CATHOLIC CHARITIES - LOS ANGELES

We first posted a link to CATHOLIC CHARITIES in 2011.
CATHOLIC CHARITIES PROGRAMS FOR HOMELESS WOMEN AND CHILDREN


EXCERPT: In 1984, responding to the urgent needs of homeless women in the Southern California area, Good Shepherd Center opened a drop-in center and Languille Emergency Shelter for 30 women. Expanding to meet the growing homeless problem, Good Shepherd next launched its mobile outreach program in 1986 and opened the Hawkes Transitional Residence for 30 homeless women in 1987. In 1992, Good Shepherd Center established its Mother-Child shelter for nine mothers and 21 children. In 1998, Good Shepherd opened the first of three phases of The Women’s Village; the Hawkes Transitional Residence moved to The Women’s Village and expanded to serve 30 women. The second phase of the Women’s Village, Angel Guardian Home, permanent housing for disabled mothers with children, was dedicated in May 2000. In 2008, the third phase, Farley House, an employment and education-focused transitional housing program, became part of Good Shepherd, along with an employment and client services center. The Village Kitchen, an on-site culinary program/cafe, was dedicated in June 2008. In August 2011, Farley House enhanced its services to include 10 families in its transitional housing program. Farley House currently serves homeless mothers with up to two children in all 21 fully-furnished apartments. Within its present five programs (three residences, drop-in and mobile outreach), in FY 2015-16, 1,266 clients were served.

LANCASTER, SYLMAR, and SANTA CLARITA COLD WEATHER SHELTERS and 2016-2017 PICK UPS

We especially encourage Women to consider staying at a shelter during the cold months that these are open, for safety and to get referrals to other resources such as year round shelter programs.
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CITY OF LANCASTER - GRACE RESOURCES - Antelope Valley
44611 Yucca Avenue, Lancaster, CA
661-945-7524


39 beds.  Open November 24th 2016 - March 1 2017
Pick ups:
3:40 PM at Corner of K-8 and Gingham Avenue
across from Social Services.


3:50 OM at 45134 North Sierra Highway near Avenue I.
meet in courtyard
WALK INS ARE ALSO WELCOME but show up between 3:30 and 4:15 PM


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HOPE OF THE VALLEY - SYLMAR ARMORY - San Fernando Valley
12860 Arroyo Drive, Sylmar, CA  91342
170 beds.  Open December 2016 - March 1 2017
WALK INS ARE WELCOME BUT NOT BEFORE 5:30 PM
818-207-8776
Also no shopping carts are allowed inside.  One small bag per guest allowed.
Security inside. hot showers,  hot dinner.  breakfast sack lunch. case management. warmth.


Pick ups:
6:00 PM at the old thrift store location at 8165 San Fernando Road in Sun Valley.
6:30 PM outside of McDonalds at 8045 Lankershim Blvd in North Hollywood.
6:00, 7:00, and 8:00 PM in front of the bus bench at 6212 Van Nuys Blvd, Van Nuys.
7:30 PM at 8401 Winnetka Ave, at the Winneketa Recreation Park, Winnetka
YOU WANT TO ASK WHEN THE NATIONAL GUARD WILL BE USING THE ARMORY FOR TRAINING AS YOU PROBABLY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO STAY THERE AT THAT TIME and may want to plan to go to another, open shelter in advance rather than spend the time sleeping outside.
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SANTA CLARITA - BRIDGE TO HOME
23031 Drayton Street, Santa Clarita, CA  91355
60 beds. November 24 2016 - March 1 2017
661-388-3002  or 661-254-4716
Pick ups:
6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Vallarta Supermarket Shopping Center at 18571 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country, 91352
6:00 to 8:00 PM at Newhall Metro Link at 24300 Railroad Avenue, Santa Clarita, CA  91321
Shuttles run every 30 minutes.
WALK IN ALLOWED but line up starting at 6:00 PM.  Please don't show up earlier and loiter. Sensitive location so to keep this shelter open fine tune your arrival.  No shopping carts.  Your possessions that you bring in must fit in a 4 X 2 plastic tub.
*****
Those of you who have done this before know the drill. 

DOWNTOWN WOMEN'S CENTER - HOW TO APPLY FOR HOUSING, HEALTH SERVICES, FIND A JOB

DOWNTOWN LA - WOMENS CENTER  link here and find out....

How can I apply for housing?    

• When do you serve meals?
• What other services do you provide?
• Is this a shelter/where can I go if I need a shelter?
• How do I get case management at DWC?
• How do I access health clinic services?
• Can you assist me with finding a job?
• What is a Day Center Orientation, and am I required to attend one    
• How do I get bus tokens/Rider Relief?

LA TIMES - ONE HOMELESS PERSON IN THREE IN LOS ANGELES IS A WOMAN

One in three homeless people in Los Angeles County are women, according to government figures released this year. The total of more than 14,000 women is a 55% increase from 2013. The number of women camped out in RVs, tents and lean-tos doubled in the last three years.
Homeless women face staggering levels of violence, in shelters and homeless housing as well as on the streets. A survey released this week by the Downtown Women’s Action Coalition, a consortium of service providers and advocates, found that nearly half of skid row women had been attacked in the previous 12 months; more than a quarter of them were sexually assaulted.


LA TIMES - ONE IN THREE HOMELESS WOMEN - 25% SEXUALLY ASSAULTED IN ONE YEAR  by Gale Holland

DOWNTOWN WOMEN'S CENTER - HOMELESS WOMEN's RESOURCE - DOWNTOWN WOMAN'S ACTION COALITION

DOWNTOWN WOMEN'S CENTER

442 S San Pedro St
Los Angeles, CA 90013

(213) 680-0600

 

FROM THE SITE:

Homelessness increased 12% in LA County in the past three years, from 39,461 to 44,359 individuals. While the numbers reveal a concerning state of affairs for our City, they serve as a call to action to prioritize affordable and permanent supportive housing as the solution to end homelessness.  ... While median rents in our state have increased over 20% from 2000 to 2012, the median income dropped by 8% and California still has a shortfall of over 1.5 million affordable rental homes. ... At the federal level, DWC supports full funding for the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants and Section 8 Tenant-Based Rental Assistance program.

At the state level, DWC supports state legislation that preserves and rehabilitates existing affordable housing stock and the establishment of a permanent funding source for affordable housing.

At the local level, DWC supports County and City efforts to end homelessness through increasing affordable housing for all homeless individuals including veterans and people on probation or parole, streamlining systems, and grassroots advocacy efforts led by the Downtown Women’s Action Coalition

UNKNOWN MILLIONS FILM PROJECT HOPES TO DOCUMENT HOMELESS WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD - WANTS YOUR QUESTIONS - KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN

UNKNOWN MILLIONS PROJECT

THE PLAN IS TO FILM AROUND THE WORLD AND ASK WOMEN HOW AND WHY THEY ARE HOMELESS.  What cultural or familial considerations come into play?  Are most homeless women victims of violence?   (ADD ANY QUESTIONS YOU THINK SHOULD BE ASKED BY LEAVING COMMENTS BELOW.)

OUR OPINION AND ADVICE:

It's terrific to ask homeless people about their lives - before, during, and after - their homeless experience. ASK and LISTEN WELL to anyone who is homeless and willing to tell their story.  Very few homeless people are asked about their lives, even by educated social workers and case managers working at shelters who are making assumptions and preferring stereotypes because stereotypes are what gets funding.  (See our PAGES and WHAT MAKES FOR A GOOD CASE MANAGER.)

In some cases people who are not mentally ill are urged and even threatened with being kicked out of a shelter if they don't lie to get government benefits and PLAY THE GAME because these programs use the money they get from donations to pay their staff,  and do not put money towards deposits for apartments, even for working people whose small wage is not enough to allow them to save money.

SO ASK ABOUT FRAUD IN PROGRAMS.

We think there is a serious shortage of shelters and programs for women who are single, without children, especially if they are not mentally or physically qualified to disability.  These women have probably ruined their credit and been evicted while still trying for employment and once the homeless label is stuck on them or their address is a shelter they find near no help finding employment and can't pass background checks so they are stuck.

SO ASK ABOUT EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT, and ANY PLANS OR DREAMS TO MAKE MONEY AND BE SELF SUPPORTING IN THE FUTURE.

Even if someone's dream seems implausible it's a good sign that they still dream of a better life.  It means they are not thoroughly beaten down.

Homeless women are subject to violence such as rape.  Besides the trauma of rape itself and the potential for unplanned pregnancy and STD's including AIDS, homeless women are solicited for prostitution, are subject to sexual harassment and are generally NOT SAFE, sadly even at shelters, and we have HOMELESS UPON HOMELESS CRIME.

SO ASK ABOUT RAPE and HOMELESS UPON HOMELESS CRIME.

A ROOF OVER US - BATTERED WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S HOMES - NEW SITE BURBANK CALIFORNIA

A ROOF OVER US - BURBANK CONTACT

Because our homes house abused and battered women and children, we do not give the addresses or locations of our homes.

If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact us at:

531-A N. Hollywood Way, #246
Burbank, CA 91505
(818) 373-9012
aroofoverus@yahoo.com

WEINGART ORG - RECOMMENDED BY A FRIEND

WEINGART ORG - HOMELESS IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES link for information!
For assistance on how to get help, please call our Front Desk at 213.627.9000.

Their site lists these:

■Women’s Renaissance

■Veterans Transitional Housing

■Community Re-Entry Programs EPIC and AB109

■Project Paycheck

■Open Door

■AmeriCorps Hope for the Homeless

■GROW

■Emerge – Workforce Development Program

■Hope Row Resource Center

■Services Offered

■Workforce Development

■Clinical Services

■Case Management

■Community Voice Mail

■Project Fatherhood

■Housing Services


We were talking to someone we know who is usually on the street in the San Fernando Valley.  He said he sometimes goes to Weingart downtown.  His stay costs him $17 a night which is lower than the typically $50 a night at motels in the Valley.  So we take it that staying at Weingart is not free, or for those who only have GR...  As always we're looking for reviews! 

ALEXANDRIA HOUSE FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN

"Alexandria House is a transitional residence for single women and women with children in the process of moving from emergency shelter to permanent housing. We provide hospitality to approximately 24 women and children depending on family size. Women living in Alexandria House benefit from a supportive community and an encouraging environment. Residents meet monthly with a case manager to ensure that they are making progress towards their established goals, as well as to identify their need for services and resources.

Weekly house meetings also provide an opportunity to share personal successes and hopes and at the same time build community. Alexandria House's transitional housing program offers financial management, goal setting processes, childcare, counseling, healthcare, and access to other resources such as job search assistance, education, legal counsel, advocacy, and skill-building.

Over 80% of the women who have moved through the program have succeeded in securing financial stability and permanent housing.

Alexandria House is committed to changing the systematic injustices that keep women and children homeless and living in poverty. We engage residents and neighbors in community organizing activities and exercise our rights to peaceably gather to protest unjust social policies and systems."

Alexandria House
426 S. Alexandria Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90020
Phone: 213-381-2649

UPDATE ON NATALIE, THE WOMAN WHO WAS RIDING THE BUS ALL NIGHT TO SLEEP IN 2011

We posted on Natalie in 2011. We said :

"Natalie's ankles are swollen because she never really gets to lay down unless she goes to a shelter in another, safer county. She sleeps sitting up every night on a particular bus route. Now we think this is kind of cool. Because the bus driver, a woman, knows Natalie's situation, and she never gives her a problem."

UPDATE AUGUST 2012

We are happy to say that we ran into Natalie and she's looking beautiful. Natalie was wearing make-up, had her hair done - shiny and sleek, and was casually dressed in black pants and neat sweater as well as earrings and a necklace for her job. Natalie was given stability by a local shelter where she slept each night and was able to keep a small wardrobe, though she had to leave for the day. She is no longer carrying her possessions in gym bags wherever she goes. She managed to get a starter job working part time for a non-profit animal related charity where she is on commission. She is also dog and cat sitting in private homes. She no longer looks exhausted. Congratulations!

UP WITH WOMEN - HOMELESS LIST

We're always thinking, how can we give support, information, tell our homeless brothers and sisters that they are not as alone as they feel?

So we found this site called UP WITH WOMEN.

Did you know that Hilary Swank, Joan Rivers, Debbie Reynolds, Sally Jesse Raphael, Ella Fitzgerald, Rose McGowan, Lil Kim, Eartha Kitt, Kelly Clarkson, and Halle Berry, now famous for their accomplishments as singers and actors, experienced different degrees of homelessness?

The lists don't stop there! Linking here to UP WITH WOMEN!

HUMAN TRAFFICKING - SLAVERY - SEX SLAVES - RICHMOND JUSTICE INITIATIVE

We were inspired by reading a Cosmopolitan Magazine article about this issue and we want to give you a list of organizations from that article that are working on Sex Slavery, Child Prostitution, and the use and abuse of other human beings for profit.


linked above : RICHMOND JUSTICE INITIATIVE

DO YOU HAVE BLADDER OR URINARY TRACK INFECTIONS BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO HOLD IT

OR ARE YOU DEHYDRATED?

Many of us are because drinking enough fluid means you have to have easy access to a toilet. Many homeless women "hold it" for long periods of time, especially when living in vehicles.

We have to use public restrooms.

We need to park near 24 hours supermarkets that will let us use the toilet.

ABOUT NATALIE, THE HOMELESS WOMAN WHO RIDES THE SAME BUS ALL NIGHT EVERY NIGHT

Natalie's ankles are swollen because she never really gets to lay down unless she goes to a shelter in another, safer county.

She sleeps sitting up every night on a particular bus route.

Now we think this is kind of cool. Because the bus driver, a woman, knows Natalie's situation, and she never gives her a problem.

UPDATE AUGUST 2012 We are happy to say that we ran into Natalie and she's looking beautiful. Natalie was wearing make-up, had her hair done - shiny and sleek, and was casually dressed in black pants and sweater for her job. Natalie was given stability by a local shelter where she slept each night and was able to keep a small wardrobe, though she had to leave for the day. She managed to get a starter job working part time for a non-profit animal related charity where she is on commission. She is also dog and cat sitting in private homes.
She no longer looks exhausted.

HOMELESS WOMEN MAKE OVER at PATH

Does having a makeover improve your self esteem?

We think so - if you can continue to stay clean, dress well in clothes that fit and are appropriate for say, job hunting (Where to hang the clothes? Where to iron them or have them dry cleaned?) and can afford cosmetics and hair cuts and color. Otherwise the makeover lasts a few days.

Link here to news article on PATH and makeovers by a generous stylist.

HAVE YOU BEEN RAPED ON THE STREET?

Homeless women seem to be targeted for rape more than women who are housed. This is one of the reasons homeless women seem to seek programs and shelters more than homeless men. Sometimes it's linked to prostitution, often not.

There are a number of reasons that homeless women are attacked. Mostly they are more vulnerable. Unfortunately, some homeless people are unable to check their impulses due to drug use or mental illness. HOMELESS ON HOMELESS STREET CRIME is a terrible reality, although some homeless, by carefully selecting their street buddies, do avoid it.

STOP calling FEMALES BITCHES and WHORES

A Los Angeles resident of skid row told me that for three months he stayed at a place where women were never referred to as females, women, or ladies, but only "Bitches" and "Ho's."

We gotta stop that!

First of all, it's hard to be homeless, but even more so for females; we can't pee under a tree. We have periods and may not be able to shower every day. If we don't have a protector on the street or at a shelter somewhere, we are vulnerable to harassment and sex crimes.

Homeless people must do everything in their power to refrain from insulting each other and diminishing each others chances for success. When one of us succeeds we SHOW THEM!

This blog stands to inspire - if at all possible - and to UNITE homeless people. We cannot do that if homeless are busy sabotaging the self esteem of other homeless. So be you male or female, TODAY PLEDGE TO STOP CALLING females, women, and ladies, ugly names that reduce them and prevent them from being heard !

And remember. We are NOT members of any church. This is NOT coming from a Christian religious bias. We are not trying to stuff Bibles up your you know what!

This is coming from the heart. And to love and be loved, we must UPHOLD. We must stand together.

Instead of insulting today find it in your heart to give someone you meet up with a sincere compliment!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO HOMELESS MOTHERS

Some homeless mothers are homeless WITH CHILDREN. Others are women who have had children but for one reason or another - fair or unfair - have little to no contact with their children.

Have you lost contact but WANT contact? Please let us know!