STAT: The hidden homeless (staying in motel or with relatives or friends on a temporary basis) in Alameda County has increased 168% since 2003 – from 1134 to 3042 at any given point in time.  (Everyone Home, Alameda County Homeless Count 2009)


STORY: “Holly” is a young mother with an 11 month old daughter, “Emma”.  Mother and daughter were living a somewhat nomadic life with various friends in the community.  Holly was initially very suspicious and always on alert.   Child Protective Services had done an investigation of Holly because of her eccentric style of dress and manner, but they found no evidence of drugs or other harmful conditions, except that Holly had no stable residence.  During her months of interaction at the Center, Holly gradually came to trust the staff and to talk about her fears of being a good parent. Holly is now working on her own business, designing and sewing her own unique style of clothing.  Emma is a healthy, thriving toddler with an outgoing and friendly personality.  Holly was able to accept leads for housing and was able to work out a safe shared housing arrangement.

STAT: 92% of homeless mothers were physically or sexually assaulted.

STORY: “Grace” arrived at the Center in great distress, fleeing from a violent relationship with her husband, who was the father of her two children, Kali, an 8 year old daughter and Damon, a 1 year old son.  Fortunately, they arrived at time when our transitional housing program had an opening.  The family participated in all the Center activities, especially the mental health support and the children’s services.  Grace was able to address many of the reasons she had stayed in the relationship and is now much more confident in her ability to care for her family.  The opportunity to explore new resources helped Grace to re-locate in another area of California after successfully securing a new job. 

 

STAT: 47% of homeless children have anxiety, depression or withdrawal problems.

(Institute for Children and Poverty)       

STORY:“Freida”, a 35 year old mother in recovery from substance abuse, sought housing help from the Center staff.  She and her 2 year old daughter were living in a dangerous situation, with a lot of exposure to drugs.  The housing staff immediately provided Frieda with an emergency motel voucher to get them into a safe space while working on more long-term housing.  The Children’s Program staff were concerned about Freida’s daughter, Mary, who was extremely withdrawn and did not speak.  Staff wondered if the child was autistic; they connected the family with the Regional Center for a full assessment.  The evaluation confirmed that the little girl had speech delay, but no autism.   The daily exposure to the activities and safety of the Center brought about a profound change to this family. Her daughter blossomed into a happy, interactive child.  She is receiving speech therapy and her developmental assessment is within normal ranges. With assistance from staff, Freida was able to find an apartment of her own.    

STAT: One-half of homeless children attend 3 different schools in one year.

STORY: “Eric” and “Emory” are Darla’s two  5 year old sons.  Eric’s severe asthma is very scary for him and can be life threatening.   Thanks to support from Drop-In Center and housing staff, Eric and his family have been able to receive extra health training from the Berkeley Public Health Nurses and from Children’s Hospital staff.  Our referral to the  Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund allowed Eric to receive the proper attention from the school district staff that he needed to successfully attend the local school.  Both boys are excited about attending school, making friends and doing very well.  They and their mother are happy to be living in their own apartment, thanks to one of our transitional housing programs.

STAT: The median wage needed to afford a two bedroom apartment is more than twice the minimum wage: $16.67 an hour.  (National Center on Family Homelessness)

STORY: “Darla” has been working with staff at the Drop-In Center since she escaped a terrifying domestic violence relationship with her two young sons in 2005.  Staff immediately helped her get into a secure domestic violence shelter to stabilize their living situation and to keep them safe from harm.  One of Darla’s children had a critical medical condition, so we helped to connect her to Children’s Hospital for on-going treatment.  Today Darla is participating in one of our transitional housing programs and is completing a training program so that she can increase her income through work.

STAT: The average income of a homeless parent is $8000


STORY: “Carol” is a 39 year old mom with a 20 month old son who came to the Center for help with housing.  The staff was able to help her find a day program for substance abuse.  The family is surviving on CalWorks benefits until Carol can get more training.  Thanks to staff support, Carol has been able to confront her fears of going back to school and is working on passing her GED exam.  A real crisis was presented when Carol’s best friend died; but with her new support network Carol was able to address this pain and to stay free from drugs.  The staff was able to help them find a safe place to live.

STAT:  The fastest growing segment of the homeless population are families with children.   In 2007 23% of all homeless individuals were members of families with children. 

(US Conference of Mayors, 2007).

STORY: “Becca” an energetic, but shy 3 year old, accompanied her mother to the Center, clinging to her mom’s skirt at first.  As she learned the routine in the playroom and she began to play and interact with other children, her natural enthusiasm started to emerge.  Thanks to her time at the Center, Becca’s mom saw how much she enjoyed being social, so was able to enroll her in a local Headstart program.  Becca is no longer as quick to display the tantrums and acting out behavior which had frustrated her mother.  Becca and her mom are grateful to be stably housed in a two bedroom apartment near the Drop-In Center.

STAT:
41% of the homeless population is comprised of families.

(National Alliance to End Homelessness)  
(1478 of 4341 homeless in Alameda County at any one point in time) 

(2009 Homeless Count Alameda County Everyone Home)

STORY:

“Angie” was initially very anxious when she came to the Center with her 3 year old daughter for  food resources and help with housing.  At first she did not let her daughter out of her sight, but then gradually came to trust the Center staff and to participate in the parenting support group.  After a period of regular attendance, Angie’s confidence in her parenting skills has greatly increased, along with her self esteem.  With the support of the Center, she is now in stable housing and is participating in regular counseling.