Posts Tagged ‘family center’

New Classes at the Family Center

Monday, March 15th, 2010

At Union Station Homeless Services’ Family Center, we provide classes to help our clients make a successful and healthy transition from homelessness to self sufficiency. It is an important step in the process of rebuilding lives. Our classes cover everything from budgeting, parenting and substance abuse to career development and life skills. This last month, we added three new classes to our program based on our clients’ growing needs. It is our hope that these classes will help our clients maintain stability and reach success as they move into their new homes. Here are brief descriptions of our new classes.

Couples Class

Once a week Family Center couples meet with our Marriage and Family Therapy intern. She teaches them how to make marriages work and helps them focus on healthy ways to address everyday issues. One couple has already said, “I think when we get on our feet we will tie the knot.”

Smart Shopping

Another class is called Smart Shopping. Once a week a volunteer shares her time to teach the clients good shopping techniques. The course ends with a grocery shopping trip, where the clients can put their newly learned skills into practice.

Health Workshop

Lastly, we have started a health workshop with the help of students from Cal State LA‘s Nursing program. Once a week the students come to the Family Center to teach health education. It is a comprehensive class that includes everything from hand washing to taking care of your diabetes.

- Family Center Case Manager

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Statistics Tell A Different Story

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

Last fall, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority reported a 38% decrease in homelessness in Los Angeles County. However, our own statistics tell a different story. Since July 2009, Union Station has seen an average of 110 new clients a month, an increase of 5.3% over the same time period last year.

Quickly placing clients in shelter has proved challenging for staff at our Passageways Intake Center. Our own Adult Center and Family Center facilities are operating at capacity, with open beds filled within a day. Many agencies we have worked with in the past have closed, while others are operating at a lower capacity because of decreased funding.

This means that homeless clients are often put on waiting lists. They sleep on “emergency cots” at Union Station or other agencies until space is available in a shelter. What used to take no longer than two or three days is now a four to five day process. But there is hope.

In partnership with the federal government, Union Station is providing “Rapid Re-Housing” assistance to individuals and families who have recently become homeless due to the economy. Eligible clients are moved quickly from homelessness to housing and self-sufficiency, opening up space in our shelters for more people in need. Learn more here.

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A Little Cooking Brings Normalcy

Monday, November 16th, 2009

This past spring, Food Services Manager Charles Bedell started cooking classes for our Adult Center clients, as well as a separate class for children at the Family Center. The value of these classes to our homeless community members is far greater than the food preparation skills they learn. Read Charles’ take on the class below.

Every day as I walk into the Adult Center, a resident or day patron will stop me to ask when the next cooking class is. Never mind that the class is always scheduled for Wednesday and many of the people who ask don’t actually show up. Still, those who do show up are as attentive and enthusiastic as young children on their first day of school.

Amidst the disorders in their lives, for one day a week our clients find something to care about that is entirely their own choice. It is a personal interest that they get to pursue. It is neither a requirement nor an obligation, but something as simple as a hobby they enjoy.

For six weeks they learn cooking skills including basic food safety, sauces, methods of cooking meats, herbs and spices, and knife skills. We also move on to more advanced topics like international cuisine, desserts, and menu creation. Not only do participants gain knowledge needed to prepare healthy well-balanced meals for themselves, but they also learn marketable skills that they could use in future employment. In fact, many of our participants are actually aspiring to work in the restaurant business.

It is easy for our homeless residents and day patrons to be consumed with their state of homelessness. Most times, all they can think about is how to survive. The cooking class provides them a medium to enjoy the simple things that those of us who are not homeless take for granted. It brings normalcy to their lives. Besides helping our homeless clients to survive in the real world, we should also relentlessly remind them that being homeless does not mean one must abandon pursuing personal growth and happiness.

Charles Bedell
Food Services Manager

Interested in doing a little cooking of your own? Help Union Station by cooking turkeys for our Thanksgiving Dinner-in-the-Park. For more information visit our Dinner-in-the-Park webpage.

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A Family Center Halloween

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
Family Center Halloween

Little Lamb

During the holiday season it is especially difficult to be without a home of your own, so the Union Station Homeless Services Family Center staff goes out of their way to plan fun-filled activities and events for everyone to enjoy. Halloween week was no exception.

The celebration began a week before Halloween when a local Girl Scout troop brought costumes for all the children. They turned the afternoon into a party complete with face painting and Halloween snacks. The week of Halloween also included a trip to the apple orchard and an afternoon of pumpkin carving.

The Halloween festivities culminated in the  annual Family Center costume parade on Friday afternoon. Family Center children and their parents  paraded through Union Station’s administration building, trick-or-treating at each office they passed. The parade is one of the highlights of the year for many of our administrative staff, who go all out with Halloween decorations and costumes.

Family Center Halloween

Snow White

After filling their bags full of treats, and a few tricks, the families returned to the Family Center dining room where they were met with food, games and fun. The children enjoyed Pin the Tail on the Black Cat, Witches Hat Ring Toss, and several other Halloween-themed games, while the parents enjoyed the food and the sounds of their children’s delighted laughter. It was a great event and a much-needed pick-me-up for our families.

Learn more about our Family Center and the great work that goes on there.

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Record of Success

Monday, September 28th, 2009

At the end of each fiscal year we look back at what Union Station Homeless Services and our clients have accomplished.  It is my pleasure to share this update with you.

This is our 2008-2009 Record of Success.

Passageways intake center, which serves as the sole entry point to Pasadena’s homeless services network, provided 1,594 homeless adults and children with intake, assessment, medical and mental health services, and referrals to shelter, housing and substance recovery programs. This is a 32% increase over last fiscal year.

The Adult Center, our 56-bed shelter for single adults, provided shelter, meals and supportive services for 169 homeless adults, including 113 men and 56 women. 59% of exiting adults moved on to stable housing.

The Family Center, our 50-bed shelter for homeless families, provided shelter, meals and supportive services for 126 people, including 70 children, 44 mothers, and 12 fathers. 94% of exiting families moved on to stable housing.

Euclid Villa, our transitional housing apartments, provided safe residence for 53 people, including 33 children, 17 mothers and 3 fathers. 100% of exciting families moved on to permanent housing.

Sources, our career development program, provided more than 7,500 hours of career counseling and job search assistance for 110 homeless and very low-income adults. Despite the tough economic climate, 53% of program graduates secured employment within 90 days.

To learn more about Union Station Homeless Services, visit www.unionstationhs.org.

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Seeking Bluer Skies

Monday, September 21st, 2009

Kathy, a single mother with three children, moved from Nevada to California seeking bluer skies. When she and her family arrived in what was to be their new home state, she knew they had made the right decision. It was a beautiful place.

Kathy and her family planned to stay with a relative, but shortly after their arrival they were informed that they had to leave. The property manager cited Kathy’s relative for lease violation because there were too many people living in the apartment. They were going to have to find another place to stay. The news was devastating. New to the state, and with no support system in place, Kathy believed she and her children were out of options.

Kathy was referred to Union Station’s Passageways intake center by a local food bank. Our Passageways team assessed Kathy’s situation and determined that she and her family would be a good fit for our Family Center.

While at the Family Center, Kathy participated in our Sources career development program, where she learned the skills she needed to find employment. She also worked with our Housing Resource Specialist to find affordable housing.

Since her stay at Union Station, Kathy has continued to apply the hard work and perseverance she showed here. She has gone back to school and earned a B.A. in Psychology.

Grateful for the opportunities she been given, Kathy often shares the inspiring story of how Union Station Homeless Services helped her become the person she is today. We appreciate her kind words and are very proud of what she has accomplished.

To learn more about our supportive programs that help thousands of people like Kathy every year, visit www.unionstationhs.org.

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Friendship Baptist Church’s Young Fundraisers

Monday, August 24th, 2009

This summer, the children of Friendship Baptist Church’s Vacation Bible School dedicated a week in July to helping homeless men, women and children in Pasadena. These young fundraisers set a lofty goal of collecting $1,000 in one week by holding a coin drive to benefit Union Station Homeless Services. The children, ages 5 through 12, decided to designate the money to provide meals for homeless parents and children living at Union Station’s Family Center.

The group, which included four young residents of Union Station’s Family Center, spent a week collecting coins from family members and friends. When all the funds were counted, the total was more than $1,600! This amount will provide more than 900 meals for homeless parents and children.

We thank these young philanthropists for their hard work, generosity, and dedication to improving their community.

Union Station Homeless Services’ Family Center is a safe, nurturing place for homeless parents and children to rebuild their lives and achieve self-sufficiency. The Family Center provides the following services:

  • -Safe shelter
  • -Nutritious meals
  • -Case management and referrals
  • -Medical and mental health services
  • -Substance abuse recovery support
  • -Employment search assistance through Sources Career Development Program
  • -Benefits advocacy
  • -Adult classes in parenting, nutrition, money management, and life skills
  • -Housing resources

Learn more about Union Station’s Family Center.

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Success Story: Emma

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

When Emma and her three children arrived at Union Station’s Passageways Intake Center, she had recently lost her job and her apartment. She was hopeless and depressed because her family was forced to live in their van.

 

Our Passageways staff placed Emma and her family at our Family Center. Emma was speechless upon arriving. She couldn’t believe that she and her children could finally have a safe and secure place to live while they got back on their feet. They were model residents during their time at the Family Center: Emma consistently banked 70% of her income, regularly attended life skills and parenting groups, and worked with our Sources Career Development Program to secure a great job. With a little hard work and support, she was able to move her family into an apartment.

 

Since moving out of the Family Center, Emma has gotten married, purchased a townhouse, and has been attending school. She checked in with us recently to thank us for being so supportive and helping her look towards a brighter future.

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