Page 7 - Sonoma County Gazette - October 2017

NEIGHBOR cont’d on page 6
with, and many local organizations who must participate are dragging their feet about it. The cities and local organizations can’t seem to work together, but are fine with how the current system works where chronically homeless people gather in empty lots in their cars or in tent cities and try to support each other while trying to figure out the confusing system of care, and where they are visited by different outreach programs trying to guide them to one of the many temporary shelter beds,(but not housing because there isn’t enough housing to go around).
One Cold Night is an experiential fundraising event that leverages the power of personal networks and social media to spread awareness and support for ending youth homelessness in Sonoma County.
Of the 50 residents forced out of the Farmers Lane Encampment last month, only two were given permanent housing and twenty-eight went into temporary shelters. Unfortunately, shelters are unpleasant places to live, so many will return to the street where neighbors and businesses will again get tired of seeing them, and the system will scatter them into the wind again to find other places to gather creating another problem somewhere else. Brilliant!
For more than 45 years,
Social Advocates for Youth (SAY) has been the recognized as the leading service provider for homeless, disconnected, and at-risk youth in Sonoma County. Today, we focus on three core areas of action:
Yes, there are a lot of local free resources for anyone who needs them, such as: Food handouts, clothing, temporary or emergency shelters, phones, internet services, pet care, legal aid, job training, bilingual language courses, child
and family guidance and more; and there are some government subsidized resources for the lucky few who qualify for them such as housing and food vouchers, disability support, medical care, small income stipends and more. Lots of buckets of small resources but no complete plan to help each individual or family get all their basic needs met when they need them so they can create stability for themselves.
Housing, Counseling, and Career Services.
Helping people means helping them in a complete and balanced way so they can eventually take care of themselves.
More than 90% of the youth in our housing programs say they can’t
identify one caring adult in their life. This year, on November 3, 51 Sleepers have committed to spending One Cold Night outside the SAY Finley Dream Center to change this; one Sleeper for each of the formerly homeless youth that call the Dream Center home.
Whether homeless or not, what every person needs to thrive today is: Healthy Air, Water, Food; Shelter; Utilities; Transportation; Communication such as Phone or Internet Services; Medical Services including dental, prescriptions, and mental health support; an Education, Child care and/or pet care; Legal
All it takes is one caring adult to make a difference for the 532 youth who sleep outside every night. Youth still make up 25% of the homeless population in Sonoma County, but are so often left out of the conversation. Together, we can give them a voice.
Aid when necessary; Employment, small business or other independent income generation support; Social Connection and Purpose; and Ideally some furniture, home gear, and clothing, even if slightly used. These things are all being provided in some way in the community but they are not getting to the people who need them efficiently.It’s a confusing unorganized system and that’s why it’s not working.
One Cold Night includes spending the night outside the Dream Center with a sleeping bag and a piece of cardboard. It is about showing the young people in our community they matter and deserve a voice. It’s about showing that community members care enough to be uncomfortable for one night and are willing to be vulnerable for their sakes.
What is needed to end homelessness is a complete vision with a plan that efficiently distributes all the necessary resources to the people who need them when they need them.
Our Sleeper’s goal is to raise $350,000 to support SAY’s housing, counseling, and career services. You can help by making a donation today.
Get involved. Be an advocate. #OneColdNight
Join us for One Cold Gathering to kickoff our
One Cold Gathering is an opportunity to support our Sleepers before they embark on their night outside. It is also an opportunity to show your support for the youth we serve. All community members are welcome!
We ask that attendees bring $10 git cards for Target, Big 5, or Safeway to help SAY provide clothing and food for youth in our housing programs. Contact Stephanie Picard Bowen for more info: 707-800-3967; stephanie@saysc.org
People need to know the ONE PLACE to go to for everything they need IN THEIR AREA, and can sit down and find out what they qualify for, and not be put on a waiting list, or told to try somewhere else. If there isn’t enough housing it needs to be built, and with the same efficiency and economy as
One Cold Night event on November 3
a new system of care. To make this happen, someone, who understands the complete picture and how to organize a complex system of care, needs to have the power to meet the needs of all stakeholders in this mess, especially the ones currently falling through the community care cracks.
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