
Patricia Dally
Bonnie Daniel
Cynthia Davis
Paul Davis
Kathy Dawes
James De Lorimier
Stephen De Lorimier
Mary Deakyne
Helen Dean
Ken Dean
Walter Defaria
Deirdre Demorest
Susan Denny
Laurel DeVelbiss
Lucille Diaz
Barbara Dickason
Dixie Dixon
Carol Dobberpuhl
Joseph Donofrio
Dennis Donohue
Patricia Donohue
Geraldine Dorney
Leo Downey
Manuela Drury
Charles Duncan
Daniel Duran
Loren Dynneson
Shannon Edwards
Mark Eitelberg
Stephen Eklund
Marvalee English
Carole Erickson
Henry Espinosa
Francis Estrella
Thad Evans
Jeanne Ewy
Rachel Failano
Hurtado Family
Joanne Farness
Patricia Fashing
John Favero
Hugo Ferlito
Mary Fettis
Connie Fields
Jerry Finney
Janet Fischer
Aana Fitzgerald
Stephanie Flora
Alfred Flores
Christopher Forest
Evangeline Forrest
Richard Foster
Alexandria Francis
Jerald Frates
Linda Frederiksen
Julia Frisch
Suzanne Frueh
Gary Fuller
John Furtado
Marie Gahn
Mary Gale
Rene Ganaden
Ellen Gannon
Alberto & Alicia Garcia
Ana Garcia
Joseph Garcia
Olga Reyna Garcia
Bill Garner
Prudencia Garnica
Bill Garrett
Helen Gehringer
Hans Gerritsen
Priscilla Gilbertson
Robert Gin
Edmond Given
Bradley Gjerding
Richard Gonzales
Belinda Gonzalez
Manny & Deborah
Gonzalez
Rosa González
Drew Goodman
Sharon Goodwein
Graham Gottfried
Wendy Grainger
Lori Grant
Carolyn Gray
Bryce Graybill
Jimmee Greco
Ken Greene
Michael Greene
Dan Griffee
Gerald Griffin
Patricia Griffin
Marvin Grim
Dianne Grooms
Wallace Group
Milton Guidotti
Maria Gutierrez
Mary Haas
Debbie Hale
Dolores Hamilton
Lynn Hamilton
Patricia Hammond
Christian Hansen
Margaret Hansen
Marie Hardy
Jacolyn Harmer
Abigail & Don
Harootian
Wendell Harry
Beverly Hartnell
Rita Harvey
James Hashimoto
Mary Hatfield
Riley Hathaway
Jeff Hawkins
Douglas & Diane Hayashi
Tim Hazlett
Nan Heller
Stephanie Herbert
Ingrid Hermann
Bonnie-Lou Hernandez
Ricardo Hernandez
Neil Hertsch
Merle Hessler
Carol Hilburn
Peggy Hill
Larry Hirahara
Monica Hlavacek
LC Hoffman
Astrid Holberg
Jo Holbrook
Lisa Mitchell Hollo
Christina Holston
Nancy Holtrop
Dana Van Horn
Cleda Houmes
John Howard
David Howarth
Mary Howell
Deborah Howitt
Barbara Hughes
Kathleen Hughes
Oralyn Hullinger
Cameron Hunter
Louis & Roberta Huntington
Frank Hutchinson
Robert Hylton
Momoyo Ishizuka
Kyoko Ito
Aengus Jeffers
Lynn Johnson
Rosemarie Johnson
Andrew Johnston
Anne Jones
Elizabeth Anne Jones
Nancy Jones
Sharon Jones
Shirley Jones
Gretchen Jordan
Karen Judkins
Mary Julien
Bruce Kadden
Bobbi Kamil
Randele Kanouse
Rebecca Kanow
Tony Karachale
Gary Karnes
Karin Kauffman
Rupinder Kaur
Peggy Keirn
John Keithly
Robert Kelly
Diane Kelsey
Thomas Kieffer
Ronald Kihara
Loren King
Matthew King
Susan Kingsley
Gerald Klarsfeld
Suzanne Klein
Linda Klos
Charles Koenig
Rosamaria Kosaka
Helen Kosik-Westly
Patti Krieger
Danielle Kuska
Margaret Joan Kylander
Gail Lack
Roselyn Lambert
Susan Lambert
Caroline Landon
Heather Lanier
Paul Lapidus
Robert Lawson
Devon Laycox
Steven Leavitt
Neil Ledford
Laurie Lee
Yung Lee
Hans Lehmann
Steve Leiker
Mabel Lernoud
Judith LeRoy
Paula Lewycky
La Verne Leyva
Helgard Liechti
Laura Lienk
David Ligare & Gary Smith
Richard Lim
Jose Limon
Jan Lindenthal-Cox
James Linder
Stephanie Loose
Carlos Lopez
Jean Lovell
Rosemarie Lovell
Joyce Lowe
Carol Lowrey
Lynn Lozier
Benjamin Luna
Craig Lyons
Mac MacDonald
Lorena Madrigal
Jose Magana
Patricia Mahoney
Brenda Marable
Gaspar Marquez
Jenny Marsden
Dora Martinez
Ed Matchak
Betty Matterson
Anita May
Loyd Mayer
Margaret Mayfield
Elizabeth Mazik
Michelle McCain
Molly McCarty
James McCoun
Robin McCrae
Barbara McGaughey
Anita McKean
Andrew McKenna
Michael McMahan
Linda McMenimon
William McNett III
Mary Alicia McRae
Heather McWalter
Barbara Mejia
Claudia Melendez
Roberto Melendez
Mary Melland
Christopher Mena
Andrea Mennenga
Bruce Merchant
Patricia Merrifield
Mary Mesa
John Metzer
Fred Meurer
Randy Meyenberg
Angelo Micalizio
Sharon Miller
Lisa Mills
Venita Miltz
Elisabeth Mineta
Barbara Mitchell
Cynthia Montague
Barbara Moore
Gertrude Moore
Kevin Moore
David Mora
Megan Morais
Thersa Morales
Edwin Morgan
Jewel Morris-Barba
Susan Morse
Tricia Moss
Pamela Motoike
Nancy Mouat
Tom Mouisset
Valerie Moule
Caroline Moyer
Yvonne Mraule
Rita Muller
Alfred Munoz
Lucia Munoz
Mary Munsie
Constance Murray
Curtis Myers
Mandi Nack
Amy Narlock
Steven Nejasmich
Bette Nelson
Hing Ng
Bonnie Nielsen
George Niesen
Joanne Nissen
Andrea Noble
Colette Norris
David Norris
Sam Norris
Lowell Northrop
Mariann Novarina
Emmett O’Boyle
Kevin O’Brien
Linda O’Brien
Gary O’Connor
Susan Oliviera
Anne Olsen
Lawrence Omoto
Patricia Ordway
Bruce Orinstein
Margaret Oropeza
Mary Orosco
Chris Ottenweller
Elsy Palma
Nancy Palmer
Norma Palomares
Laurie Pappas
John Parks
Judy Parsons
Richard Parsons
Nayan Patel
Christine Patton
Gayle Paul
Sara Peccianti
Laurel Peiffer
Robin Pelc
Suzanne Pelkey
Annette Pendleton
Stella Perea
Joseph Pezzini
Dolores Pia
Melissa Pickford
Susan Pierszalowski
John Pineda
Celine Pinet
Amy Pofcher
Veronica Polovneff
Marcia Pompan
Jeanne Pompey
Carmen Ponce
Thomas Prelle
Linda Press
Emilia Proa-Flores
Ronald Provost
Pryor Family Charitable
Trust
William Pshide
Ruben Pulido
Opal Quintero
Katy Rafeedie
Gaye Ragan
Shankar Ramachandran
Dennis Ramirez
William Rawson
Jennifer Ray
Susan Raycraft
Carol Razee
Annette Reamer
Andrea Reclusado
Hansen Reed
Jessa Rego
Heather Reimer
Sally Reinmann
Glenn Reis
Dr. David Reyes
Jesse Reyna
Don Reynolds
Gerald Reynolds
Tracy Richards
Jeff Richman
Neil Richman
Louise Riddell-Kaufman
Richard Ridge
Ginger Riehl
Rigg Family Foundation
Kyung-mee Rim
Gonzalo Rios
Michele Rios-Fernandez
Joanne Robbins
Robert Rodriguez
Vincent Rodriguez
Arturo Roldan
Louis Rothstein
Marilyn Rover
Elliot Ruchowitz-Roberts
Ruben Rueda
Jeannie Rueter
Rosalva Ruiz
Kate Ruter
Renee Ruzicka
Kathleen Ryan
Nina Dereschuk Ryan
Stephen Saglio
Linda Saito
Juan Sanchez
Carolyn & Sonny Sanders
Raymond Santella
William Saunders
Sarah Saxby
Mike Scarr
Warren Scarr
James Scattini
Robert Schaefer
Donna Schaffer
Carol Schmeh
Cynthia Schroeder
Arthur & Sandra Schuller
Gerald Schultz
Matthew Schuss
Susan Schwartz
Arthur Seavey
Kelley Sedonok
Russell Seeger
Arduth Seever
Nadine Seiler
Kimberly Seitman
John Sempek
Brian Shaw
Peter Sheets
Katherine Sherer
Mimi Sheridan
Austin Sherwood
Cliff Sherwood
Sandra Shreve
Jonathan Siegel
Joseph Sileo
Dianne Silva
Leslie Simon
Susan Simon
Carolyn Sims
Denise Smith
Laura Ann Smith
Susan Smith
Timothy Smith
Linda Smutz
Diana Snell
Mary Soria
Corey Spadaccini
Jeanine Spano
Analilia Speirs
Albert Spencer
Jay Spingarn
Laurel Spinner
Gary Sprader
Gary Spradling
Robert Stallard
Richard Stanley
James Stembridge
Henrietta Stern
Jacqueline Stewart
Nancy Stewart
Karolyn Stone
Linda Stoner
Stephen Storey
Gary Stotz
Martha Strange
Joe Stretch
Lynn Sullivan
Charles Sullivan, Jr.
Bryan Sutherland
Leslie Sweet
David Taggart
Ingeborg Tate
Judy Tatelbaum
Suzanne Francoeur Taunt
Bruce Taylor
Tonya Tempalski
Katsuaki Terasawa
Marie Thomas
James Thomsen
David Thornberry
Leigh Toldi
Annette & Paul Tomaselli
Tim Torgenrud
Donna Tracy
Drs. Marc Tunzi &
Danielle Acton
Jeanne Turner
Angela Urciuoli
Marily Uwate
Benjamin Valdez
Jan Valencia
Vanessa Vallarta
Donna Van Noy
Martha Vazquez
Vetter Family Fund
John Viarengo
S. Vindhurst
Katieann Vogel
Joan Wallace
Michael Wallensack
Priscilla Walton
Hsiu-Yun Wang
Marn-Ling Wang
Christine Warde
Joanne Webster
Richard Weidner
Kim Weindorf
Susan Weir
John West
Dave Whipple
Kellin White-Chaffin
Carolyn Williams
Gary Williams
Jennifer Williams
Rhonda Williams
Judy Williamson
Thomas Wills
Jenny Wilshere
Leah Winter
R Withrow
Nanlouise Wolfe
Susan Wolfe
Herb Wong
Diana Woodhead
Suzanne Worcester
Stacey Wright
Elizabeth Wrightmen
James Wurz
Julianne Wutke
Michael Yeihey
Laurence Yep
Lorraine Yglesia
Russell Yoshimaru
Mary Yui
Stephen Zalan
Bradley Zeve
Joseph Zoccali
Jay Zwagerman
Nancy Eccles & Homer M. Hayward Family Foundation
F. Robert Nunes Family Fund of Community Foundation
for Monterey County
Bruce Taylor
Carol Dobberpuhl
Arthur and Sandra Schuller
Martin and Mary Jane Vonnegut
Louis & Roberta Huntington
