GETTING PEOPLE OFF STREET : PACOIMA CENTER HELPS HOMELESS.Byline: Luz Villarreal Daily News Staff Writer Jerry Rothschild is on the verge On the Verge (or The Geography of Yearning) is a play written by Eric Overmyer. It makes extensive use of esoteric language and pop culture references from the late nineteenth century to 1955. of homelessness. He's been evicted from his North Hills apartment and has until the end of the month to move himself, his ex-wife, their adult son and a roommate out. ``There's four of us,'' the 46-year-old recovering drug addict Any individual who habitually uses any narcotic drug so as to endanger the public morals, health, safety, or welfare, or who is so drawn to the use of such narcotic drugs as to have lost the power of self-control with reference to his or her drug use. tells a stranger who is visiting a soup kitchen at Sepulveda Methodist Church on Rayen Street. ``We need a place to live real bad. Can you help someone like me?'' Miriam Quintero smiles and invites him to visit the new Homeless Service Center in Pacoima where, she says, they can call his landlord and work something out or help him look for alternatives. Quintero was one of three staff members from Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Family Housing Corp. at the breakfast Friday to introduce the services offered at their new center at the Pacoima Community Service Center complex, 11243 Glenoaks Blvd. The Homeless Service Center, which opened July 22, is the first of its kind in the Northeast San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. . The idea, homeless advocates say, is to offer a one-stop center where people can access different agencies under one roof to find work, shelter, permanent housing, food, clothing, bus and shower vouchers, legal assistance, and medical attention. It is one of several centers in Los Angeles County opening as a result of a $20 million federal grant earmarked for homeless outreach services. A center will be opened in Glendale in September. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, a joint city-county agency, received the grant two years ago to fund services in the county's most impoverished im·pov·er·ished adj. 1. Reduced to poverty; poverty-stricken. See Synonyms at poor. 2. Deprived of natural richness or strength; limited or depleted: neighborhoods. Nobody knows exactly how many homeless people live in the county, let alone the San Fernando Valley, but advocates say the need far outweighs the services available. Between 1993-1994, the latest estimates available, there were 84,300 homeless people on any given night countywide. There were 41,500 homeless people in the city, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Los Angeles-based Shelter Partnership Inc. ``The numbers have pretty consistently been going up every year,'' said Jeff Schaffer, associate director of Shelter Partnership. ``We are concerned that although we have the (grant) money, we might see a real swell in the homeless population with changes in public benefit programs such as welfare reform and the elimination of general relief.'' Los Angeles Family Housing, which operates shelters, transitional and affordable housing programs throughout the city, received a $533,000 grant to run the program in Pacoima. Part of those funds will pay for a 34-foot mobile unit that will serve as a basic health clinic and offer social services social services Noun, pl welfare services provided by local authorities or a state agency for people with particular social needs social services npl → servicios mpl sociales . The mobile unit, which is expected to arrive within a month, will go into encampment areas, parks and other places homeless people congregate con·gre·gate tr. & intr.v. con·gre·gat·ed, con·gre·gat·ing, con·gre·gates To bring or come together in a group, crowd, or assembly. See Synonyms at gather. adj. 1. Gathered; assembled. 2. . ``About three-quarters of the people here are not service oriented o·ri·ent n. 1. Orient The countries of Asia, especially of eastern Asia. 2. a. The luster characteristic of a pearl of high quality. b. A pearl having exceptional luster. 3. ,'' said project coordinator John Horn, looking over the crowd of about 50 people who gathered at the North Hills church Friday morning. ``They won't walk into an agency to look for help,'' he said. ``The most they'll do is go to a soup kitchen like this for food. That's why we need to do outreach and go out to them.'' Jeffrey Farber, director of programs at LAFHC, said many homeless get discouraged with the system because they don't have their own transportation and are sent from agency to agency looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. help. ``The whole aim is to assist what are called motivated homeless people,'' he said. ``We want to provide them services and linkages and support they need so they can start taking the steps away from homelessness.'' Philomena Cashier CASHIER. An officer of a moneyed institution, who is entitled by virtue of his office to take care of the cash or money of such institution. 2. The cashier of a bank is usually entrusted with all the funds of the bank, its notes, bills, and other choses in , 72, said she will take LAFHC up on its offer. ``There are some things I'd like to take advantage of,'' said the North Hollywood woman who lives at a home for free in exchange for house-cleaning services. ``I'd like to get bus tokens and shower vouchers. I'm just struggling along. I'm going to be on my own in the future, and I have to plan for it.'' In Glendale, the Salvation Army Salvation Army, Protestant denomination and international nonsectarian Christian organization for evangelical and philanthropic work. Organization and Beliefs The Salvation Army has established branches in 100 countries throughout the world. operates a part-time center for the homeless at 801 S. Central Ave. The group is receiving $420,000 to operate a full-time access center at 437 Fernando Court. Another agency will also run a 40-bed shelter in the same building. ``We estimate there are about 400 to 500 homeless people on the streets and probably 10,000 at significant risk of becoming homeless,'' said Paul Bandy bandy /ban·dy/ (band´e) bowed or bent in an outward curve. , the Salvation Army's director of social services. For that reason, he said, the center will cater to both groups. ``It's cheaper to keep somebody from becoming homeless than to help someone who already is homeless,'' he said. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Project coordinator John Horn explains the new Homel ess Services Center in Pacoima to a visitor for breakfast. Bob Halvorsen/Daily News |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion