Class Assignment--SW 180

1. Danielle M. Erdman
Social Work 180
California State University, Fresno

2. 
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Belief that every human being has a right to the
minimum standard of living
The want for people to live with dignity and
participate in the economic life of society
Two goals:
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Provide the homeless with basic needs and services
Involve faith-based community members to serve the homeless

3. 
Populations at risk: those living without adequate shelter and who
lack basic human needs, including
 Homeless
 Low-income families (at-risk for becoming homeless)
 Single-parent families

4. FOOD PANTRY
PARTICIPANTS
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Neighborhood of 93710
Hope Lutheran Community
Population: 32,202
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49% high school graduates
26% 40-64 years old
31% employment in
education/ health
7% unemployed
70% English as first language
90% private vehicle
52% renters
38 registered sex offenders
HOMELESS POPULATION
Encampments, Povorello, Fresno
Streets
Population: 4,096

48% ages 31-50 (largest
percentage)
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49% female—46% male
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38% Caucasian
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38% Hispanic

16% African American
*Few demographics for this
population

5. 
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Most clients have limited transportation
Travel by bike, walking, city bus or private vehicle
Hope Lutheran drop-in
Hope Lutheran has active involvement within community

Partnerships:
 Reading and Beyond
 Fresno Unified School District
 Fresno Housing Authority (FHA)
 County of Fresno (Community forum of mental health)
 In-home Support Services (IHS)

6. Needs Navigators services
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Homeless advocacy & awareness
Procure ID’s/ Birth certificate
Procuring mailboxes for homeless to receive mail
Transport clients to appointments
Find acceptable housing
Assist with furnishing home/ moving/ storing furniture
Hope Lutheran Services
- Food Pantry (weekly food assistance)
- Showers
- Narcotics Anonymous (NA) classes
- Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) classes
- Referrals to larger agencies
-Community Center/ Educational Classrooms Available

7. Hope Now Lutheran
1.
2.
3.
Local non-profit church
Provides minimal referral services
Affiliated with local non-profits
and organizations
-Pastors and staff make decisions
-Community Outreach involvement
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1.
2.
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4.
Homeless Committee
Non-profit
Grass roots
Pilot programs
Community based organization
-Community group member
participation and homeless
activists involvement
-Committee Board make decisions
together based on feedback from
community members and other
organizations
-No specific management position
-Meetings consist of brainstorming and
equal decision making agreed
upon by all members

8. 
Needs Navigators (Pilot program)
 Member roles include :
 Program Administrator (Overseer of program)
 Housing Researcher (finding homeless housing)
 Identification Specialist (aiding in getting homeless IDs, birth certificate
and secured mail boxes)
 Transportation coordinator (scheduling transportation)
Client Roles include:
 Must be referred by outside organization or case manager, no
freelancing
 Voluntary participation
 We intentionally seek clients vs. them seeking our services
 Food Pantry clients seek food assistance
Internship Supervision—
-Supervised by Cate Casa MSW
 committee member, community activist and homeless advocate

9. 
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Believes every human being be treated with dignity, worth and respect
Social justice advocates/ activists for homeless rights
Every person has value and right to shelter
Members of Committees and Pilot programs attend city council meetings
Building and maintaining relationship with the city
Committee members communicate issues in editorial column for Fresno
Bee
Provide summits and workshops to raise awareness and educate
community on homeless crisis, seek radio air time, website resources
available
Survey homeless population within the community, talk with homeless to
build relationship & trust, attended all homeless encampment closures
Committed to serving homeless by meeting needs, offering services and
being a continuous presence

10. The ―Arrels‖ or ―Roots‖ day centre
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Services offered
 Showers, hot meals & room to leave their belongings
 Centre supervised and overseen by social workers
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Cooperates with local government
Bridging the gap between homeless and public services
 Most programs organized by church & government
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Requires both political and grassroots will
 Self –employment and co-operatives are traditional occupational outlets
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Classes offered
 Socialization skills, motivation skills, problem solving skills
 Workshops based on work, family, alcohol and addiction
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Community Organization
 Staffed by community members on volunteer basis (keeps cost low)
 Street groups bring hot meals and take shifts watching over day centre
 Doctors volunteer free health services

11. 
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Initial approach:
 Maintaining personalized relationship with homeless
 Approaching homeless in small teams
 Once homeless begin to stabilize in program, refers them to larger
agencies
Empowerment approach:
 Teaching homeless to organize themselves and claim their rights
 Teaching homeless responsibility
 Ex. issuing personal house keys to individuals

12. 
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www.motovo.com
http://www.fresno.gov/CouncilDocs/agenda
9.9.2008/830a.pdf