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  The Children’s Program staff were concerned about Freida’s daughter, Mary, who was extremely withdrawn and did not speak.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.